We are lucky at the VBC to count renowned vocalist, pianist, and performer Donna Groom among our members. Donna is best known as the lead female vocalist with Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners (“Since I Don’t Have You”, “This I Swear”, “Pennies from Heaven”) and for performing at top venues like Radio City Musical Hall and Madison Square Garden with such musical legends as The Temptations and Little Anthony and the Imperials. Donna’s latest show has a special place in our heart. “From a Distance” is a theatrical concert featuring wartime correspondence exchanged by military veterans and their loved ones. Included are letters and music from major military conflicts beginning with the War of Independence through today, accompanied by a multimedia video presentation and songs of the era. We look forward to having Donna perform selections from her show at some of our upcoming events in 2025. We will let you know when and where!  Below, Donna explains the origins of “From a Distance” and what the production seeks to capture.

Music has always been the center of my life. As a performer, I’ve had the privilege of sharing songs with audiences across generations, but it was a box of old letters that led me to one of the most meaningful projects of my career.

It all started with a song—”Love Letters” by Ketty Lester, a tune I had long admired. Its poignant lyrics about longing and love sparked a thought: what if we used real letters—letters from soldiers, from home, from different wars—to tell the deeply personal stories of those who served? That thought grew into a full stage production, first called Love Letters, then From a Distance: Letters and Music from Wartime.

The heart of the show lies in the letters themselves. My mother had kept a box of 420 letters that my father wrote to her while he was in the Air Force. They were filled with devotion, longing, and everyday moments of a love stretched across time and distance. I knew immediately that these letters could be the foundation for something bigger—something that could honor all the voices of war, past and present.

We started gathering more letters, pulling from archives, museums, and veterans’ organizations. The earliest letter in our collection dates back to 1776, from a soldier in the Revolutionary War. From there, we trace the stories of men and women in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the more recent conflicts in the Middle East. Some letters are romantic, filled with affection and longing. Others are messages of courage, fear, or longing for home. One letter from a Vietnam soldier laments a Christmas spent without any mail from home. Another, from an Army nurse stationed in Kuwait, is a heartfelt note to her young daughter, expressing her deep love and longing while she serves overseas.

The music in From a Distance is carefully chosen to pair with these letters. We match songs from each era, bringing the past to life through melodies that were once the backdrop of history. A letter from a World War II soldier might be paired with I’ll Be Seeing You, while the Army nurse’s letter is set against Bette Midler’s “From a Distance.” Each piece carries the emotions of its time, allowing audiences to step into those moments and feel the weight of each word.

This isn’t just a concert—it’s a multimedia experience. As the letters are read, their words appear on a screen, accompanied by photographs and film clips that transport audiences to another time. It’s intimate and immersive, making history feel personal. We see the faces behind the letters, the young soldiers and their loved ones, their hopes and heartaches laid bare.

Performing these stories is incredibly emotional. Every time I sing the song that accompanies my father’s letter, I feel him with me. There are moments when it becomes overwhelming, and I have to let someone else take over the song because I know I won’t make it through. But that’s the beauty of this show—it’s real. It’s raw. It’s not just my story; it’s the story of so many.

As we take this production to different cities, we hope to include letters from local veterans, making each performance unique to the community. We also want this show to give back—our vision is to donate a portion of every ticket to veterans’ organizations, supporting those who have sacrificed so much.

Our dream is to see From a Distance reach as many people as possible. We’ve had interest from PBS, and we are working toward producing a full-length film version to be aired nationwide. But for now, we continue to perform in churches, small theaters, senior communities, and anywhere people are willing to listen.

This project is about preserving these voices, honoring the sacrifices, and sharing the stories that history books often overlook. It’s about love, loss, and the human connection that survives even in the darkest times.

If we can make people laugh, cry, remember, and reflect, then we’ve done what we set out to do. Because these aren’t just words on a page. They are the words of warriors, and they deserve to be heard.