(Photo by DCTVPRO) The United States Air Force Band, conducted by Maj. Keith H. Bland, and the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants offered musical selections for the annual Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington National Cemetery Sunday.

The preparations for this event began in mid-December and over 150 people and many organizations were involved in the process.

Chap. (Col.) Mike Durham, Military District of Washington chaplain, said, ‘‘It was an awesome team effort with contributions of so many including our Old Guard Soldiers and leaders, the staff, the musicians, Arlington National Cemetery workers and participants, all of whom contribute to a very special event.”

The United States Air Force Band, conducted by Maj. Keith H. Bland, and the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants offered musical selections for the service including the hymns ‘‘Because He Lives” and ‘‘The Hallelujah Chorus” to cap off the service.

Durham led the call to worship with ‘‘The Apostles’ Creed,” followed by an invocation and ‘‘The Lord’s Prayer,” by Chap. (Col.) John Stovall, chaplain of the Air Force District of Washington.

Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe, Jr., commander of Joint Force Headquarters National Cap-ital Region and the Military District of Washington, welcomed the crowd with his speech and thanked them for being a part of ‘‘a majestic setting and a magnificent day.”

Following the welcome, Chap. (Lt. Col.) William Barefield, Arlington National Cemetery’s senior Army chaplain, read the Responsive Reading and John Metzler, Jr., Arlington National Cemetery superintendent, read the First Lesson. As the readings continued, the sun began to rise.

After the performance of ‘‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” the Second Lesson was examined by Chief Master Sgt. Lewis Monroe, command chief master sergeant for the Air Force District of Washington and the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing.

‘‘For the Beauty of the Earth” was then performed. Rear Adm. Robert F. Burt, chief of Navy Chaplains, offered a sermon called ‘‘Correcting the Obituary Page.” In this sermon, Burt told about his personal experiences with his family. He said that on Good Friday, there would have been an obituary for Jesus in the ‘‘Jerusalem Times.” He gave an example of the obituary, similar to the others in the newspaper that one might see.

Three days later, after the Resurrection of Jesus, the newspaper would have to place their obituary into their accidental mistakes section because Jesus was no longer dead.

The service then began to end with the hymn ‘‘Because He Lives” sung by the Air Force Band, the Singing Sergeants, and the whole congregation.

The benediction was given by Capt. Sheila Robertson, chaplain for the Navy Installations Command.

As the Air Force Band and the Singing Sergeants performed ‘‘The Hallelujah Chorus” to end the service, several doves were released into the amphitheater.

The birds began to fly away, then gathered as a group and swooped back into the area of the amphitheater before disappearing.

Durham said he was uplifted by the service ‘‘from beginning to end, but perhaps the highlight was when we joined to sing the hymn, ‘Because He Lives.’ That was followed closely by the special moment during the presentation of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ when the doves were released.”