Local – Page 21 – Random Connections

Lessons and Carols

December 13, 2010 Tom 4 Comments

Local, Music

Sunday afternoon Laura and I attended the Service of Lessons and Carols at Furman. For the past 15 years, the Furman Chamber Choir has been presenting the program in Daniel Chapel. Tickets are incredibly hard to obtain, and we were lucky enough to get a couple of the 5:00 service. As a choir director I’ve … Read More “Lessons and Carols” »

A Carolina Christmas

December 11, 2010 Tom 2 Comments

Local, Music

Last night the Greenville Chorale gave its Carolina Christmas concert at McAlister Auditorium at Furman. We were joined by the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, and we repeat the concert today at Mud Creek Baptist Church for the Hendersonville audience. (The photo above is from last year’s concert.) We’ve been working on the music since mid-October. The … Read More “A Carolina Christmas” »

Chilly Jocassee Paddling Trip

November 28, 2010 Tom No Comments

Local, Paddling

Since I had already missed a couple of trips, I really wanted to get some paddling in over the Thanksgiving break. I had originally planned to head up to Lake Jocassee on Black Friday, but the weather wasn’t very amenable. Saturday’s weather looked like it was going to be clear, but quite chilly. Despite the cold weather, Chip, Houston, Brian Goess, and I loaded up the boats and headed to the lake.

The plan was to paddle up to Wright Creek Falls, then explore elsewhere as time allowed. We had some time constraints, with football games looming in the evening, so we couldn’t spend all day on the water.

Bobby Lamb – End of an Era

November 21, 2010 Tom 2 Comments

Local, Miscellaneous

I planned to do something I hadn’t done in nearly 20 years. I was going to skip Furman’s home game with Georgia Southern on Saturday – the last game of the season and with one of Furman’s main rivals – and go kayaking. Furman hadn’t been playing well this season, and I was just ready for a change. Be careful what you wish for. The change I wanted was much more dramatic than I had anticipated. On Friday, head coach Bobby Lamb resigned. I immediately changed my plans and decided to go to the game.

Bobby Lamb has been associated with Furman for nearly 29 years. My senior year at Furman Bobby was a freshman, taking over as quarterback for the team. He has been with the team in some capacity ever since, as an assistant coach, and for the last nine years as head coach. Unfortunately the last six years or so have not been kind, with Furman not playing the kind of football we saw in 1980’s. There were already grumblings.

Greenville Open Studios

November 8, 2010 Tom No Comments

Local

This past weekend the Greenville Metropolitan Arts Council sponsored the Artists Open Studios. This is the ninth year for the event, and it’s always a welcome event, and unofficial herald of the upcoming holiday season. This year 142 artists opened their studios for visitors on Saturday and Sunday. In many cases, these were the artists’ … Read More “Greenville Open Studios” »

Fifty Years of Singing

October 20, 2010 Tom No Comments

Local, Music

This weekend the Greenville Chorale celebrates the opening of its Fiftieth Anniversary Season with a concert this Saturday at the Peace Center. On the repertoire is the first piece that the Chorale did in its very first season – The Brahms German Requiem. Also up are two pieces commissioned for the event by local composers Robert Powell and Dan Forrest.

The Chorale got its start in 1961 as the Rotary Civic Chorale under the direction of William Jarvis. From 1968-1987 the organization was known as the Greenville Civic Chorale. In 1987 it became known as simply The Greenville Chorale. The Chorale started with forty-five singers, and now features about 160 singers.

It’s also a celebration for our director, Bing Vick. This is his 30th season as the Chorale’s director.

Read More “Fifty Years of Singing” »

Paddling to Newry

October 18, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

History and Genealogy, Local, Paddling, Photography

Several weeks ago the Greenville Canoe and Kayak Meetup group had a paddling trip on Lake Hartwell up to the community of Newry in Oconee County. I had planned to go, but came down with a ferocious head cold and had to miss the trip. I had been looking forward to it, and was quite disappointed that I couldn’t make the trip.

So, this past Sunday I was able to rectify the problem, and do that paddling trip with my brother, Houston. The delay was probably for the best. Based on the photos I saw, I think we saw and experienced much more than the group that went on the earlier paddling trip. At least, it turned into an interesting day that was a combination of paddling and exploring an old mill.

Shiloh Methodist

October 9, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

Local, Photography

Several weeks ago I wrote about the prevalence of Biblical place names in South Carolina. One of the place names that keep popping up was “Shiloh.” It’s probably best known as a Civil War battleground in Tennessee. One of my favorite photographic subjects is the old Shiloh School in Anderson County, seen below:

Today, I had a chance to visit Shiloh Methodist Church just outside of Inman, South Carolina. Built sometime in the mid-1700’s (the date varies, according to which source your read), the church fell out of use in the early 1900’s. The white frame building remains, along with its historic cemetery.

Greenville Farmers Market

September 25, 2010 Tom No Comments

Local

Every spring and fall the Greenville Farmers Market has a festival. I’m not talking about the one that has sprung up on Main Street downtown (not to take anything away from that market), but the one sponsored by the SC Agricultural Commission on Rutherford Road. Local growers bring their wares for a two-day sale. Laura … Read More “Greenville Farmers Market” »

Ebenezer and Pelham with Karen B

September 13, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

Local, Photography

Karen Buchmueller is a good friend and colleague of Laura’s, and she’s also an avid photographer. Both of our spouses were tied up for the afternoon, so we decided to head out with our cameras and shoot some photos. Our targets for the afternoon were the old ruins of Pelham Mills, and Ebenezer Methodist Church.

I had visited Pelham Mills several times with my camera, but it was Karen’s first visit. I always enjoy visiting places with other photographers, even if it’s somewhere that I’ve already taken lots of photos. They often spot things I’ve overlooked, or see an angle or composition that hadn’t occurred to me. This was definitely the case at the old dilapidated mill office.