Category: Music

Monday night there was a call waiting for me from Fourth Presbyterian in Greenville.  My good friend and colleague, Dr. Ramon Kyser, is retiring, and I was asked about taking the interim Minster of Music position.  The call did not surprise me – I’ve worked closely with Dr. Kyser over the years, as well as … Read More “Picking up the baton” »

Yesterday we learned of the passing of Robert Moog, physicist, musician, and inventor of the Moog Synthesizer. Moog had brain cancer, and died at his home in Asheville, NC.

After watching the Fantastic Four and drawing the inevitable comparisons with The Incredibles, I got to thinking about the really cool soundtrack for the Incredibles. It seemed the perfect addition to my “cool music” collection, so I set off in search of a copy. It took some doing, but I did finally found a copy.

Since I hadn’t spent money on music in awhile, I decided to drop by Horizon Records.  My targets were some kind of complilation by the Rat Pack and the new CD by The Duhks, plus whatever else interesting I might find.  Tonight I scored big time – with two wonderful CDs that offer a new … Read More “A New Twist on Some Old Tunes” »

This weekend the Greenville Chorale and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra performed Mendelssohn’s Elijah as part of the Artisphere Festival.  It was a moving, impressive performance, and garnered a rave review from Ann Hicks in the Greenville News.  The only real problem was with turn-out — the Peace Center looked empty.  Not that the concert was … Read More “What the Audience Never Hears” »

There was a very specific demographic at the Handlebar Thursday night.  These were products of the Eighties – who came of age drinking microbrews, and listening to public radio shows such as Prairie Home Companion and Thistle & Shamrock.  They are the type most likely to support environmental causes, vote Democrat, and go contra-dancing.  Laura … Read More “Maundy Thursday with the Battlefield Band” »

Last night I performed in one of the most difficult concerts of my career.  The Children’s Hospital of Greenville holds an annual service in memorial to those children who have died in the hospital in the past year.  This year the Greenville Chorale Chamber Ensemble  was invited to sing.  The service consists of a half-hour video … Read More “Kindertotenlieder” »

I love XM Radio. I used to really like Shoutcast and other online radios because I could find commercial-free streams of eclectic music.  However, since I’m paying for XM, and since I have to watch my bandwidth usage at work, I’ve been listening to it more.  One great feature both mediums share is the ability … Read More “Nude Music Review” »

Tonight the Greenville Chorale, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, and Furman Children’s Chorus perform John Rutter’s “Mass of the Children”.  Also on the program is Handel’s “Dettingen Te Deum”. First a disclaimer:  This will be a wonderful concert.  Especially with the Rutter, the blend of beautiful melodies with children’s voices is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and … Read More “Rachel may cheat, but so do Rutter and Handel” »

In the 1980’s in South Carolina there was a really hot band called The Killer Whales. This power trio turned out originals with tight funky riffs that still sound great, and could easily blow away any of the alternative drek being churned out today.  It’s a strange twist of fate that their compadres from the … Read More “Whale Watching” »