Saluting Our Veterans

Saluting America’s Veterans

The Lowcountry Wind Symphony presents its 7th annual tribute

The Lowcountry wind Symphony (LWS), under the direction of Donald F. Jemella, begins its 2022-2023 Concert Season by proudly honoring the men and women who are now serving and have served in the United States Military. This year will mark the seventh such tribute for LWS. The three free concerts in the greater Beaufort County area are:

Sunday, November 6th, 4 pm

St. John’s Lutheran Church, 157 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort

Open to the Public

Wednesday, November 9th, 7 pm

Carolina Ballroom, Dataw Island, Beaufort

DIC Members and Guests Only

Friday November 11th, 7 pm

Magnolia Hall, Sun City

Residents and Guests Only

Of special note, the Dataw program is part of the annual Veterans Week “Tee It Up For The Troops” celebration which raises funds for a varied number of organizations which support men and women in the service. At Sun City, the program is being sponsored and hosted by the Sun City Veterans Association. We are honored to be part of these outstanding programs.

James Colwell, in the tuba section, and a founding member of LWS, is the Commander of Local Chapter 12, Disabled American Veterans. A number of LWS players have served in the military, and several Parris Island Marine Band members are participating in this concert.

According to Director Jemella, this program of patriotic music includes music from the time of the American Revolution through the present day.

God of Our Fathers was written in 1876 for the Centennial observance of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The hymn gained wide popularity when organist George W. Warren wrote his own music in 1892, but retained the original lyrics penned by Episcopal priest, Daniel C. Roberts who served churches in Brandon, VT. It remains one of our best loved hymns today.

National Airs (From Early

America): Bands of the Civil War era often included familiar tunes in their performances. This piece contains a patriotic medley of Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, Washington’s March, an early treatment of The Star Spangled Banner as it would have been rendered during the Civil War, (prior to its selection as the official national anthem in 1931), and Yankee Doodle.

Field Ayers is an arrangement celebrating the heritage of rudimental drumming through three traditional drum solos that were written over the course of America’s growth as a nation (‘Three Camps,’ ‘Downfall of Paris,’ and ‘Hell on the Wabash’). The manual specifies drum signals for American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. As the style continued to develop, it was the basis for contests organized by the American Legion for drum and bugle crops. LWS features our percussion section with Mike Burroughs on field drum.

Echoes from the Battlefield commemorates World War I with four songs that were popular and widely performed during that historic era. These are Over There by George M. Cohan, It’s a Long Way To Tipperary, Keep the Home Fires Burning and Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag. These songs, sung by the troops and those waiting at home helped to keep up morale during wartime.

America the Brave: Contemporary composer Stephen Melillo is known for his patriotic and heartfelt writing. Here he presents a fresh take on two of America’s favorite patriotic songs - Battle Hymn of the Republic and America the Beautiful.

Armed Forces – Pride of America – Our country has a long history of honoring those who have served our country in the Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and the Air Force. We regard them as heroes, yet they are often reluctant to be placed in the limelight or accept that mantle we rightfully place on them. They served out of a deep sense of duty to their comrades and their country. It is with great respect that we proudly salute these five branches of the United States military and offer this musical tribute.

The Stars and Stripes Forever,

composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896, was chosen as the United States National March by congress in 8971. Known as The March King, Sousa served as the 17th Director of the Marine Band from 1880 -1892. Based in Washington, D.C. this musical group is designated as ‘The President’s Own’. Sousa also composed Semper Fidelis, the official march of the United States Marine Corp.

LWS is a concert band made up of amateur and professional brass, woodwind, and percussion players from greater Beaufort area. New members are welcome and auditions are not required. For more information, to become involved in band operations, or to make a contribution, please visit LWS’ website at www.lowcountrywindsymphony.com

The brass section rehearses for an upcoming concert Woodwinds play during a Lowcountry Wind Symphony rehearsal

Matthew Baumgardner at Palmetto Bluff

The Arts Initiative at Palmetto Bluff, a new program conceived to inspire and enrich lives through art, in all its forms, is honored to announce an exciting partnership with the estate of American contemporary artist and National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellow, Matthew (Matt) Baumgardner, whose work is featured in multiple private and public collections including the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston and the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, SC. The Art of Matt Baumgardner: Channeling Universal and Spiritual Planes will showcase a curated selection of his paintings, works on paper and birch plywoods, and will be on exhibit and available for purchase from October 28 – November 6, 2022 at FLOW Gallery + Workshop, which sits at the heart and social center of Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Village.

“My work imparts a transformative experience that resonates with my longings to channel universal and spiritual planes; I want to transport the spirit, to remind us all that we are perfect beings passing through a transient world. My soul craves expression through poetic and timeless art that beckons the viewer to return time and again to find renewal and fresh experiences.” – Matt Baumgardner

Baumgardner’s body of work synthesizes two disparate approaches – free-form mark-making and a formalized grid based on spatial frequency. Developed and refined over 26 years, Baumgardner’s unique process and materials play a vital role in delivering this Paul Klee, Joan Miro, Jackson Pollock, Brice Marden, Cy Twombly, Robert Ryman, Alfred Jensen, Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, James Turrell and Robert Irwin. Baumgardner’s process was to study the classics and old masters, absorb the successful modernists, and then strike out in new directions to express a unique vision honed by his modern lifestyle and experience. After earning his MFA at UNC in Chapel Hill in 1982, Baumgardner moved to NYC where he spent most of his professional career. In 1993, he was awarded a national Visual Arts Fellowship in Painting by the National Endowment for the Arts for his birch plywood series, representing his signature technique of embedded glyphs in multiple layers of pigmented gypsum. From his early career through his 22-year tenure in NYC, Baumgardner’s artwork was exhibited in 14 solo and more than 30 group shows, including at internationally recognized galleries such as Charles Cowles (New York), Edward Thorp (New York), Jeffrey Coploff (New York), Wessel O’Connor (New York), Bentley (Scottsdale), Carrie Secrist (Chicago), LewAllen Contemporary Art (Santa Fe), and Galerie Marie-Louise Wirth (Zurich, Switzerland). In 2006, Baumgardner relocated to rural Travelers Rest, SC, where he designed and built a live/work studio on an acre of land in 2009, a serene haven in which he created his work for nearly a decade. Since returning to the Carolinas, Baumgardner’s work has been exhibited in a major solo retrospective at the Greenville County Museum of Art and at other venues, including Art San Diego, Spectrum Miami, Forré & Co. Fine Art (Aspen and Vail), Eckert Fine Art (Mass MoCA campus) and Art on Paper, Pier 36, NYC. His estate has also partnered with the Furman University Art Department, providing students with the opportunity to research Matt’s career and curate exhibitions of his work since 2019. Baumgardner’s love of nature and its four elements – earth, air, water, and fire – permeated his life and art. Inspecting insects with his microscope, tending to his garden laden with flowers and edible plants, swimming with his daughters in the Caribbean or exercising in the pool at his studio, lighting fireworks or burning a pile of pruned branches on his grounds, contemplating clouds and beautiful sunsets, and touring country roads were simple joys that inspired him.

“On behalf of the Baumgardner estate, I am enthused to collaborate with The Arts Initiative at Palmetto Bluff to deliver a compelling experience for this vibrant community of art patrons,” said Riley Murphy, Personal Representative, Matthew Baumgardner estate.

FLOW Gallery + Workshop houses the physical showcase of The Arts Initiative at Palmetto Bluff and includes work from the Artist in Residence program and a curated collection of acclaimed Southern artists. This diverse lineup of talent includes a rotating series of exhibitions, workshops, and events featuring blue chip and emerging artists, craftsmen, musicians, makers, and chefs. Ideally located in Wilson Village, FLOW welcomes members and guests to foster immersive hands-on interactions and a deeper appreciation for the artists whose work represent the elements that comprise Palmetto Bluff. The thread that connects featured artists at FLOW is a reverence for the artistic process and their chosen crafts and a deep connection to the values of this unique community.

For more information, visit www.PalmettoBluff.com

#61 Signed Tears, left Gouache #2 Series #2, below Dream Field, below left