Charleston Currents #13.40 | Aug. 23, 2021
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FOCUS: The Sound of Charleston resumes shows after long hiatus
COMMENTARY, Brack: South Carolinians should expect civility, not promote incivility
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: S.C. Ports Authority
NEWS BRIEFS: Study highlights the language of vaccination
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Where are these columns?
CALENDAR: Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns Labor Day weekend
The Sound of Charleston resumes shows after hiatus
Ann Caldwell belts out a tune during The Sound of Charleston. Photo provided.
Staff reports | The Sound of Charleston, the region’s longest-running musical production, will resume weekly shows at Circular Congregational Church at 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
With more than 500 concerts since 2010, the show highlights the Lowcountry’s rich musical history from gospel spirituals and jazz to the music of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” and light classics of the venerable St. Cecilia Society. During December’s six Holiday Editions, music of the season is added to the show.
After almost a year and a half with no shows, producer Bill Perry said he was excited but nervous about shows in the months ahead: “Nervous about whether audiences will return to indoor venues and whether we can ensure safety of our audiences and cast members.”
He said the show would follow COVID-19 protocols established by the city and church.
“All audience members will be required to wear masks,” Perry said. “The church has arranged seating for their services so there is good social distancing and we will use that seating plan, resulting in reduced (50 percent) but safer seating capacity. Hand sanitation stations will be available throughout the church.”
The show is narrated by host Bill Schlitt, who introduces each set with a brief historical context of the music. Of special significance is the closing of every show with “Amazing Grace,” sung by the cast. Composer John Newton worshipped for a number of weeks at what is now Circular Congregational Church during which time he received inspiration that he later drew on back home in England to write perhaps the world’s favorite hymn.
The Sound of Charleston has consistently received high ratings on the travel site Trip Advisor and has been proclaimed “the best night out in the city” by the prestigious Frommer’s travel guide.
A full schedule of generally weekly fall performances is online at www.soundofcharleston.com. Tickets are $28 for adults, $26 for seniors and $16 for students. Children under 7 are free. Tickets can be purchased online, at any Charleston Visitor Center or by calling 843.270.4903.
- Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
South Carolinians should expect civility, not promote incivility
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Politics has always been an occasionally nasty business. Alexander Hamilton died in an 1804 duel with Aaron Burr. A South Carolina congressman caned and nearly killed a Massachusetts senator in 1856 over slavery. A mob of zealots upset by presidential election results stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier this year in an attack that led to five deaths.
Fortunately in America, these bloody internal conflicts aren’t the norm. Unfortunately, today’s polarized and charged political environment is making it harder for leaders to govern — particularly when the leaders seem to be more worried about the next election than governing.
Just look at local meetings that should be routine. Political party meetings are being hijacked more often by partisans who want to wrest control of their faction from another. In the S.C. General Assembly, there’s far less personal interaction among elected officials on different sides of the aisle, leading to rancor and lack of trust. And in Charleston last week, a city council meeting over an equity report and mask mandate turned into a five-hour embarrassment of emotional outbursts.
The Charleston meeting led four state officials to make a statement decrying “appalling” behavior directed at doctors and health professionals who spoke about the need for more masking to protect the community from the spread of COVID-19.
“We can disagree with each other without losing our civility,” said state Sen. Marlon Kimpson and Reps. J.A. Moore, Marvin Pendarvis and Deon Tedder, all Charleston Democrats. “Shouting insults and going so far as to spit on someone who has a different view than you is barbaric and disgusting.
“We need to lift up doctors and healthcare professionals in our community. We need to surround them with support and show our appreciation for the sacrifices they’ve made throughout this pandemic.”
Unfortunately, we live in times of incivility. We all need to chill out and take a breath. Wasn’t there someone long ago who said, “Love thy neighbor as thyself?”
Two former state senators on different sides of the aisle say civility is a key to getting things done. When people with different opinions can work together to hammer out compromises in which everyone might lose a little bit, what generally emerges is something a little bit better for everyone.
“Columbia’s just becoming a mini-version of Washington in a lot of respects,” said Larry Martin of Pickens, a Republican who served in the state House and Senate from 1991 to 2016. “It’s just harder and harder for folks to get along.”
The state Senate, he said last week, once prided itself on the ability to work together to get things done.
“You couldn’t run over the minority,” he said. “You had to negotiate and you had to reach across the aisle….The danger to democracy is that people are willing to throw the law and the Constitution to the wind to get what they want. We saw that January 6. The sheer willingness to ditch the normal to get what you want — that just makes no sense to me.”
He urged newly-elected officials to try to get to know their colleagues in other parties to develop personal relationships and build trust.
Former state Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, reflected that doctors spend thousands of hours learning their profession and gaining expertise. But in politics, too many people run roughshod over learning issues and developing the expertise to participate intelligently in public debate.
“They think it is a participatory sport and that they don’t need any background because they know they’re right,” he said. “If they want to participate, they have to actually understand the playing field.”
One thing that would help, Leventis said, is if people would focus less on the liberties offered to citizens and more on their responsibilities as citizens.
“They get so hopped up about their liberties that they forget what their obligations are to the system and the process.”
Hear, hear.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Charleston Currents, and publisher of the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
S.C. Ports Authority
Founded in 1942, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) owns and operates public marine terminals at two port facilities, the Port of Charleston and the Port of Georgetown, in addition to inland ports in Greer and Dillon, S.C. These facilities are owner-operated terminals, meaning the SCPA owns the terminals, operates all container cranes, manages and operates all container storage yards and leads all customer service functions in both the yard and the lanes.
SCPA promotes, develops and facilitates waterborne commerce to meet the current and future needs of its customers, and for the economic benefit of the citizens and businesses of South Carolina. In fact, SCPA facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer drive $63.4 billion in annual statewide economic impact and 1 in every 10 S.C. jobs is attributed to the port.
- For more information, visit www.scspa.com.
- To meet all of our underwriters, click here.
Study highlights the language of vaccination
Staff reports | A national study highlights tested ways to communicate effectively with groups of Americans who tend to be more hesitant to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — younger women, younger African Americans, rural residents and younger Republicans. Read full story.
“The divides along racial, urban-rural, political and generational lines are significant when it comes to vaccine acceptance, but we’ve learned that there are certain words and phrases that will work for all audiences,” said pollster Frank Luntz about his study for the de Beaumont Foundation. In the 1990s, Luntz served as a pollster for House Speaker Newt Gingrich to rebrand Republicans via messaging. His work was used with Gingrich’s Contract with America and, many have observed, helped to increase polarization in American politics.
Luntz’s new work with the foundation illustrates how the use of language can help improve vaccine acceptance. For example, leaders should talk about the benefits of taking the vaccine, versus the consequences. Or how getting the vaccine keeps people safe, versus “getting the vaccine is the right thing to do.” It also suggests talking about “America’s leading experts” as opposed to “the world’s leading experts.”
In other recent news:
Masks, masks, masks. Lots of news last week about mask mandates. A Tuesday afternoon opinion published by S.C. Supreme Court unanimously rejected interpretations by state Attorney General Alan Wilson that a state budget proviso would prohibit state colleges from enacting mask mandates. Meanwhile, lawmakers are facing increasing pressure to repeal a ban on the wearing of masks in public schools. School districts and counties have defied the ban as cases of COVID-19 have soared. And S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson sued the state’s capital city Thursday over a school mask mandate that officials allege violates state law.
COVID-19 cases rise. South Carolina health officials reported 24,982 total cases of COVID-19, with 18,954 confirmed, between Aug. 14 and Aug. 20. A total of 179 new deaths, with 152 confirmed, were reported over the week. The rate of positive reported tests, as of Aug. 20, was 14.5 percent.
Sanford, Summey trade barbs. In a new memoir, former Congressman Mark Sanford described how past Charleston County Council chairman Elliott Summey nabbed a $300,000-per-year job as director of Charleston International Airport as a “coup d’etat.” Summey dismissed the criticism by telling the Charleston City Paper that Sanford was an “unelectable, defeated former politician who has no future … No one really cares what he says.” The book goes on sale Tuesday.
Sellers to have new children’s book. Bakari Sellers, the former state House Representative who has become a fixture on cable TV news announced today he’ll release a new children’s book next year, entitled, Who Are Your People? The book will be released in January.
Ports Authority sets container volume record. The S.C. Ports Authority reported another record-setting month with the highest July container volumes in history.
Send us your thoughts by email
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Our previous Mystery Photo
Our most recent past mystery, “Where’s this streetscape?” showed the corner of Columbus and Hanover streets with the Ravenel bridge in the background. Thanks to Ashley Rose Stanol of Charleston for the photo.
Congratulation to these photo detectives for identifying the picture: Bill Segars of Hartsville; Dan Fredman of Clarkesville, Md.; Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; Shaquan Brown of Pembroke, N.C.; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Cheryl Gray of Charleston; Kristina Wheeler of West Ashley; and Darcelle Rouse and Kenneth Frost. Please remember to add your hometown when you send guesses.
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Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns Labor Day weekend
Staff reports | The Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns Labor Day weekend at Gailliard Center for its 12th year with Nick Collionne and DJ Nyce on Sept. 3 for the All White Party Affair and Willie Bradley, Najee and Peabo Bryson on Sept. 4. The following day features Lindsey Webster, Adam Hawley, Kindred Family Soul, and Richard Eliott and Rick Braun.
“Each year we do something totally different with our lineup,” said festival producer Tony Clarke. “We sell more than just the music, we sell the overall experience. It’s not just your same old smooth jazz festival.”
Clark added that masks will be required for all guests.
“With COVID, we have our protocol in place. Each attendee will have to wear a mask the entire time. We are hoping that attendees take getting the vaccine seriously.”
The festival was founded by Dr. Thaddeus John Bell and his late daughter, Tonisha Bell-Alston, Clarke added. Looking for a way to raise funds for scholarships for African-American students at the medical university, they created Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc. The nonprofit organization now works toward decreasing health disparities and increasing health literacy, especially for African Americans and underserved communities.
Friday night, Chicago-based smooth jazz guitarist Nick Collionne will share the bill with DJ Nyce, the jazz fest’s go-to local. Saturday will see S.C.-native, Grammy awarded vocalist Peabo Bryson, who sang “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion in 1991, and “A Whole New World” for Aladdin in 1992. Bryson will be joined by saxophonist Najee and trumpeter Willie Bradley.
Sunday’s lineup includes Grammy nominated vocalist Lindsey Webster teaming up with guitarist Adam Hawley, who has had tracks on Billboard’s Top 100.
“We want to mix in some R&B into the festival so that we can provide talent for our attendees who like straight ahead jazz, smooth jazz and R&B,” Clarke said. That’s where Kindred Family Soul comes in.
The festival headliners are chart topping smooth jazz musicians Richard Eliott and Rick Braun, known as R&R. Friday tickets are $113 and tickets Saturday and Sunday are $63, available through Gaillard Center.
Also on the calendar:
Party at the Point continues. Gates open Fridays at 5 p.m. through Sept. 10, Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, 20 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant. Party at the Point, a Charleston-area happy hour Friday concert series that sold out five July shows, will continue with tickets for $10 each:
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- Aug: 27: The Yacht Club
- Sept. 3: Labor Day Bash with The Midnight City
- Sept. 10: Rattle & Hum, a tribute to U2
Art of Jazz Series: 6 p.m., Aug. 25, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St., Charleston. The 2021 Art of Jazz Series of original music inspired by art at the museum will feature the Geoffrey Dean Trio on Aug. 25. Tickets are $40.
Grape Stomping Festival: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Aug. 28, Deep Water Vineyard, 6775 Bears Bluff Road, Wadmalaw Island. The business will celebrate its 17th annual Grape Stomping Festival to give you a taste of locally-grown and imported wine varietal at its Wadmalaw Island location. Stomping competitions will kick off at noon with a kid stomp followed by adult stomps at 1:30 p.m., 2:50 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. Tickets are available for $10 via www.deepwatervineyard.com or on Facebook @deepwatervines/events.
Wine Down Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 1 and Sept. 15, Old Towne Creek Park, WeSt Ashley. Come Wine Down your Wednesday and explore Old Towne Creek County Park, one of West Ashley’s hidden gems. Guests will enjoy wine and live music from a local Charleston performer, while experiencing the beauty of this natural site. A commemorative wine glass is included with your admission. Food truck fare will be available for purchase on-site. Fee: $20.
“Bright Star” opens at Dock Street: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 1 to 26 with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., Dock Street Theatre, Charleston. Charleston Stage will offer this bluegrass Broadway musical from the comic mind of Steve Martin and musical prowess of Edie Brickell in a month of exciting shows. Tickets are $36 to $75 for adults with other pricing also available. More.
Toast Under the Oaks: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 9 and Sept. 23, Johns Island County Park, Johns Island. Enjoy Toast Under the Oaks while exploring Johns Island County Park. Guests will enjoy wine, beer, and live music, while experiencing the beauty of this 738-acre park. Food truck fare will be available for purchase on-site. Tickets: $20.
Ongoing
North Charleston exhibition: Through Aug. 28, Park Circle Gallery, North Charleston. The space will offer concurrent solo exhibitions of drawings and mixed-media works by artists Christopher Kye of Goose Creek and Christine D. Johnson of Summerville with a free reception at 5 p.m. Aug. 6. More info. The gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue.
“Tidal Futures” exhibition: Through Sept. 11, Redux Contemporary Art Center, 1056 King St., Charleston. Tidal Futures: Friends of Gadsden Creek is an exhibition that aims to highlight the organization’s outreach program to challenge viewers’ preconceived notions of what contemporary art is. It also seeks to guide them to discover and investigate how social justice work is conceptualized and executed, and to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about the intersection of creative practice and cultural impact.
The Lawn Party exhibition: Through Sept. 19, Charleston Museum, Meeting Street, Charleston. The Charleston Museum is pleased to present The Lawn Party: From Satin to Seersucker, the latest offering in its Historic Textiles Gallery. In an “unprecedented” era when large gatherings have been discouraged and fashion has trended towards leisurewear, this exhibition is a celebration of getting dressed up for an outdoor party. Bringing a hint of glamour to a trying time, the garments on display were selected with the grand idea of “after” in mind. This is a perfect opportunity to come see what to wear for your next outdoor event as we head toward the new “normal.”
Reviving photos. Through Oct. 31, Charleston Museum, Meeting Street. The museum is exhibiting The Lowcountry in Living Color: Making Historical Photographs Come to Life as the latest offering in its Lowcountry Image Gallery. Colorizing black and white pictures allows viewers to see components that otherwise might be overlooked. Buy tickets.
Birds of Prey flight demonstrations: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays, Center for Birds of Prey, 4719 Highway 17. Awendaw. The center has reopened its doors to visitors after closing due to the COvID-19 pandemic, inviting people to once again come and explore the world of raptors through an outdoor program and flight demonstration. Tickets: . $20/adult; $15/children age 3-17.
Bird-watching at Caw Caw. Every Wednesday and Saturday — particularly through the end of February — you can see a plethora of birds at Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel as they make their way through the Lowcountry. The two-hour regular walks, which start at 8:30 a.m., are through distinct habitats that allow participants to view and discuss a variety of birds, butterflies, and other organisms. Registration is not required. Participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars. A paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. Max. 10 participants. Fee: $9; free for Gold Pass holders. Open to all ages. More: Caw Caw Interpretive Center.
Farmers markets
Here’s a look at a bunch of local farmers markets where you can find fresh fruit, vegetables, crafts and more. If you know of others, send us a note at: feedback@charlestoncurrents.com.
Mount Pleasant Farmers Market: 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., every Tuesday, Market Pavilion at Moultrie Middle School, 645 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant. Check here for more.
Holy City Farmers Market: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., every Wednesday, Holy City Brewing, North Charleston. vendors rotate weekly to provide shoppers with a tiny but mighty shopping experience. vendors will be selling a range of products from specialty foods, home and body care to arts and crafts. More info.
West Ashley Farmers Market: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., every Wednesday, Ackerman Park, 55 Sycamore Avenue, Charleston. More.
North Charleston Farmers Market: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., every Thursday, Felix Davis Community Circle in Park Circle. The market offers fresh, locally grown produce as well as arts-and-craft vendors, specialty foods and live music. More.
Charleston Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., every Saturday, Marion Square, 329 Meeting St., Charleston. More.
Summerville Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., every Saturday, First Citizens Bank parking lot near Town Hall, 200 S. Main Street, Summerville.
Sunday Brunch Farmers Market: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., every Sunday, Charleston Pour House, 1977 Maybank Highway, James Island. While the market is discouraging people from spending too much time hanging out during the market, everyone is invited to shop their local vendors. More info.
- If you have any online events, drop us a line (editor@charlestoncurrents.com) and make sure to put “Online event” in the subject line. Similarly, if you’ve got cool ideas for stuff to do while in isolation at home, send them our way.
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