The Three….
On Friday afternoon I was faced with a decision.
It was really a no brainer for me.
Do I go to the Okra Strut in Irmo where 50,000 people were expected to converge on the small but growing community for the weekend or do I go with a friend right up the street to sit in a comfortable, air conditioned church and hear some guys sing. I walk every morning with my friend, Russell, during the week and he mentioned a concert in Irmo. I was just not so sure I wanted to tackle the traffic to get there since the “strut†was going on. However, sensibility won over when the time came and I met him there.
St. Andrews Presbyterian was full and in anticipation of three men singing…â€The Three Baritones†for the first of their Palmetto Artist Series. These weren’t just any three guys. Hal McIntosh, Jacob Will and Marc Rattray are local community celebrities of sorts…and all three are well known for their passion for music and their ability to share their vocal skills with remarkable zest.
One could listen to these guys for hours singing not only classical religious songs but a little spiritual, a little PDQ Bach, and some remarkable opera and Broadway numbers. They were extremely entertaining with Sharon Hudson Rattray polishing off the presentation as their accomplished and versatile accompanist. It was a joy to see an accompanist recognized throughout the evening as a part of the team. They could have called themselves the Four Amigos as they blended just the right amount of musical skills with humor.
My wish for you today is that you hear The Three Baritones when you get a chance and also visit www.sapc.net to find out about the rest of this series. I suspect you will be thoroughly entertained and may find yourself seeking out other venues like this to enjoy on a casual weekend evening.
~ Joellen