Dear Music Lovers and Supporters, This week’s music offering is Over the Rainbow performed by the BSO String Orchestra at its second livestream concert on May 16, 2021, that was broadcast from the Carolina Ballroom at the Dataw Island Club. The recording is on YouTube: BSO Strings perform Over the Rainbow. The lyrics are by E.Y. Harburg, the music by Harold Arlen and the arrangement by Bob Phillips and Andy Beck. About the music, Maestro Fred Devyatkin writes, “Over the Rainbow, as conceived by Israel Kamakawiwowo’ole. The score asks the players to hold their violins and violas like ukes.”...

Dear Music Lovers and Supporters, This week’s music offering is The Polovtsian Dances by Alexander Borodin. The Polovtsian Dances form the final scene in Act 2 of Borodin’s opera Prince Igor. The recording is from a concert by the BSO in May 2015 and is on YouTube: BSO plays Borodin: Polovtsian Dances. About the music, Maestro Fred Devyatkin writes, “Alexander Borodin was one of the world’s most famous chemists of his day. His compositions have had such lasting appeal that now his reputation as a musical genius has superseded his medical fame. As the keynote speaker at a symposium in...

Dear Music Lovers and Supporters, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! There has been positive news on the COVID-19 front! The first COVID-19 vaccines—the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines—have been authorized for distribution. The first doses will be prioritized to high-priority groups such as anyone who works in healthcare institutions and people living in long-term care facilities. However, by April 2021, the vaccines could be widely available to the general population. Consequently, it may be possible for the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra to hold a 2021 Spring concert. To prepare for this possibility, donations to our general operating fund are needed...