2/25/23 Bridge Ministries Luncheon

Every year, usually in December but was changed to February this year to avoid the Christmas insanity, the Bridge Ministries CEO, Candy Christmas, throws a party for the volunteers who man the Wednesday weekly feeding of the homeless beneath the Jefferson Street Bridge. Semi trucks bring the tables, chairs, food and a small stage from which they conduct their outreach to the homeless through music and encouragement. These volunteers tirelessly show up every week with patience and perseverance to feed and minister to those persons down on their luck.

This time I thought it would be fun to play some of the songs that Candy’s father had written for the Hemphill family singers many years ago. Candy was surprised and pleased to hear those familiar songs and couldn’t believe that I had kept the arrangements I’d created for a birthday party for her dad some years ago. I told her I was a hoarder and never threw anything like that away. I was glad to be able to actually play those arrangements as I wasn’t able to personally be at the birthday party that day.

Silver Strings was indeed honored to play for the volunteers’ thank-you luncheon.

2/18/23 Four Weddings and a Party

Today I’m sparing you the recital of who married whom and what music was played on this date. This late winter and early spring was a bit slow for Silver Strings….except for 2/18/23 when I was able to hire practically everybody who’s ever worked for me. All five bookings were for approximately the same time. This is more a post of acknowledgement. Susan Mullen, Jocelyn Sprouse, Cheri Drummond and Isabel Bartles all expertly led weddings for me in just about every corner of the Nashville area from Ravenswood Mansion in Brentwood to Wightman Chapel near Vanderbilt University, to Long Hollow Gardens near Gallatin to downtown Columbia, TN. I chose the party near Franklin for my responsibility as I’d worked for this family a couple of times over the years (not to mention that it was indoors on a chilly evening).

Susan’s wedding in Brentwood was outdoors for the ceremony and my heartfelt thanks goes out to all who played in that quartet for enduring cold feet and fingers before they could go indoors for the cocktail hour. The rest of the weddings were, thankfully, indoors. All reportedly went well and I’m grateful to each and everyone for upholding my company’s reputation for always doing a stellar job of playing the desired music well and timing the processionals to look like they’d been rehearsed for days. My colleagues and I take this work seriously, always striving to make a couple’s big day the best ever. Thanks, guys!!