Big Band and Big Birthday!

Yours truly has TWO items to share as this Fifth of October in the Year of Our Lord 2010 draws to an end. I'll try to Keep It Short & Simple!

First, to "Tunes Amid Tomes". If you've read this blog from near my commencement of it, you'll recognize that I'm referring to the "summer" concerts in the courtyard at the Nashville Public Library downtown. The finale for 2010 was this noon today, and featured Radio Daze, a Big Band Music group who call Music City "home". And they were TERRIFIC!

The show commenced with a young businessman (i.e, he was dressed in suit & tie) singing a solo of "Witchcraft". It's been decades since I'd heard this as a hit on the radio, but durned if he -- Mac McClenathan -- didn't sound like Ol' Blue Eyes himself! Mac later sang a couple of other Sinatra classics, one of which was meant to be the finale. But we liked him so much that we hollered for an encore. He obliged by singing "Mac the Knife."

In between, we got treated to women's trio, duet and solo singing, a quartet, and plenty of instrumental music. You know, dear reader, as I've stated before I consider myself eclectic in musical taste. Yet, as with Jazz, I have no Big Band recordings nor do I listen to the genre on the airwaves. But like Jazz, get me to a live performance, and my ears get decidedly blessed!

Oh, and Radio Daze don't just perform classic Big Band stuff like Sinatra. They also take hit songs of other genres and adapt them beautifully to the Big Band style. Thus we got treated to the Patsy Cline hit "Crazy" (and durned if she didn't sound like Cline!) and the ABBA hit "Dancing Queen".

Early in the concert, the emcee for the group while introducing the members, remarked that Mac McClenathan was "overdressed" (because he was on lunch break from his downtown job) -- all the other men wore white or light polo shirts. However, the women of Radio Daze were nicely and colorfully dressed, so my estimation was that the other men were under-dressed! As if th confirm my opinion, when it came time for the final door-prize drawing, the woman in charge of it said that she had a request from her staff present (all or mostly women), "that the handsome man who sings Sinatra draw the winner!"

Guys, there's just something about a man dressed up in suit & tie that attracts the women!

Okay, the second matter is the Big Birthday. . . .

Exactly eighty-five years ago on this very date at somewhat earlier than this very hour of the evening, the airwaves over Nashville cracled to life as a new radio station was born. The station, created by National Life and Accident Insurance (headquartered in the Tenn. capital city) as a promotional and publicity tool, wasn't the first here, but the older stations didn't last. Therefore, it's become one of the oldest radio stations in these United States that still carries the same call letters at the same AM frequency. And of course, this "the Air Castle of the South" broadcasts the longest continuously performing live radio show in history!

So. . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WSM - AM 650 ! ! !

Opry applauds the "Spirit of Nashville"

Five months ago to the day Nashville (and much of the State plus adjoining regions) suffered the start of the Great Flood, and numerous major important and historic buildings got flooded. One victim was the Grand Ole Opry House, home of the show since 1974. Now, five months later to the day the Opry family celebrates the "Spirit of Nashville" with various public events.

Dear reader, yours truly was looking forward to today as much as -- even more than, actually -- the return of the beloved radio show. The Opry returned to its permanent home this past Tuesday with a fabulous and historic performance, as I reported previously. Listening on WSM-AM 650 gave me great pleasure; however, I itched to SEE the place where I'd spent many an evening enjoying "the show that made Country Music famous" and many a day guiding tourists thru the venerable House.

So I spoke to a neighbor with a vehicle about the freebie events out there, and late in the morning we go there. The line for the free tours is long -- easily the length of a football field or two. But thank the Lord, the weather continues its string of glorious autumn days. And touring the entire Grand Ole Opry House, including backstage and on stage, is well worth the wait!

Even before we enter, I notice differences, such as the glass-wall entrance to the Opry Shop to the right and a matching glass-wall for tickets to the left. These didn't exist when I worked at Opryland, but had taken the place of two "kiosks" (booths) nearer the main doors to the House. Inside, things also appear different, but I'm unsure that this is as much remodeling as it is my faulty memory. Once the line processes to the left of the stage and on backstage, I feel at home. Back there had been an area with some chairs and long tables, where employees and cast could have a bite to eat while sitting and chatting. Many a Friday or Saturday evening I would skip the employee cafeteria inside Opryland Park, going instead to the Opry House, buying a hot dog or other food and a drink and sitting in this area.

Today there is only one table set up, but I remember at once the podium and the wall telephone I see in the area. Further back is the artists' entrance, where a guide tells us about it and the process of the stars entering the venue. Nearby is the post-office style mailboxes for the cast members to receive fan mail.

As we proceed past the mail area I see on the other side of the hall a new item. It's a section of wall covered with 3-by-5 (more or less) brass plates, each with the name of a cast member. All the cast thru the show's history is there! The plates are set in the order of their induction.

Further along we pass into the dressing room area. News items had informed that there are 18 refurbished rooms -- and that each has a theme. Also the backstage area was reported to have lost the earlier appearance of being "antiseptic", "hospital-like", like a high-school hallway (with metal lockers)" or "plain".

The news reports and comments are "spot-on"! I really, really like the "new" or post-Flood backstage look. The high-school metal lockers are replaced with beautiful wooden ones. Each dressing room looks much more inviting -- "homey" if you will. Number One is still tagged as "Roy's Room" because when the Grand Ole Opry House first opened in 1974, the "King of Country Music" the late Roy Acuff claimed it as his permanent dressing room. I remember that Porter Waggoner claimed the room on the direct opposite end of the "Green Room", and one or two others also got claimed. But generally the cast learned which dressing room was theirs for the evening when they came in the building at the artists' entrance.

Speaking of the "Green Room", I remember that back when I guided the tours I explained that it's a standard term for the room backstage of any theater where performers gather to await their turn on-stage. And that not many really are a green color. Oddly, the first "new" temporary home the show had post-flood was right across Briley Parkway (and up a hill) in the sanctuary of Two Rivers Baptist Church. And I remember Mike Terry, while he did the "Opry Warm-Up" on WSM, commented that the church classroom or whatever was serving as the show's "Green Room" really was green!

Well the "new" room here is quite different from the one in my memory. It's filled with plush funiture (more so than the old one) and looks as "homey" and inviting as the dressing rooms which surround it. I do miss the mural that was on the old room's wall. It was a cartoonish yet charming depiction fo the stage during the "organized chaos" that is an Opry show being performed. Stage hands hustled back and forth with equipment and folks were engaged in chatting or tuning instruments -- and it was difficult (if I remember the mural correctly) to pick out WHO in the hodge-podge was THE performer of the moment! I wish they had saved it, but I don't know but what the mural was gone before the water invaded the place.

Speaking of water, should anybody touring tor working in the backstage area forget that a flood happened here, they woun't have to look far for sobering reminders. At the artists' entrance, the guide pointed out how the concrete support pillars were a light grey up to about four feet, and noticeably darker from there on up; it's the water line from the flood. And in the "Green Room" itself a discreet chair-back protector stripe is set at the water line there!

Well, then it's time to go out on the stage, and more memories flood my mind (no pun intended). How many times did I stand here at the right edge of the stage (as one looks out at the audience) by or even behind the rear curtains, viewing a performance going on center stage? How many tour groups did I lead out onto center stage to stand around the famous six-foot circle of wood from the Ryman stage? And once I'd made my remarks about the circle, I'd lead the groups in singing the chorus of "Your Are My Sunshine" -- then conclude that "Now y'all can go home and tell your family and neighbors that you sang on the grand Ole Opry!"

The most remarkable thing about the Ryman circle is: it was removed immediately following the Great Flood, carefully cleaned and restored, and returned to the stage just a couple weeks ago. Meanwhile, the rest of the stage's surface got scrapped and replaced with new and darker wood. "New" means that "they sure don't build things like they used to" -- with the older than a century Ryman wood surviving while the 1974 floor gets ruined! "Darker" means that now the Ryman circle is more noticeable that it was pre-flood!

Well, I have a photo taken of me standing in the circle, and take a few more photos of the stage area. Then my neighbor and I walk up thru the audience seating, to the Opry Shop near the front doors. Most of what I see in there seems to be identical merchandise to what I'd seen in the new Opry Originals store downtown after it opened. This store also has a big-screen showing video excerpts of performances. And I sing along on a few of the songs, and get "captured" by a Country Music history book for sale!

Once I untangle myself from these enticements and find my neighbor, we mosey on outdoors to the Opry Plaza. Live music is being played out here, and we find a couple of seats and enjoy the music for a good while. We also enjoy the absolutely perfect "chamber-of-commerce" weather!

dear reader, one couldn't ask for a better day for welcoming the world's oldest live radio show back to her permanent home! So "Welcome back home, Opry!"

September flies by -- a month of "home-comings"!

Well, I swan!

It's been a month since I last posted. . . dear reader, please don't get the idea that this month which is fast drawing to its end was uneventful for yours truly. Far from it!

For one, on Labor Day due to certain unforseen dreadful factors which coincided in mid-day, I couldn't go sell ice cream in White House as planned. And indeed, later in the month, that work ended. To which all I shall say is, "Good riddance!" (Please don't request explanation; it's a long, bitter, even shameful story.)

However, there was sweet consolation. I phoned Pastor Jay to vent about the unforseen dreadful factors, and he reminded me that they were having a cook-out at the church parsonage. So I went to that -- and had a great time! The weather was "chamber-of-commerce" ultra-pleasant, the grilled food was de-e-e-elicious (and the un-grilled, too!), and the fellowship with Eastwood brothers & sisters cherished.

The middle of the month, 14th to 18th, was spent in Boise, Idaho, My father suffering chronic after-effects of a stroke at the first of the month prompted this long overdue visit to the city of my raising. Before and during this trip I kept my focus on the silver lining in this dark cloud of a family-member health crisis: it had been way too many years since I'd seen most of the other members of my family of origin, so this was much-appreciated family reunion. In addition to visiting Dad in St. Luke's Hospital, I saw Mom, who lives in a high-rise retirement facility right across the street from the hospital, and my siblings. Our cousin John Graham, superintendant of schools in Twin Falls, had a meeting in Boise that Friday and my sister Debbie and I did lunch with him. It had been almost 17 years since my previous visit to Boise, and eery, that visit was for Dad's retirement party from the electric company!

Dad will be okay; indeed, the hospital released him the day I flew back to Nashville. Truly, other than the concern for Dad's health (which did like a roller coaster until settling down for the better Fri. and Sat.), the visit to the City of Trees was utterly delightful!

But my life now & my immediate family are in Tennessee. Therefore, I took that return flight -- not without a tinge of reluctance, I must admit. May it NOT be another sixteen plus years before my next visit!

But this final week of September here in Music City gave me great reason to be glad I'd returned: TWO important Homecomings!

The first was this Sunday past, as Eastwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) observed eighty years of service and witness in East Nashville. Homecomings, like evangelistic revivals, are a rarity among us Disciples of Christ; I wish they weren't. And I got the impression that this ECC(DC) Homecoming was almost a last-minute idea. Nevertheless, it was a great celebration of our 80th!

We began by scrapping the usual Sunday school classes and everybody assembling instead in the sanctuary. The history of the congregation, favorite hymn requests and older members' memories got featured. The worship service didn't high-light the Homecoming much, but the delicious potluck dinner afterward certainly made up for this! And once everybody had their plates and seats we got treated to a slide show-illustrated history of the congregation that Bob Frech emceed. Following this we watched a video of interviews by Cindy Francis Lovelace with Pastor Jay and a few of the members, about their relationship with Eastwood.

The other Homecoming was last evening, Tuesday the 28th, as "the show that made Country Music famous" returned to the "new" Grand Ole Opry House after almost five months of wandering around Nashville, performing in various borrowed venues, including two former Opry homes (War Memorial and Ryman auditoriums). The moving-back-in happening as a Tuesday Night Opry held double significant. The first Opry show after floodwater invaded the Grand Ole Opry House in May was a Tuesday Night Opry. Plus this was just in time: each October is "birthday" celebration month for both WSM-AM 650 and its most famous show! So they're "back home again" just in time for the annual birthday bash!

This historic show ran over three hours instead of the usual two (not counting intermission). Plus, there were plenty more Country Music performers than usual, both from the cast and guests. Jeannie Seely was one of the first to come out and sing on the restored stage after opening events. I felt this was as it should be (ignoring that generally Ms. Seely's early in the line-up on any Opry show), since she had only a few days earlier moved back into her own flood-invaded home.

Later, Martina McBride sang one of her hits. At its end I was engaged in conversation with a neighbor (we were both sitting out on the second-floor walkway listening to the show) and when I re-focused my attention on the singing I at first concluded that Martina was now singing an old classic hit by another female singer, "Once a Day". Then I realized that the voice I was hearing was that of the other female singer -- Connie Smith! Only the next day did I discover that "Once a Day" actually got sung as a Connie-Martina duet. So call this an extended "Opry Moment" for yours truly!

Brad Paisley, who had sung "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" -- first in duet with Little Jimmy Dickens, then with the whole cast as choir -- to open the show, later sang "Anything Like Me". Diamond Rio sang my favorite of their hits, "One More Day". As for the guest artists, alas! not all of them should have been on that stage for that show (in my opinion). Most especially the guy from "Down Under" who looks and sounds much more like a Seventies Rock Music star; his last name says it all: Urban - the antonym of Country. Also, Blake Shelton sang a song with questionable lyrics (words which used to NEVER get heard on legitimate radio). Nevertheless, young Blake got invited to become the newest member of the cast. This invitation came to him, onstage during the broadcast, via a Twitter message, of all things. . . .

Oh, well, this historic show may have included elements I could have done without, but all in all, it was exhilarating to listen to the star-studded, musical Homecoming of the Opry. What a fine ending to the month of September!

Finally - I get to a Sounds game!

When my family & I lived in Nashville before (1984-91), we attended a couple of games at Greer Stadium, home of the Nashville Sounds. And if you've read much of my "Glen Alan's San Antonio" blog, you know that during my stay in that city I was a avid fan of the S.A. Missions baseball team. The Missions are Texas League (only AA) while the Sounds are Pacific Coast League (AAA).

During August of Ought Eight I desired to take in a Sounds game or two. And the Thursday night that was the final of the month AND final home game for the Sounds, I actually tried to go. Waited TWO hours on Murfreesboro Rd. for an in-bound MTA bus; by the time one showed up, I knew it was too late to get to Greer in time. I could have walked there & arrived in much less than two hours! (FYI, that waiting-in-vain time wasn't wholly wasted; on my radio I kept switching between the station carrying the Sounds game and the one carrying the Vanderbilt Commodores opening game for the 2008 season, at Miami-Ohio).

With the move of play-by-play radio announcer Stu Paul from S.A., where he did the Missions games on KKYX-AM 680, to Nashville to do the same from the Sounds, my interest in the home-town team increased exponentially! But alas! due to my fiscal straits I felt I couldn't affort even the price of a general admission ticket. So I contented myself with listening to my ol' buddy Stu on 104.5 The Zone radio or on-line.

But praise be to the Lord! Some tiny personal GOOD came out of May's Great Flood, tied in with Eastwood Christian Church's ties to little league baseball here! (Pastor Jay is a team coach and some of the boys play.)

You see, dear reader, the flood destroyed equipment for the Jess Neely (inner-city youth baseball & football) program. AND our home-town Minor League team has been assisting in the rebuilding. Sounds management announced that advance reserved tickets for the 29 August game (final home game) would sell for $10 rather than the regular $12, with ALL proceeds going to Jess Neely! Yet another example of the WE ARE NASHVILLE response to the flood disaster!

Well, over 100 Eastwood folks purchased tickets -- including an anonymous Brother or Sister who paid for mine. "Thank you & Lord bless you!" to whoever you are!

And Sunday the 29th turned out to be a banner day in many ways for ECC(DC). Associate Pastor Michael Lehman returned from a brief return visit to Akron following his ordination on the 21st, and we recognized not one but TWO new interns assigned to us by the Vanderbilt D School. The "Pastor's Class" in Sunday School was the usual lively, throught-provoking and enjoyable discussion it almost always is, and then we choir members in the class scooted over to the Sanctuary to rehearse the Anthem, the joyful praise-prayer song "Jesu, Jesu". Following Worship we had our monthly Sunday potluck dinner in the fellowship hall. Delicious food accompanied the delightful conversation around each round table.

And to think, yours truly got to be back with my spiritual family again in the evening! A late afternoon drizzle that lasted thru the game apparently discouraged a few ECC(DC) ticket holders from arriving, but there were still plenty of us there, in Section QQ and adjoining. We had a fine line-of-sight from high up, along the line from home to first.

And what a fine game to see! The New Orleans Zephyrs got on the scoreboard with one run in top of the first. But the Sounds answered in the bottom with a Grand Slam Homerun! Brendan Katin did this to express appreciation to us fans, I suppose, for the pre-game honor of selection as 2010 Sounds Fan Favorite.

Wow, Katin! What way to say, "Thank you, you Music City fans!"

And thus a desire of mine ended in fulfillment. When my good buddy Stu Paul posted on Facebook the Montgomery Gentry song "Gone", stating that an excerpt from its chorus got played over the Greer loudspeakers whenever a Sounds hit a h.r., I replied that I was sure hoping there'd be a homer whenever I got to my first game at Greer. And here I was listening to it!

But don't go away quite yet! Katin's bottom-of-the-first homer was simply the first of TWO he slugged out of the ballpark -- and THREE total for the Sounds! Now the later two homers (in 4th and 6th innings) weren't Grand Slams, but who's counting? When your team goes into the Seventh leading 10-1, with a 16 to 2 hit and 0 to 1 error advantage to boot does it really matter that 2 of 3 homers aren't grand slams? Besides, the one Grand Slam was Sounds' fourth this year (if I remember correctly one or two were walk-off Grand Slams) and Katin's h.r. of the evening tied the team record record of seven.

I had already spoken with Steve Walls about bumming a ride after the game, and with several Eastwood folk already departed, he, his kids and I joined the exodus. But not before that ceremonial "Seventh-Inning Stretch". And to delight, Stu Paul led our singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"!

Hoo-ray, Stu! Hoo-ray, Nashville Sounds!

The Music-filled Ordination of Michael

This weekend is something the Eastwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Choir and I have been looking forward to for some considerable time. You see, Saturday afternoon our congregation ordained our young Associate Pastor Michael Lehman in a most impressive worship service. Michael, from Akron, Ohio, comes from a a family where music and singing is a major element. Indeed, his mother Julie is a choir director -- and brought her church choir with her when the entire Lehman family and a goodly representation of High St. CC(DC) journeyed from Akron for the ordination.

Michael himself studied for a degree in music, at Oberlin (famous for its music program), and intended to be a percussionist in the Cleveland Symphony. However, our good Lord had other plans and Mike sensed the call to professional ministry, and this past academic year received an MDiv. from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Back in May I posted about going to the Vandy campus for his Commencement. And to be honest and frank, Michael's ceremony surpassed my own as an M.A. degree recipient at VU in 1989.

Well, I must be honest & frank again. Only a few months ago Eastwood ordained another recent Vandy D School grad & member of our congregation. She's Emily Nourse, and I felt HER ordination service was the equal of my own. But Michael's surpassed both!

And oh, it was SO Music City! The guy put SO MUCH song and music into this celebration of his ordination!

It all commenced with Pastor Jay on bagpipes and other instrumentalists playing a prelude called "Highland Cathedral" (Roever & Korb), followed shortly afterward by the Nashville Bluegrass Band in a mini-concert -- three bluegrass-gospel songs (the Band's fiddler is ECC(DC) member Stuart Duncan). Several other musical specials spiced the service. Not one but TWO Anthems got sung by a combination of Eastwood and High Street's choirs. Julie Duemler, Eastwood's director, conducted the first, "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name" (Fettke & Johnson). Michael's mother, director of the High St. Choir, conducted the other, "Lord Here Am I" (John Ness Beck).

Between the two Anthems were several other portions of the order of service. These included Presentation of the Candidate, which involved representatives of four entities being witnesses to his gifts of ministry, as witnessed at the Disciples Divinity House, the D School (to which the previous is attached), our congregation and the Regional CC(DC). A Dr. Amy-Jill Levine represented the D School, and in her witness incorporated several musical expressions in a manner which charmed and at times amused me and others.

Eastwood's Senior Pastor Jay Hartley treated us to a fine ordination sermon, based on Jeremiah 1:4-10 and titled "Michael and his Angels". Then various standard promises were made and we had the standard Laying on of Hands. As an ordained Disciples of Christ clergy I was one of those who ascended the chancel and placed my hand on Deacon Margaret Nourse's shoulder in front of me (Pastor Jay had his on mine). Margaret's hand was on someone in front of her, who had theirs on Michael.

And glory to God! We'd heard sounds of thunder and rain outside, but while Pastor Jay was reciting the Ordination Prayer a beam of sunlight pierced a west-wall window behind me, passed over my shoulder and fell on the one being prayed for! I affirm that THIS act was an "Act of God" affirming Michael's ordination! It was to Michael as the descent of the Holy Spirit in dove form was to Jesus at His baptism. Glory to God indeed!

Michael was presented with signs (or symbols) of the office of ministry: a black academic robe, a colorful stole, beautiful ceramic chalice and paten (vessels for the Lord's Supper) and so forth. It shouldn't be a surprise that Michael as musician/singer got into the act, beyond his singing in both Anthems. His response as the Newly Ordained featured very few spoken words beyond "Thanks!", as he was clearly overcome with emotion about the whole event. After his brief, choked-up expression of gratitude, he went to a marimba, took up two sticks in each hand, and played the Malotte "Lord's Prayer". He did it beautifully, even including a little "Amazing Grace" in it (thus it was actually a medley).

Then we had the Supper. We did this in the manner we do at Eastwood on every First Sunday: singing "Eat This Bread Drink This Cup" the people walk down center aisle, partake by intinction (breaking off a piece of the loaf & dipping it in the chalice), and then form a hand-holding circle around the sanctuary while continuing to sing.

This activity, which I presume Michael had requested, made my heart full on two counts. First Sunday of this month I'd missed out on it, since I attended worship at Donelson CC(DC); so this made up for that. And due to the extra-high attendance, with all the folk from Ohio, we had to stand close together with our backs against the wall all the way around; this occurred also at our Christmas Eve service. Just as then, the situation reminded me strongly of my last Kairos Prison Ministry visit into the Briscoe Prison (Dilley, Texas); so many of us volunteers and especially so many inmates were present that when we formed our accustomed "circle" to close by singing "Surely the Presence", all our backsides were up against the walls of the prison gym! For yours truly, such events are awesome witnesses to the mighty work of God within the particular institution where they occur. Plus, ANYTHING that reminds me of my blessed times in prison doing Kairos ministry will make my heart full!

Glory to God for ALL that transpired in the ordination of Michael Lehman! He will be an outstanding leader and servant for the portion of the Church on Earth that is our denomination -- as well as for others. I expect to hear great news about Michael in the future. . . .

A wonderful weekend of marvellous music

Sometime in A.D. 2009 I discovered that Rhonda Vincent had recorded Stuart Hamblen's Gospel song "Until Then", which I'd heard recordings of by Jeff & Sheri Easter and others, and which I'd learned to play on guitar. You will know if you regularly this blog, dear reader, that yours truly is fond of Rhonda Vincent's singing. Therefore, at some point in Ought Nine I e-mailed a request that Les Butler play her recording of "Until Then" on his Solid Gospel 105 radio show "Front Porch Fellowship".

And Saturday afternoon I got blessed in listening as finally Les honored my request! It took so long because at first he did not even have it available -- turns out she covered it early in her singing career. And then it arrived by mail, and Les even gave me a "heads up" over the airwaves a week earlier! Well, let me tell you, Rhonda singing "Until Then" was well worth the wait! I really liked Jeff & Sheri's recording (featuring Sheri & her beautiful alto voice), but Rhonda was even better. And I really got into the accompaniment, which sort of to my surprise included pedal steel guitar (I'm pretty sure it wasn't Dobro I was hearing, because I can fairly well distinguish the two sounds). Steel is not a standard instrument of bluegrass; nevertheless, it's my favorite instrument to listen to of all instruments.

That evening (Saturday the 14th)my listening pleasure continued with the Grand Ole Opry show, on radio WSM-AM 650 "The Legend". The world's oldest live radio show has continued its post-flood nomadic progress while its home, the Opry House in Donelson, is repaired from flood damage. On Friday, 6 August, for example, the Opry was performed and broadcast from War Memorial Auditorium. (War Memorial, near the State Capitol and across Seventh Ave. from former site of National Life and Accident Insurance headquarters where WSM and the Opry were born, was the Opry's home for some years over six decades ago. The Tuesday evening after the flood crested, the Tuesday Night Opry took place there.

Most other post-flood Opry shows had been in its most famous former home (many folk erroneously think its first home) venerable Ryman Auditorium just off Broadway between Fourth and Fifth Avenues North. This offered to an unanticipated little treat for me. Most evenings I'll be riding homeward on the MTA bus (route #15) that departs Music City Central (MTA's downtown depot) at 9:15pm -- right when the Opry shows are concluding on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Hence, the bus will be southbound on Fourth Avenue while the audience is exiting the Ryman. It's delightful to see all these folk whom I know had attended a great country music show, while I'd listened on the radio.

Now Saturday (yesterday) was different, in that a couple who also work for Goody Wagons gave me a ride home. Therefore I didn't pass the historic auditorium as usual. But after I arrived at Eastwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Sunday morning and greeted Pastor Jay by wishing him and wife Dawn a happy anniversary, he informed me that the Hartleys had celebrated it on its eve by their first attendance at the Grand Ole Opry! I was so happy for them, that they'd gone!

You see, dear reader, the line-up of performers for Saturday show was even better than usual. Young Country Music star Mark Wills guested, singing his first hit, "Don't Laugh at Me." Crystal Gayle, sister of the Opry's Loretta Lynn but not herself a member, was another guest artist. Among the songs she sang was my favorite of hers, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". The Whites hosted the second half hour andVince Gill the final. Dailey & Vincent were guests on that concluding segment of the show. One of their performances was a humorous version of "Daddy Sang Bass", which had me chuckling loudly.

Sunday morning at Eastwood CC(DC) gave me both a surprise and a much-anticipated treat. When I greeted Pastor Jay (Hartley) with a "Happy anniversary" for he and wife Dawn, he informed me that on its eve he and she pre-celebrated by attending the Grand Ole Opry, their first time. So they saw as well as heard that show which gave me so much listening pleasure the previous evening! Jay waxed enthusiastic, praising especially Mark Wills singing "Don't Laugh at Me", and Dailey & Vincent's performance. I really like it when folks I know who've lived for years or all their lives in Nashville get around to going to the Opry and have a good experience!

Then finally I was part of the much-anticipated return of the choir from our Summer break. We sang a very awesome and beautiful anthem, "Come Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus", lyrics of which are from Hebrews 12:2 (in today's lectionary readings and one of my favorite verses of scripture, particularly in the New American Standard version. Instrumental accompaniment came from Marie Wiggins on piano, Nashville Symphony bassoonist and pastor's wife Dawn Hartley, and two young guest clarinetists. We sounded marvellous, if I do say so myself!

We Are Nashville (keepin' on keepin' on)

Well, it's now been three months since record torrential rains in Tennessee and adjacent States caused rivers to rise to unprecedented levels in the Great Flood of May 2010. Lives were lost (11 here in Nashville) and billions of dollars damage was inflicted on the region, in flooded homes, businesses, public buildings and the transportation infrastructure.

But now, three months later in early August as you or I travel around Music City, the metropolis looks pretty much "normal" i.e., as it did pre-flood. Just don't let a quick glance around fool you, dear reader! There is STILL damage to be repaired, there are residents who aren't back in their homes -- and homeless who still seek a new "camping spot" since "Tent City" beneath the Silliman Evans Bridge washed away -- and unemployed workers whose jobs drowned in the floodwaters.

In the past seven days I myself saw continuing evidence of the flood's fury. A neighborhood just off Lebanon Road which I drive thru selling ice cream lies partly in the flood zone of Mill Creek, and when I first re-entered it after the flood the lowest portions of it were busy with men cleaning flood debris. They'd eagerly purchase ice cream, but in a week or so the clean-up job was finished and they left. However, I continued to make sales to residents, both those living on higher ground, and those in the process of making their flooded homes habitable again.

I was just beginning to think the whole neighborhood had gotten back to "normal" when last Saturday I espied several folks at the end of a short cul-de-sac that I'd never driven down before (not even pre-flood). Eager to see if these people might make purchases, I directed the wagon into that cul-de-sac. Well, it turned out that these weren't residents out enjoying the late afternoon shade; they were either workers or residents still laboring on the houses.

As I passed each house, on both sides, coming and going, I saw that every one of them had doors and windows wide open. And thru the openings one could see that the insides were empty and stripped down to the two-by fours! These homes still awaited repair work to make them once again inhabitable!

It will still be several months before all repair work is done.

Yours truly hardly needed this experience to remind me of the on-going recovery efforts. Almost daily I'll be on the MTA route 15 bus from the downtown depot to Mercury Courts. Just ten or so blocks south of the depot on Fourth Avenue South sits the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall. This young, beautiful and awesome edifice yet is surrounded by temporary chain-link fencing. They're still working on repairing the Schermerhorn, which suffered over 40 million dollars damage. And of course, repair work continues on the Grand Ole Opry House, the Opryland Hotel, the mall that took Opryland Park's place, Nashville MTA offices and so on.

Yes, dear reader, Nashville may look pretty much back to "normal" -- and was indeed "open for business" regarding the music and tourism industries in just a matter of days after the Cumberland River crested. On the other hand, much work remains to be done, to REALLY get us all the way back to "normal"! So please pray for us. And remember: We Are Nashville!