Palmetto Concert Band performs tribute to Emanuel’s victims

On Saturday, the Palmetto Concert Band will perform a special concert at the Koger Center for the Arts.

“there are no words” was composed by James Stephenson as a response to June’s tragic mass shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

Cast in a single movement, “there are no words” moves through the stages of grief and shock that accompany events such as this. Symbolizing the nine victims, there are nine opening chords, using nine notes, which get removed one by one. “Amazing Grace,” which had figured prominently in so many of the memorial services, is alluded to, and it eventually bursts through to bring the work to a final resolution.

The version for concert band was commissioned by a consortium of ensembles and led by Scott Weiss, the Palmetto Concert Band and the University of South Carolina.

The performance is part of the USC Band Clinic, which serves high school band students and programs in South Carolina and throughout the Southeast by providing a rich musical experience for 10th through 12th grade students.

In addition to attending several concerts held over the three-day event, students participate in master classes taught by USC faculty members and rehearse for their own concert, which will be held from 2-4:30 p.m. Sunday.

All concerts are free and open to the public; for more information, visit palmettoconcertband.com

Katie McElveen, Special to The State

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Palmetto Concert Band performs tribute to Emanuel’s victims."