Sound of Charleston

The Sound of Charleston is a co-production of Charleston Musical Heritage Productions and The Company Company.

Charleston Musical Heritage Productions, LLC. was founded in March of 2010 by Yvonne D. Evans and William K. Perry with the mission of bringing professionally presented, authentic music of Charleston's heritage to our many visitors to the Lowcountry and to residents as well.

The Company Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces musical and theatrical events which promote personal transformation and benefit the common good. During its lifetime, TCC has entertained an audience of 48,800 people. Last year, 10,100 people enjoyed its productions. William Schlitt and Maida Libkin are the co-founders.

I attended The Sound of Charleston performance at the Circular Congregational Church today and wanted to tell you how fantastic an experience it was. It happened that there were over 100 middle-schoolers in attendance as well. Bill Schlitt was not only the host, but he was the historian who tied it all together expertly. I usually do not like anyone else pretending to know Charleston history, because they often mess it up, but he was right on. He started with classical music and the history of the first musical society in America here in Charleston, the St Cecilia Society. Two pieces by Mozart and one by Hayden were played by a child prodigy, a 16 yr old young man, Micah McLaurin, who played flawlessly.

Mr (Charlton) Singleton, who played the trumpet, demonstrated the difference between playing the notes straight as they are written, and improvising and turning it into jazz. He also used the cut off sink plunger to change the sounds and talked about the history of the Jenkins Orphanage Band, which came out of the Rev Jenkin's church on Charlotte St. It must be taught that Charleston as well as New Orleans contributed to the first sounds of jazz. Mr. Singleton can tell you the names of Jenkins Orphanage Band members who went on to play with the top bands in the country. Whenever performing here, those Big Bands wanted to see and hear who was the up and coming star in this black, Charleston band.

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