Music in the Square events to celebrate city's 250th anniversary

Apr. 16—Music has the power to evoke a memory and capture the feeling of a moment.

The city of Brunswick will celebrate the musical moments that's woven through the city's history as part of upcoming events honoring Brunswick's 250th anniversary.

Brunswick's Downtown Development Authority is collaborating with the community's musicians to offer performances over the next several weeks in celebration of the city's semiquincentennial.

The Music in the Squares series will kick off Saturday in the squares along Newcastle Street in downtown Brunswick. Student musicians from Brunswick High School and Glynn Academy will perform from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"It gives everyone an opportunity to come together and celebrate a historic event," said Jennifer Krouse, events manager for the Downtown Development Authority. "That really is the reason that we brought music out into the squares. And, of course, we always need a reason to celebrate. Why not 250 years of being a city?"

The Coastal Symphony of Georgia will present a string quartet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 24 in Jekyll Square East. The quartet will feature several musicians, including Ann Hertler, Ingan Han, Angelo Goderre and Betsy Federman.

The musicians will perform two pieces of 19th century music — the Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 6 and the Tchaikovsky String Quartet No. 1.

On May 1, the Golden Isles Youth Orchestra will partner with other musicians to put on a "String On and Sing Out" performance 1-2 p.m. in Queen Square.

The events are free and open to the public. Organizers ask that attendees social distance and wear masks.

Krouse, who is also a musician, said she feels music is an important part of the lives of many people. That's true today just as it has been for all of Brunswick's residents the past 250 years.

"When maybe for the first time or the 20th time you hear a song or you go to a performance, if you hear that song again you're going to remember," she said. "It will take you back to that moment. I think that when you get together as a community and have that shared experience, it's something that you'll talk about for years to come."

At Glynn Academy on Thursday afternoon, students were rehearsing for this weekend's performance. The students are looking forward to the chance to showcase their small groups and perform independently from the larger ensemble, said Chris Duke, GA band director.

"It creates more individual responsibility, so they're not getting lost in the back," he said. "And it's student-led actually, so the kids themselves are preparing all the music."

John Birge, band director at Brunswick High School, said 35 of the school's band members will be performing music from composers like Beethoven, Debussy, Mozart and several others of the same time period.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for us to recognize the 250th anniversary of Brunswick, and it seemed only appropriate that we take part," Birge said. "We were asked to help create a little 'ambiance' by performing music that would have been performed in the 1800s, the earlier portion of Brunswick's existence."

Historic downtown Brunswick is dedicated to shining a spotlight on the arts, including live music and local artists, Krouse said. That's a continued priority as the district continues to grow, she said.

"We're growing economically, we've got great businesses that are working on our historic buildings, and if someone hasn't been in historic downtown Brunswick in a while I would encourage them to come and see all of the development that is actually going on right now," Krouse said. "Even though we're celebrating our past, we are looking towards our future."