H*5061 Concurrent Resolution, By Pinson, Parks and Pitts
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR DR. CHARLES T. GAINES, FOUNDER
 AND CONDUCTOR OF THE GREENWOOD FESTIVAL CHORALE, UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS
 RETIREMENT, AFTER SEVENTEEN YEARS OF OUTSTANDING AND TALENTED SERVICE, AND TO
 WISH HIM CONTINUED SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS IN ALL HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

   03/22/12  House  Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate
                     (House Journal-page 6)
   03/22/12  Senate Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence
                     (Senate Journal-page 8)

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR DR. CHARLES T. GAINES, FOUNDER AND CONDUCTOR OF THE GREENWOOD FESTIVAL CHORALE, UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT, AFTER SEVENTEEN YEARS OF OUTSTANDING AND TALENTED SERVICE, AND TO WISH HIM CONTINUED SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS IN ALL HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

Whereas, it is altogether fitting and proper that the members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina should pause in their deliberations to express their gratitude to Dr. Charles T. Gaines for his significant and long-lasting musical contributions to the Palmetto State; and

Whereas, born in Peoria, Illinois, on February 13, 1932, Charles Gaines earned a bachelor of music education and master of music in piano from Illinois Wesleyan University; and

Whereas, he taught a year of music in Illinois public schools and was called to be director of music at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Illinois, where he served seven years; and

Whereas, after receiving a doctorate of sacred music degree in musicology and conducting at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, Dr. Gaines joined the faculty of Presbyterian College in Clinton in 1965; and

Whereas, during his thirty-three years as director of the Presbyterian Choir, the school's choir toured the Eastern United States and took several concert tours to Europe and Israel before his retirement in 1998; and

Whereas, in 1966, he introduced the colorful Madrigal Dinner-Concerts to the community and the State, featuring brass fanfares, madrigals by sixteen singers, a jester, minstrels, and a magician in period costume; and

Whereas, he served as the president of the South Carolina Music Teachers Association, and in 1987, he was selected to work with Robert Shaw on a special Mendelssohn project; and

Whereas, a frequent adjudicator for piano festivals, Dr. Gaines is a certified teacher of piano in the Music Teachers National Association and is a member of the American Choral Directors Association; and

Whereas, he served for twenty-seven years as director of music at First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood before his retirement in 2000, and in 2003, he formed the Carolina Chorale, which has taken four European concert tours; and

Whereas, in 1995, he began a series of annual Sunday vesper programs with the Greenwood Festival Orchestra and Chorus, which in 1999 became the Greenwood Festival Chorale; and

Whereas, for thirteen years the Greenwood Festival Chorale has presented three annual concerts: Christmas concerts at Lander University, spring concerts with the First Presbyterian Church Festiva programs, and the annual Festival of Flowers concert at Lander University; and

Whereas, Dr. Gaines will retire as director of the Greenwood Festival Chorale amid the stunning floral elegance of the June 15, 2012, Greenwood Festival of Flowers concert; and

Whereas, he plans to spend many happy hours of retirement enjoying fine dining and the company of his beloved wife, Jean Reichert Gaines, their three fine children, and their eight adoring grandchildren; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly are grateful for the years of dedication that Dr. Charles T. Gaines has devoted to music in the Palmetto State and wish him many years of enjoyment in his well-earned retirement. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, recognize and honor Dr. Charles T. Gaines, founder and conductor of the Greenwood Festival Chorale, upon the occasion of his retirement, after seventeen years of outstanding and talented service, and wish him continued success and happiness in all his future endeavors.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Charles T. Gaines.