Sunday evening, the Huntington Glee Club presented a Heritage Fireside. Beginning with a welcome by Edward Geary and the posting of the colors by the Boy Scouts of America, the music kicked off with “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Following the National Anthem, the Glee Club performed a number of songs focused on the western roots of Huntington including “Wagon Wheels,” “Home on the Range,” “Cool Water,” “Timber Trail,” “Red Wing” and “Empty Saddles.” Edward Geary then introduced the evening’s speaker, Garth Wakefield. Wakefield has been a member of the Huntington Glee Club for 60 years. He spoke of his heritage as a native of Huntington and compared the Huntington of old with its “dusty, dirty, gravel roads” and listening to frogs in the swamp to the Huntington of today with paved roads and streetlights. “That’s my heritage,” he said.
Wakefield and his wife concluded his words by singing a verse from “Highways are Happy Ways.”
Following the Wakefields’ performance, Blake Jones gave an emotional recital of “The Ragged Old Flag.” He added a few personal remarks on his own love of the flag.
The final portion of the program was a number of patriotic songs performed by the Huntington Glee Club including “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “There’s a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere,” “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Military Medley” and “God Bless America.” The program was followed by refreshments and an opportunity to socialize.