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October 18, 2024

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Tony Lembeck, a first tenor in the Savannah Philharmonic Choir, recently wrote a Savannah-inspired twist to a classic patriotic tune.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The annual Savannah Philharmonic Phil the Park concert on October 5th featured a twist on an American classic written by a local resident and inspired by his adopted home.

Tony Lembeck, a commercial real estate broker with NAI Mopper/Benton in Savannah, has a knack for song writing, a talent he has shared with the local Kiwanis chapter since moving to Savannah nine years ago from his native Westchester County, New York.

Every week Lembeck, who is also a member of the Savannah Philharmonic chorus, produces a new ditty for Kiwanis members to sing before their morning meeting. On one occasion, Savannah Philharmonic Artistic Director Keitaro Harada joined Kiwanis members as a guest speaker and Lembeck fine-tuned the morning song in his honor.

“The Kiwanis members really got into it,” Lembeck said. “I knew Kei [Harada] as the conductor of the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus, but that’s when he realized I could write crafty songs.”

A few weeks before the annual outdoor concert, Harada approached Lembeck about writing lyrics to fit the beloved event’s theme, “Savannah the Beautiful” to the tune of the classic American hymn, “America the Beautiful.” That same day Lembeck sent Harada a couple of options to choose from.

“I’d written a lot of songs about Savannah and its beauty at our Kiwanis meetings,” Lembeck said. “It was pretty easy to tailor lyrics to fit the Phil the Park event – especially when I already had the tune.”

Lembeck said he has enjoyed writing lyrics since attending summer camp as a child and wrote lyrics for various events throughout high school and into his work life whenever someone was having a party or being honored in some way. He said the important thing is to find words that are easy to sing and that fit the cadence of the melody so everyone can enjoy singing it.

“It comes to me naturally,” Lembeck said. “When I was asked to do this, I was really quite flattered. The fact that 20,000 people could sing a song that I wrote is really a hoot and a half.”

The crowd was invited to sing these lyrics accompanied by the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra:

How beautiful Savannah is!

We see it everyday.

The live oaks dangling Spanish moss,

A picturesque display

We gather here in Forsyth Park,

To sing and dance and cheer.

We’ll celebrate

Our town, so great,

When we’re all back next year

The original “America the Beautiful,” lyrics were first printed as a poem in a weekly newspaper, The Congregationalist, on July 4, 1895. Author Katharine Lee Bates, a professor at Wellesley College, was inspired to write the poem by the beauty of Pike’s Peak during a trip there in 1893. The words were later set to the tune of composer S. A. Ward’s “Materna,” and quickly became one of the nation’s best-loved patriotic songs.

In addition to singing first tenor with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus, the 30-year real estate veteran also serves on the local real estate board. He and his wife live at the Landings and recently welcomed their first grandchild.

About The Savannah Philharmonic:

The Savannah Philharmonic, a nonprofit 501©(3), is a community-focused arts organization which strives to present concert performances and music education of the highest caliber throughout the southeast. Composed of a professional orchestra and community chorus, and led by the masterful baton of Keitaro Harada, the SavPhil performs a vast range of works from composers of the past and present, and in all genres from classical to contemporary. The organization focuses on fostering community and inspiring a true appreciation of music through equitable access to performances and education programs. To learn more visit savannahphilharmonic.org.

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