And, there was music, music, music Monday night as the  Troy Music Study Club open its 2019-2020 club year at the Fellowship Hall of First United Methodist Church of Troy.

The club was organized in 1905 and has continually strived to keep music and the arts alive and vibrant in the Troy community for those many years.

The opening meeting was preceded by a covered dish supper and a time of lively fellowship. Club member David “Doc” Kirby opened the meeting with prayer.

“Next to the Word of God, music is the greatest gift,” Kirby said. “Music is uplifting; music is encouraging. Music is consoling. It is our great gift.”

The membership gave praise and thanks for the gift of music and joined together in the singing of “Shenandoah,” a traditional American folk song, led by Joyce Dix. They enjoyed the wit of a poem from award-winning Alabama poet Rodney Jones’ “Elegy for the Southern Drawl” read by June Kendrick.

Melanie Hawkins, program coordinator, introduced Brundidge singer/songwriter/musician Lenny Trawick and expressed appreciation to Trawick for sharing his talents with the club.

For more than five decades , Trawick has been playing music, much of which goes back to his childhood.

The first music Trawick remembers is what was called “church house songs.” He also soaked up gospel, country, blues and rock music.  He has played with blues, gospel, country and jazz bands and also performs as a solo artist.

Today, Trawick is most at home as a solo blues artist.

“Tonight, I’ve been asked to sing a song about Alabama,” Trawick told his music club audience. But, before the club members had a chance to think “Sweet Home, Alabama,” Trawick, laughingly, said the song dated him.

The “Alabama” song Trawick chose was “Stars Fell on Alabama.” His audience joined in appreciatively.

Trawick then entertained with a selection of his own songs about life experiences with a common thread.

He spoke briefly about growing up in Pike County and how life has taken a sharp turn from his childhood days.

“I grew up hard in eastern Pike County,” Trawick said. “I knew what it was like to follow a mule. But we live in a different world now and young people don’t understand how life used to be. “

Trawick paused, and said, thoughtfully, “But, if I hadn’t lived it, I wouldn’t understand it either.”

At the close of the meeting he Study Club members joined Trawick in singing “I’ll Fly Away” and everyone was encouraged to make plans to attend the club’s next meeting on October 28, at the Johnson Center for the Arts.