Patriotic music will play from the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower Wednesday, Inauguration Day, at 12:15 pm.
Mahanay Maestro Rick Morain’s playlist will include “The National Anthem,” “America, the Beautiful,” “America,” “This Land Is Your Land,” and “God Bless America”.
The Greene County Democrat central committee was told Tuesday mid-day that their request for patriotic music would be granted after initially being rejected by the Greene County board of supervisors.
Confusion over the county’s Public Art policy and the relationship between the Bell Tower Community Foundation, which raises funds and organizes programming for the bell tower, and the county, which owns the bell tower, became apparent during discussion surrounding the initial nay to the Democrats’ request.
There was also confusion over whether the request was for live music or digital music, county attorney Thomas Laehn said. There are differences between live performance and recorded music in legal considerations.
Laehn said the Bell Tower Community Foundation has previously allowed individuals or groups to “sponsor” a live performance by donating $50 to the Foundation. The donor has then been able to select which songs would be played on the carillon.
With that precedent set, the Greene County Democrats have donated $50 to have patriotic music played marking the peaceful transition of power from President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden.
