Brookgreen Gardens and Coastal Carolina University's Athenaeum Press will present two concerts in August to celebrate the newly released CD "A Hushed Thrill: Brookgreen Gardens." The CCU Jazz Combo will perform music from the CD, which conveys the magic and splendor of the gardens through sound, at two different locations over a period of two days.

The first concert is on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 10:30 a.m. in the Palmetto Garden at Brookgreen Gardens (free with admission to the gardens). The second concert is on Friday, Aug. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at CCU's Recital Hall of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The CCU concert is free with no ticket required. The CD will be available for sale for $15 at both concerts. A reception will follow the CCU concert.

"A Hushed Thrill" is the product of a yearlong collaboration between Ron Daise, singer-songwriter, Gullah preservationist and vice president for creative education at Brookgreen Gardens, and the Athenaeum Press, the student-driven publishing lab at CCU. Daise composed the lyrics and melodies of the eight tracks on the CD, and 33 Coastal students from a variety of disciplines arranged, performed, recorded, designed and edited the project from inception to completion through the Athenaeum Press and the CCU recording studio.

Song titles and genres on the CD are "The Sights and the Sounds," pop; "The Rain in the Garden," Afro-Brazilian; "Pretty Wings and Colorful Things," lullaby; "Just Use Your Imagination," hip hop; "One Day It Will Be," folk ballad; "On de Cypress Trees," calypso; "I Just Think of You," jazz; and "The Beauty Just Beyond the Gate," gospel.

Creating the CD "has been a wonderful experience," Daise said. "I found [the students] to be very ingenious; they could just take the audio files of my singing and come up with these very beautiful instrumental arrangements as well as the vocal performances. It was a great collaborative effort."

The CCU Jazz Combo is a globally acclaimed group of student musicians who paired with faculty and alumni to record the CD. Matt White, assistant professor of music and faculty mentor for the CD venture, guided the students as they tackled the project from start to finish. "It was rewarding to watch the process and see it function in a group setting where they had to solve unique problems together at all stages and depended on each other to meet deadlines, offer criticism, and make the best product possible," White said.

The "Hushed Thrill" kickoff event coincides with a historic milestone for Brookgreen Gardens. "This exciting project is being released during Brookgreen's 85th Anniversary observance, and it lets listeners know what a wonderful treasure Brookgreen Gardens is," said Bob Jewell, president and CEO. "In addition to the songs, the CD offers narrated introductions that were crafted from guest comments. Our staff and volunteers work to ensure that guests receive an unforgettable experience. The lyrics and music will be a pleasant reminder to some and an invitation to many."

The Edwards College is located at 133 Chanticleer Drive W. on the Conway campus. The Recital Hall is in Room 152.

For more information, contact Brookgreen Gardens at 843-235-6000 or visit www.brookgreen.org, or CCU's Athenaeum Press at 843-349-2947 or visit athenaeumpress@coastal.edu.