From Staff Reports

GREER, S.C. — Partners in Rhyme, a barbershop quartet based in Upstate South Carolina, entertained a crowd during a concert that was part of the daylong celebration of the 150th anniversary of the city’s founding on March 28 in the Historic Greer Depot here. 

At least 80 to 100 people attended the concert. A number of the attendees dropped in for a while, and then departed.

The 45-minute concert opened with a medley of railroad songs, concluding with “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” triggering enthused applause from the audience.

The group explained that it opened with train songs in recognition of Greer Station’s founding in 1873, when a depot was established on a farm. The railroad was the Atlanta & Richmond Air-Line Railway. 

Greer was incorporated in 1876 as “Greer’s.” In the early 1900s, the quartet noted, the city’s named was changed to Greer, dropping the apostrophe “s.”

Other songs featured were "Carolina in the Morning,” “It’s Almost Like Being in Love,” “Hello, Mary Lou,” “It’s Been a Long, Long Time,” “That’s Life,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.”

The finalé was “An Irish Blessing.”

Among the highlights was Partners in Rhyme’s performance of “Sweet Caroline,” during which the crowd joined in on the chorus by singing loudly (but at the right time) "bom-bom-bom" and “so good, so good, so good.” Upon the song’s concludsion, the crowd applauded enthusiastically, but the group pointed with smiles to the crowd, recognizing it for its timely — and boisterous — singing accompaniment 

The group also noted that “religion has played a big part in this area, historically, so we’re going to sing some Southern gospel for you, as it sang, among others, “I’m in the Gloryland Way.”