In its original definition, a symposium was a convivial drinking party after a banquet in Ancient Greece. But in modern-day Chattanooga, the CSA songwriter’s symposium is a night of performances in a coffee house setting of local songwriter-musicians surrounded by their fans as well as those who appreciate a great song well-performed in an atmosphere free of clanging dishware and other distractions, officials said.
The symposium’s host is Anthony Quails, winner of last year’s Chattanooga Songwriter award and author of the recently released “Parables” album, a collection of narrative songs set within a spiritual context.
This month’s performers will include Ashley Steele, James Green and Ryan Thomas Oyer in addition to Mr. Quails. The evening follows a round-robin format, with each artist singing multiple songs each, as well as discussing the origins of each as well as the creative process of songwriting.
The symposium meets at Heritage House in East Brainerd each second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. and features two hours of songs and the stories that inspired them. Light refreshments are served and admission is free. Doors open at 6 p.m., giving the audience time to get to know the performers better before the show.