Video: Columbus Choral Society Prepares to Perform in Columbus

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COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI)–The Columbus Choral Society is preparing for another performance of John Purifoy’s Chronicles Of Blue And Gray. After a successful performance during a concert series in New York how fitting, an upcoming performance is being held in The Friendly City.

Still savoring rave reviews from a trip up north, members of the Columbus Choral Society rehearses at First United Methodist Church in Columbus. The poem composed by Francis Miles Finch about the Civil War dead, brings everything home to The Friendly City where it first began.

“He composed the piece within his chronicles. It sings about Friendship Cemetery and the start where the women went out and decorated the graves of both army soldiers. And which were documented in that poem as being the kind of the sole source or the start of memorial Day,” said Stephen Maykowski/Columbus Choral Society.

Members of the Choral Society places on YouTube, one of their performances highlighting the high level of musicianship demonstrated by the singers, and Composer John Purifoy takes note.

“He asked us to go to Carnegie Hall and help premier it, which we did last year. It was a fantastic experience. And I asked him if we could do it here, and so we are bringing it here,” said Alisa Toy/Choral Conductor.

“He asked Columbus Choral Society to stand up and be recognized, because theses are the people we are singing about; They came from Columbus, is where the piece ends. And they kind of acknowledge us from the start. And once we start experience the full, the full event, with the choir and the full orchestra, we said we have to do this in Columbus. I mean it fits perfectly,” said Stephen Maykowski/Columbus Choral Society.

The concert with its performance has historical significance telling of the drama and struggles of both confederate and union troops.

“This year is the 150th anniversary of the end of the civil war which in and of itself is significant. This performance is one of four performances that will be done ever for the next 50 years. And so after we are done, he is going to be putting it on the shelf and saving it for another 50 years for the 200th anniversary,” said Alisa Toy.

“A lot of the historical points are through there. And it wraps up at Friendship Cemetery which is like the highlight, the conclusion because the war is over and everything resumes back to peace. We become a nation again,” said Stephen Maykowski.

This group continues to fine tune their performance for the big day, when eyes and attention are once again focused on Friendship Cemetery, where the end of the war started with the beginning of one familiar poem.

What is being called the performance of a lifetime is free to the public, is set for 8 pm, March 28th on the MUW Campus as an informal beginning to the 75th Annual Columbus Spring Pilgrimage.