An impressive Columbus home opens its doors to visitors Saturday, April 8 for tours and brunch from 10 a.m. to noon. Rick and Edna McGill have offered their four-story home at 663 Greenbriar Drive for the Columbus Girlchoir Home Tour and Brunch. The fundraiser supports the choral arts program that provides girls ages 9 to 18 vocal training, music fundamentals and opportunities to sing regionally and nationally.
These choral ambassadors for Mississippi have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City as well as in New Orleans, Memphis and other cities. They recently received an invitation to return to Carnegie Hall in May 2018. The choir also presents community concerts and performs at area churches, schools, civic groups and nursing homes. Saturday’s tour will allow the nonprofit organization to continue its mission.
“This is our principal fundraiser,” said Girlchoir Board President Steve Pieschel. “It supplements all the activities including buying music, the expenses of traveling and meeting some scholarship needs.”
Melanie Rogers Tubbs has two daughters currently in the choir; an older daughter is a former member. The family values the participation, not only for performance training that also imparts discipline, poise and confidence, but for the community service aspect as well — singing for churches, seniors and others. Choir also encourages friendships with girls from different schools and varied backgrounds.
“It’s all-inclusive,” said Tubbs of the group with members from throughout the Golden Triangle. “It really gives them the opportunity to get to know girls they might not otherwise get to know and build long-lasting relationships.”
Showcase
With more than 30 rooms, the McGills’ home offers plenty to see. After purchasing the unfinished house in May 2014, the family made a concerted effort to complete it. They moved in in August 2015. The finished area is approximately 12,000 square-feet, a figure that does not include the fourth floor, where final work is underway.
Edna McGill confessed the sheer size of the house initially gave her pause.
“Rick can always see the potential in homes,” she said. Rick McGill is a real estate executive. “I was very intimidated by the house when we first bought it because it was so huge,” she continued. “Now, though, we’ve turned it into a home, and I feel blessed to be here.”
Guests entering the Great Hall are ushered into a marble-floored entry flanked by a parlor and the formal dining area. Beyond, an interior balcony overlooks the Great Room, with its two-story ceiling and wall of windows.
“One of the features I love most about the house is all the light,” said Edna McGill. Indeed, natural light is prominent, especially in rooms along the west-facing rear of the house which looks out over a terrace, crescent-shaped pool and wooded hills.
Visitors will be drawn to other spaces, too, such as the bedrooms, all suites; the master bedroom features a 24-foot vaulted ceiling. Highlights also include a media room and the expansive kitchen with its open floor plan that flows into a keeping room at one end and, at the other, a breakfast area crowned by a massive fiddle-leaf fig.
Brunch, music, spring flowers
Tour-goers are in for a complete experience, say organizers. Senior and Junior Girlchoirs will perform. Guests will also be treated to a shrimp and grits brunch by Marty Wages as well as tastings by Events on Fifth, The Sweet Shop, Three Sisters Pie Co. and Betsy Galloway. Floral arrangements will be provided by Ivy Cottage Florist, Joy’s Gifts and Flowers and Noweta’s Green Thumb Florist.
“The McGills are so gracious to share their beautiful house,” said Girlchoir Director Cherry Dunn. “It’s really a unique home in Columbus, and we appreciate it so very much.”
How to go
Tickets are $20, available in advance at the Columbus Arts Council’s Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main St., or from any Girlchoir member or board member. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
A circular drive is available for drop-offs, with parking along Greenbriar Drive. Marble stairs lead to the entrance, but an elevator from ground level is also available.
Donations to the nonprofit choir may be mailed to Columbus Girlchoir, P.O. Box 8186, Columbus, MS 39705. Learn more about Girlchoir at columbusgirlchoir.net.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.