A significant choral event in the Golden Triangle is set for Saturday, April 30 in Columbus. The Columbus Choral Society and several church choirs, presents “Glory to God and Country” at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church at 202 Seventh St. N.

“After last spring’s incredible ‘Chronicles of Blue and Gray’ concert, we wanted to continue to work with the community,” said Alisa Toy, director of the Choral Society. The “Chronicles” concert in 2015 also brought together a mass choir.

Saturday’s collaborative presentation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the decorating of Civil War graves in historic Friendship Cemetery and the upcoming observance of Memorial Day.

Columbus has a unique tie with Decoration Day, now Memorial Day. On April 25, 1866, four Columbus women decorated the graves of Confederate — and Union — soldiers who died at the Battle of Shiloh and were buried in what is now Friendship Cemetery. The compassionate act is cited as one of the first, if not the first, events that inspired the national annual observance. It moved judge and poet Francis Miles Finch of New York to author the now-famous poem “The Blue and the Gray.”

As the women did by honoring the fallen of both armies, Saturday’s concert hopes to bridge differences.

“My goal was to bring Christian denominations together and, instead of seeing our differences in theology and liturgy, acknowledge what we all believe in — our love for God and this amazing country we live in,” Toy said.

In addition to the Choral Society, participating singers represent choirs of Annunciation Catholic Church, First Baptist Church and Main Street Presbyterian Church.

On the program

The concert opens with the mass choir performing John Rutter’s “Gloria” in three movements.

“It’s rather an intense choral piece,” said Jerry Brauer, director of the Annunciation Catholic Church choir and a member of the Choral Society, as is his wife. “Alisa’s doing a phenomenal job with that.”

Some selections are familiar to audiences but feature distinctive arrangements.

“From a performer’s point of view, it’s nice to be able to get into music like that,” said Brauer, a Pennsylvania native and former law enforcement officer with formal vocal training. “They’re really powerful numbers.”

Toy, Brauer and First Baptist Church minister of music Bobby Sanderson will each conduct their individual vocal groups in signature pieces. The mass choir then merges again for three stirring selections: “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Homeland” and “God Bless America.”

First Baptist will perform a special arrangement of “Love Lifted Me.”

“This is an arrangement commissioned by our choir from Mary McDonald, a nationally known composer from Tennessee,” Sanderson said. The piece was commissioned for Pastor Shawn Parker’s first anniversary.

The Columbus Choral Society will perform “The Blue and the Gray” from Purifoy’s “Chronicles of Blue and Gray,” as well as “Anthem.” Annunciation choir members will sing Craig Courtney’s “Mercy.”

First Baptist in downtown Columbus is pleased to host the area-wide event, Sanderson said. Admission is free. Donations in support of the nonprofit Columbus Choral Society are encouraged at the concert.

Toy thanked all participating choir directors and members for putting in the extra rehearsal time and effort required.

“We are so excited to be able to deliver another wonderful community arts program to the Golden Triangle,” she said.

Follow the concert and the Choral Society at facebook.com/ColumbusChoralSociety.

Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.