Mississippians have a chance to lift their voices in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
Organizers say the June 20 event at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson will feature a 1,000-voice choir, a live orchestra, and a children’s choir, along with special guests and original musical arrangements by Grammy- and Dove-winning composer David T. Clydesdale. The performance will be free, televised, and open to both residents and visitors.
Called “United in Song: A Mississippi America250 Celebration,” it is being organized by the state’s America250 commission as part of Mississippi’s official semiquincentennial programming, celebrating 250 years since the U.S. became an independent nation.
“It’s going to be a really big, fun, special historic event, and we are doing a call for people who want to participate in the choir and orchestra,” Visit Mississippi chief marketing officer Katie Coats said. “There are a thousand voices that can be made up of individuals, if you’re just someone who likes to sing and wants to be a part of it, or if you have a choir from a school or church.”
Sign-ups are open now, and participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. They will take part in regional rehearsals leading up to the performance, with music expected to be distributed in late March.
Regional rehearsals are scheduled for April 18, May 9, and May 16, with exact locations to be announced. Participants are expected to learn and practice music individually or with their local choirs between rehearsals.
On the day of the show, full rehearsals will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. before the program begins at 7 p.m.
According to the America250 commission, the goal is simple: “Unite communities in a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of music, freedom, and faith.”
More information about choir and orchestra participation, rehearsal schedules, and volunteer opportunities can be found here.