Great Rivers Choral Society Plans Spring Concert to Celebrate 25th Anniversary

ALTON/GODFREY - Great Rivers Choral Society will host a free spring concert to celebrate 25 years in the Riverbend community.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, April 10, 2026, GRCS will sing at St. Paul Episcopal Church in Alton, followed by 3 p.m. matinees on Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12, at Godfrey First United Methodist Church. This concert’s theme is “Echoes of the Past, Sounds of the Future” and includes pop tunes.

“That’s probably the most exciting part about the choir: We’ve managed to keep it lively and keep it fun and hopefully entertaining for the community,” said Pat Stewart, an original GRCS member. “We just appreciate the community for allowing us to come into their hearts and their souls, to help celebrate the 25 years in appreciation of their support over all these years.”

The choir takes a free will offering, but it’s completely free to attend and enjoy the hourlong concerts.

On Sunday, April 12, a reception will follow the concert in celebration of the choir’s anniversary. Stewart hopes to welcome past and present choir members in addition to concertgoers. There will be refreshments and a chance to reflect on the choir’s legacy.

She shared that GRCS struggled during the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is when many community choirs ended their runs. But the passion of GRCS members kept them going. They often met to sing outside and keep their voices sharp.

Today, the choir is stronger than ever and recently traveled to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall, a major honor. Stewart hopes the April 12 reception also serves as a chance to thank community members who donated toward GRCS, which covered their travel expenses.

“It just goes back to that passion for singing that makes us successful, I think, year after year,” she said. “We picked up so many talented people throughout the years, so every year is a new experience, and a very exciting one at that. Our director, Raynard Brown, sees to it that we're equipped with all the tools that we need and just makes it fun.”

Stewart added that anyone is welcome to join the choir, and you don’t have to be a professional singer to enjoy it. She encourages people to attend their spring concert to get a feel for the choir’s repertoire, then reach out to her or visit the official GRCS website or Facebook page to learn more.

As she reflects on 25 years, she is proud of the work that GRCS members and leaders have put in to keep the choir running.

“I'm certainly blessed to be a part of those whole 25 years, that's for sure,” Stewart said. “It takes some good leadership. Under the directors that we've had just really encouraging us singers to appreciate the talent that God gave us, I think that's part of it.”

She hopes many people come out to the spring concerts on April 10–12 and join them for the reception on Sunday afternoon. She noted that it’s a great chance to support GRCS while enjoying an afternoon of free music.

“If you can make it to one of the three performances, you won't be disappointed,” she added. “It’s an hour of some toe-tapping and fun music and live entertainment, which there's just not enough of anymore.”

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