Framed by the nation’s 250th anniversary, several Piccolo Spoleto performances this year will explore Charleston’s history and freedom of expression through gospel, jazz, patriotic tributes and community sing-alongs.
For singer Carl Bright, moving people through the power of music is a family affair. The Bright Family & Singers, produced by Bright alongside his wife and daughter, will return to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival with their narrated gospel performance, Oh Happy Day on May 24. The performance falls under the category of Piccolo events that recognize the festival’s overarching theme this year: America’s 250th birthday and “freedom of expression.”
“In the midst of all going on, the history of Charleston and America, this will certainly be part of the glue that holds everything together,” Bright said.
For its 47th season, a handful of Piccolo Spoleto events —from a patriotic tribute to a children’s concert — will highlight the 250th anniversary of the United States and the American Revolution.
The Bright Family & Singers’ performance, which will include more than a dozen singers as well as an audience sing-along, tells the history of how spirituals served as a tool for survival, resistance and communication for enslaved people arriving in Charleston.
“This part of Black history is certainly important, and will highlight a portion of this 250th-year celebration,” Bright said.
Events within the Charleston Musical Heritage Series will also showcase Charleston history through music. This year, the series has expanded to include concerts featuring artists from the Sound of Charleston performing gospel, jazz and George Gershwin. All concerts are hosted at Circular Congregational Church at 150 Meeting St.
Narrated by Bill Schlitt, “The Sound of Charleston: America 250 Edition” demonstrates how the musical history of Charleston interweaves with America’s history, according to series co-founder and producer Bill Perry.
“Every piece of music that we do has a historical connection somehow to Charleston, and that’s why we’re so excited about it,” Perry said. “We know that people want history, and they certainly want good music.”
Performers include Lowcountry Music Hall of Fame member Ann Caldwell, former Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and other Lowcountry singers. The production offered at 2 p.m. on May 23, May 30 and June 6, also features an interactive sing-along to “America the Beautiful” and closes with “Amazing Grace.”
“Charleston’s history is America’s history,” Perry said.
On May 31 at 2 p.m., “Gershwin and Jazz” highlights the role that jazz has played in the city’s history. Tecklenburg on piano and Jon Philips on saxophone are among those playing Gershwin’s instrumental music, and vocalists Diamond Tyler and Ramelle Brooks will perform songs from Porgy and Bess. The program concludes with Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” performed by piano virtuosos Ghadi Shayban and Maida Libkin.
Getting students engaged
Up-and-coming artists will also take the Piccolo stage for America’s 250th. Trinity Montessori School presents Stand Tall, an operetta celebrating South Carolina’s role in America’s independence. The performance, featuring 18 students, is a fully staged production of Benjamin Britten’s The Golden Vanity, with costumes and sets inspired by the Battle of Sullivan’s Island.
Edward Jackson, Trinity’s co-head and music director, described the production as an “advanced concert” highlighting South Carolina’s uniqueness through solos and choruses.The students spent a year in the local community, researching for the performance.
“It’s a very holistic approach, and so this is kind of our gift to the community,” Jackson said.
Two Trinity choirs — St. Gregory and St. Cecilia — will also present an instrumental interlude, including the “Sea Shanty of the American Revolution” and selections from native composer Nelle McMaster Sprott. The May 28 performance at 3 p.m. closes with another sing-along.
“It’s got a little bit of everything,” Jackson said.
The Charleston Men’s Chorus will present a Memorial Day concert May 25 at noon honoring those who have served the country. This program features a selection of patriotic anthems, spirituals and choral arrangements in honor of the nation’s heroes.
Other performances will highlight lesser-known parts of American history.
The Promise: Untold Stories of S.C.’s Black Patriots also pays tribute to U.S. military efforts. This original play, commissioned by the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce, tells the story of six Black Continental Army soldiers who were captured by the British during the Revolutionary War. The performance will be offered on May 26 and 27 at 7 p.m.
In “Red, White, & Ringing: The Barbershop Tradition,” the Charleston Sound Chorus presents four-part a cappella harmony. Led by David Templeton, the chorus performance on June 7 at 4 p.m. serves as a tribute to “freedom and unity.”
Other events
Spoleto Festival USA 2026 also plans to join in on recognizing American’s 250th anniversary with some of its events, including the world premiere of George + George, a comedic romp through the American Revolution; Storytelling Through American Composers by the Spoleto Chorus; and An Evening with Ken Burns.
Elizabeth Chew, CEO of the South Carolina Historical Society, has attended festival events since the 1970s.
“One of the things I love about Charleston is the richness of history and the arts,” she said.
Chew said the society planned to partner with Piccolo again this year on pop-up musical events at its property. Last year, the society hosted an event on its front lawn and patio on opening day so visitors could get a taste of the action.
“You can learn the arts through history, and you can learn history through the arts,” Chew said. “So that’s why I love the combination of the two.”
- Bright Family & Singers’ Oh Happy Day gospel concert: May 24 at 4 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church. Tickets are $28 for adults and $26 for seniors.
- Red, White, & Ringing: The Barbershop Tradition, the Charleston Sound Chorus: June 7 at 4 p.m. at Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul. Adult tickets are $15, and children 12 and under are $10.
- Charleston Men’s Chorus Memorial Day concert: May 25 at noon at St. Philips Church. $30 general admission tickets. Children under 10 attend for free.
- Gershwin and Jazz: May 31 at 2 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church. Tickets are from $16-35.
- The Sound of Charleston America 250 Edition: May 23, 30 and June 6 at
2 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church. Tickets are from $16-35. - The Promise: Untold Stories of South Carolina’s Black Patriots: May 26 and 27 at 7 p.m at Cannon Street Art Center. Tickets are $10.
- Pluff Mud Players: May 28 at 3 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Admission is free.
Remi Turner is an arts journalism and communications graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
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