The sounds of harmony and the joyful music of the season will fill the sanctuary of Spring Hill MB Church on Sunday. That’s when the Spring Hill Unity Male Chorus, The Sons of Abraham from Jackson and Joe Stroughter of the Tallulah Spiritualaires of Tallulah, La., gather with other groups for an afternoon of song.

The concert begins at 2 p.m. and is free to the public.

Other groups participating include Nathaniel Williams and Rodney Allen, the Edwards Spiritualaires and the Wandering Stars of Jackson.

“We did one last year,” church member Garland Cary said. “We’ve planned on doing it every year.”

Church member J.B. Edwards said at one time Spring Hill held a gospel concert every year and invited male groups from local and area churches, but the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 forced church officials to stop the performances.

When the pandemic passed and things settled down in 2022, he said church members decided to renew the concerts.

“We were inspired to do it because things got better,” he said. “We are back in the church and thankful we’re singing again. We thought it would be a good time to have another program.”

Edwards said the church invited The Sons of Abraham and the Spiritualaires for an April concert because of the musical relationship between the groups and the Spring Hill Male Chorus.

“I guess probably a big start of this was because we are invited yearly over to Louisiana to sing in Tallulah,” he said. “They have a Gospel Fest yearly. We go over there usually one or two times a year to sing and participate in their program.”

He said inviting the Spiritualaires for the April concert was part of the church’s pattern of inviting groups from different areas to perform at Spring Hill.

“Nathaniel Williams and Rodney Allen are local,” Edwards said. “They’re well-known signers; they’re fantastic.”

Edwards said the men’s chorus met the Edwards Spiritualaires when they were performing at a program. “They invited us to their anniversary about two, three months ago and we went over there (Edwards) so we invited them to our program,” he said. Stroughter, who will be performing without the Tallulah Spiritualaires, was well-known when he was with the group.

Edwards said The Sons of Abraham are making their second visit to Spring Hill.

Cary, whom Edwards said has played with several professional gospel groups, established a connection with The Sons of Abraham to invite them to perform at the church.

“The Sons of Abraham have been singing for many years; I don’t know exactly how long, but it’s been more than 10, probably 15 years,” Cary said. “They’ve been singing primarily in Mississippi and Alabama. … They’ve been doing it a long time.”