The Troy Music Study Club and the Troy Arts Council will present the club’s annual Founders Day Concert at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 at First United Methodist Church of Troy.

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Troy University’s music fraternity conducted by Scott Sexton, will be in concert with Lyra Crapps as organist.

The program, “The Testament of Freedom” by Randall Thompson, will be a powerful and stirring composition for men’s voices and is based on four passages from the writings of Thomas Jefferson.

“This is a very patriotic program because it’s taken from the words of Thomas Jefferson,” Sexton said.

“The audience will recognize many passages, especially those taken from the Declaration of Independence.

Phi Mu Alpha is honored to be invited to be a part of this special program.”

Sexton said 22 members of the music fraternity will take part in the program.

Four voices –two tenors and two baritones – will be featured in the program.

Phi Mu Alpha is required to give a music program each semester and the members welcome the opportunity to be a part of the program of an organization with such a proud history of promoting music in Pike County, Sexton said.

The Troy Music Club was founded in 1905 and has celebrated and promoted music of all kinds for more than 100 years.

Betty Spann, club publicity chair, said the state organization of the Alabama Federation of Music Clubs suggests that each club hosts a Founders celebration each year.

“Long ago, each music study club member was asked to donate a penny to support the organization’s scholarship program,” she said.

“That donation climbed to a nickel, then to a dime and is now two dollars.

Federated Music Study Clubs have always supported our young people through the awarding of scholarships and the Troy Music Study Club is proud to be able to award several scholarships each year.”

Auditions for the 2009 Troy Music Study Club scholarships will be held in the early spring. High school seniors throughout the county will be eligible for consideration.

Spann said the scholarships are awarded in memory of Mary Murphree Spellman, founder of the Troy Music Study Club and an organist at First Baptist Church of Troy for more than 50 years.

“The Founders Day Concert is presented each year in memory and honor of our founders and all they did to promote music in the Troy community,” Spann said.

“We invite everyone to attend the 2009 Founders Day Concert on Sunday and hear this outstanding group of young men in patriotic concert that is a ‘Testament of Freedom.’”