NEWBURYPORT, MA -- It's a party that's been 25 years in the making.

The Newburyport Choral Society will mark its silver anniversary under the direction of Dr. Gerald Weale with two concert performances May 5 and 6 at Belleville Congregational Church in Newburyport.

Weale, 75, a New Hampshire resident, was contacted about the job by a former student he instructed while at Columbia University, Ralph Johnson. Johnson, a member of the community chorus, was serving on the search committee for their new conductor and thought of Weale.

Weale, then a professor at Boston University, agreed to interview and complete a rehearsal. Soon, he was offered the position.