Chamber Singers? spring concert set

The Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa will present a spring concert, ?The Heart of Spring,? at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church in Fairfield.

The fullness of springtime will blossom in an array of song selections that depict experiences of spiritual beauty, romantic love and multicultural celebrations of the season.

The pulsing dynamism of Jamaican and Bollywood rhythms will brighten spirits, and rousing gospel and a cappella pop tunes will set toes tapping. Newly composed selections will bring contemporary flavors to traditional spring themes. And a new madrigal setting of a Shakespearian song will celebrate the delights of the season.

With special permission, the Chamber Singers also will perform a new Hebrew song composed for a synagogue dedication in Chicago. The chorus also will sing beautiful settings of poems by Rilke and St. Theresa of Avila.

Composers Morten Lauridsen, Heinrich Schütz, Ben E. King and A.H. Rahman will be represented in the program, and the Chamber Singers will introduce other new and talented composers to the audience this spring.

In addition, guest instrumentalists Karen Aoki and Lise Marcell will treat listeners to extraordinary flute and piano duets by Gabriel Fauré.

Director Elaine Reding says, ?This year the Chamber Singers will be expressing the rich diversity of spring with a selection of beautiful musical works. Weaving together the sacred and secular, the tender and the bold across musical genres, we hope to fill your hearts with the joyful spirit of spring.?

The Chamber Singers invite everyone to celebrate Mother?s Day weekend with full hearts in ?The Heart of Spring? concerts.

Free-will donations will be appreciated.