First Congregational Church of Evanston’s free concert series Music First continues on May 4th at 3 pm.

Songs of Spring is a joyful celebration of the season featuring a vibrant selection of classical and Great American Songbook pieces, performed by an outstanding ensemble of local musicians—soprano Anna Donnelly, mezzo-soprano Christina G. Adams, tenor Michael Brauer and clarinetist Jennifer Petkus—directed by dynamic multi-instrumentalist Matthew Hogan on bassoon and piano.

With music evoking the beauty of spring, this concert promises a blend of introspective, virtuosic, and humorous pieces that reflect the rejuvenating spirit of season, performed in First Congregational’s acoustically superb sanctuary at 1445 Hinman Ave.

The performance will include pieces such as Franz Schubert’s The Shepherd on the Rock, a duet from Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, and selections from Louis Spohr’s Six German Songs, featuring soprano, clarinet, and piano. Audiences will also enjoy a selection of Great American Songbook classics, along with trios for recorder, clarinet, and bassoon.

This concert is free and open to all. Attendees are invited to a light reception with the performers following the concert.