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CORVALLIS - Singing will ring forth from the First United Methodist Church when the Oregon State University Chamber Choir performs its Home Concert on Friday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m.

The OSU Chamber Choir is the premier choral ensemble at the university and includes 38 select singers dedicated to the joy of singing. It is directed by Steven M. Zielke, who directs choral studies at OSU.

The first half of the concert consists of some of the great "a cappella" motets including Brahms' "Shaffe in mir Gott," Distler's "Singet den Herrn," and Gesualdo's "Ave dulcissima Maria."

The choir will also perform Samuel Barber's "Reincarnations," a set of three songs based on the poetry of James Stephens and ascribed to the Irish of Raftery, a 19th-century poet and songsmith. "Barber's work is among the most beloved and respected choral compositions of the 20th century," Zielke said.

The second half of the concert will be devoted entirely to African-influenced choral music. The centerpiece of the half is "Missa Kenya," a composition by contemporary composer Paul Basler. Scored for percussion, piano, horn, and choir, the work draws from East African choral traditions and fuses Kenyan musical styles with late 20th-century American choral music. The composition ends with a soft "Agnus Dei," described by its composer as a "prayer for peace and understanding throughout the world." The mass will be followed by three Kenyan spirituals and several African-American spirituals and gospel songs.

"The music in the second half will be joyful and inspiring," Zielke said. "This is our final concert of the year and this gives us the opportunity to share with the Corvallis community our hope and joy."

The Chamber Choir has toured extensively, both in the United States and internationally, including a 1997 tour to China, and a 2000 tour to Bulgaria where the choir was honored with the Choral Festival of Light "most outstanding choir" award. The choir is planning to tour Germany in the summer of 2003.

Admission is $5 at the door for adults. Students are admitted free with ID.