The Orcas Choral Society has an evening of spirited songs planned for its upcoming spring concerts.

“Songs on the Lighter Side” will be directed by Catherine Pederson, accompanied by Patty Johnson and include guest instrumentalists Dimitri Stankevich playing tuba and Linda Slone on the flute.

Leroy Anderson’s “Blue Tango” is directed by Eric Gourley, Pederson and Johnson playing a four hand piano accompaniment and tango dancing by Stan and Kay Miller with a full complement by the choir. “Hoagy Carmichael – A Choral Portrait” includes a medley of romantic favorites: “Star Dust,” “Heart and Soul,” “Georgia on my Mind,” “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening,” “Lazy River,” and soloists Denise Thomasin and John Heath singing “The Nearness of You.”

“The Whistling Gypsy” with soloist Wally Logan, “Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One, ” and the a cappella piece “Three Hungarian Folksongs” by Matyas Seiber and A.L. Lloyd are the folk contribution to the spring music.

Romance with nature is the theme of English poet, William Wordsworth’s poem entitled “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.” Tacoma Composer Dr. Donna Gartman Schultz’s music accompanies the words of the poem to create the composition,” There Was A Time.” Stankevich provides the tuba counterpoint to this song composed for tuba and choir.

As island dwellers, Orcas residents will share the emotions emanating from British Columbia composer Dave Baker’s song “This Land is What I Am.” His line “My island home is calling me, where the wild and swirling waters greet the sea…” gives a flavor of the upbeat but locally meaningful lyrics to the piece. A touch of nature continues with “I Cannot Count the Stars” by Eugene Butler, “The Month of May” and “Afton Water” featuring soloist Caroline Scott.

Northwest composer Melinda Bargreen wrote the bluesy “The Big Easy on my Mind” after Hurricane Katrina. Pam Evans is the soloist for the traditional spiritual “The Lily of the Valley.” The entire choir performs “Soon and Very Soon.”

Performances are on Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. at the Orcas Center. Tickets, $10 for adults and $3 for students and children, are available through the Orcas Center Box Office, at 376-2281 or www.orcascenter.org.