San Juan Singers is all about Spring in this festive concert: Poems, Prayers, and Promises, on Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17, at the San Juan Community Theatre.

The community choir presents a varied bouquet of music, including light-hearted songs by Mendelssohn that feature larks, nightingales, and the way the beauties of nature seem to rise up and greet you when spring is in the air. Song-settings of texts by E. E. Cummings, Rumi, and other contemporary poets will touch the heart and mind as these melodies breathe life into beautiful words.

The Singers jazz it up with settings of love poems in a 20th century update of madrigals. John Rutter sets Shakespeare and Herrick texts to jazzy rhythms and harmonies, in honor of jazz-great, George Shearing, making for a delightful toe-tapping take on the ups-and-downs of love and loving.

”I feel a strong surge of joy and hope when spring returns—and there’s nothing like a good spiritual to express both,” said director Angel Michaels. 

For that, the Singers present some familiar and long-time favorite settings of American spirituals and songs Michaels calls “new spirituals,” such as Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”, and Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes”. 

“You’ll leave the concert smiling, humming, and maybe dancing your own little happy dance,” Michaels said. 

The business partner for San Juan Singers is Lake Kennedy McCulloch, CPAs. Tickets are $17 for adults, $9 for student reserved, with $5 RUSH at the door. The box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are also available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org