The Susquehanna Chorale will continue its 40th anniversary legacy season in May with two live performances of the group's spring program, titled "A Celebration in Song." Performances will take place on Friday, May 13, at 8 p.m. at the Derry Presbyterian Church, 248 E. Derry Road, Hershey, and Sunday, May 15, at 4 p.m. at the High Center, Messiah University, 1 College Ave., Grantham. Audience members will be invited to a reception following each performance.

"Celebrate with us as we commemorate our legacy: 40 years of enriching lives through song," said artistic director and conductor Linda Tedford. "Experience our joy as we come together with renewed excitement for singing to an audience in live performance."

The Susquehanna Chorale is a nationally acclaimed adult chamber ensemble of 37 auditioned singers. It was founded by Tedford in 1981.

The May concerts will feature songs from the chorale's repertoire over its four decades, including sacred motets, early American hymns, love songs, and African American spirituals. Selections will include Schubert's "Holy, Holy, Holy," Bruckner's "Locus Iste," Philip Stopford's "Do Not Be Afraid," the early American folk hymns "Down to the River to Pray" and "No Time," and "Java Jive," made famous by Manhattan Transfer. The concert will conclude with Rollo Dilworth's "Shine the Heavenly Light" and a performance of "Shenandoah" wherein the Susquehanna Chorale will be joined by several alumni.

Tickets for both concerts may be purchased through the Messiah University Box Office at 717-691-6036.

The Susquehanna Chorale is a recipient of Chorus America's highest honor, the Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence. Tedford was honored by the American Choral Directors Association of Pennsylvania with the Elaine Brown Award for lifelong commitment to excellence and leadership in the choral art. In 2013, she received Theatre Harrisburg's Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the capital region. The chorale is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.