The Ephrata Cloister Chorus will present its annual spring concert on Sunday, May 21, at 3 p.m. in the 1741 Meetinghouse (Saal) at Historic Ephrata Cloister, 632 W. Main St., Ephrata. The free concert will feature a significant number of compositions created by the community's founder, Conrad Beissel, and by Sister Föben, who has been recognized as one of America's first female composers. The pieces have been edited for modern performance by Russell Getz and Christopher Herbert.

In addition, the chorus will present comparative and contrasting choral works by other religious-focused groups of early America, including Moravian, River Brethren, Shaker, and African-American traditions. Give-what-you-will donations will be accepted at the door to the Saal to support the work of the Ephrata Cloister Chorus.

The museum will be open to visitors at noon with free admission to the site. The orientation video will be shown in the auditorium at 12:30 p.m., followed at 1 p.m. by a cake and beverage reception in the Visitor Center until the time of the performance.

Two historic buildings on the property, the Saal and the Saron (the sisters' dormitory), will be open for visitation with interpreters. No guided tours will be offered that afternoon, but visitors will be encouraged to follow the half-mile route along paved pathways through the property and around the historic buildings until the hourlong performance begins at 3 p.m.

Attendees may also stop by the Visitor Center to view a display of memorabilia from the years that the summer drama, "Vorspiel," was performed on Saturday nights in the amphitheater. For over 20 years starting in the 1960s, the chorus and cast sang and acted out the story of a fictionalized romance between a celibate sister and a Revolutionary War soldier. Five of the concert pieces this year were sung in the pageant of Cloister music.

Individuals interested in becoming a member of the chorus may contact Mark Herr at minstrel52@hotmail.com or call the Cloister site at 717-733-6600 for more information. To learn more, visit http://www.ephratacloister.org.