Tuesday evening, the Fort Hays State University choirs, guest soloists and Full Chord Press, a boys' choir from Felten and Kennedy Middle Schools, charmed everyone in the audience with their spring concert ranging from Italian polyphony to modern soul.

The FHSU Concert Choir, conducted by Terry Crull and accompanied by Pam McGowne, invoked spring with "May No Rash Intruder," a chorus from G. F. Handel's oratorio "Solomon," that expresses the wish to "Let soft breezes blow."

Guest soloists Brian Keller, alto sax, Cathy Clewett, Irish harp, and Joel Zeiner, vibraphone, joined the choir as they continued with "Laissez Faire la Foret" ("Let the Forest Run Its Course"), composed especially for the 2010 Concert Choir by FHSU student Krista Connelly. The piece began with a simple falling figure that expanded into a chorus of dense harmonies whose undulating rhythm painted a tone picture of trees waving on the wind. It earned a good round of applause. Crull thanked the FHSU Student Government Association for funding the piece -- I think they more than got their money's worth.

Glenn McClure's "Kyrie" from "Saint Francis in the Americas" with Tiffany Yang, marimba, and Zeiner, drums, was the choir's next selection. The "Kyrie," a steel-drum samba from a Caribbean Mass, according to Crull, is both a bumptiously cheerful request for the Lord's mercy and an exuberant expression of certainty that it will be forthcoming. Everyone loved it.

Cello soloist Benjamin Morris-Cline ornamented a well sung, but monotonous and overlong piece aptly titled "Everlasting Voices" by David M. DeLyser. Several very pleasant and amusing lighter works followed, most notably Eugene Butler's "I Cannot Count the Stars," sung by the Concert Choir men and featuring a violin obligato played by Matthew Means.

Attired in bright red shirts and black trousers, Full Chord Press, conducted by Johnny Matlock and accompanied by Alexis Robinson, started out with "We're Bound for the Rio Grande." They then donned neckerchiefs, Stetsons and sombreros for "Don't Fence me In." Both numbers earned the biggest hands of the evening.

The Press sang and acted well, and the lyrics came over loud and clear. Matlock is equally clearly a first-rate conductor. The Concert Choir men with soloist Joseph Doze joined the Press for a rousing performance of their final number, "It's Alright" by Curtis Mayfield, as recorded by Huey Lewis and the News.

The Fort Hays Singers, conductor Crull and accompanist McGowne then took the stage for the rest of the evening. They began with a couple of 16th-century compositions. Elise Peterson of Hays High helped them out in the first selection by substituting for an absent member. Most memorable was "Matona, Mia Cara" ("Matona, Lovely Maiden") by Orlando Lassus, a dialogue between Matona and a suitor featuring echo effects. "Weepe O Mine Eyes" by Halsey Stevens, a modern composer, was their last "serious" number.

Switching to popular fare, the Singers launched into the Big Band standard "Tuxedo Junction" as recorded by Manhattan Transfer. Singers Chris Jones, Jessica Ammel and Micah Dunn did some smooth scat solos, while McGowne, piano, Chad Foust, guitar, Nick Foust, bass, and Zeiner, drums, played up a storm.

They then ended the concert with "Witness," a spiritual and "Walk him up the Stairs," a parody of a spiritual from the Broadway hit "Purlie" by Ossie Davis and Gary Geld. Soloists Jones, Ammel and Steven Cornwell added to the fun.

The Symphonic Winds/Wind Ensemble concert, the next event in the FHSU series, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. in Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center, promises to be just as exhilarating.

Ruth Firestone is a supporter of music and theater in Hays. rfiresto@fhsu.edu.