The St. James Concert Series will feature the St. James Choir, with string and organ, in concert at St. James Episcopal Church, 860 N. Section St., Friday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. The St. James Choir will present Franz Schubert’s Mass in G Major. The public is invited to attend. There is no charge for the concert but a free-will offering will be taken.

Prolific Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was only when he composed the Mass in G Major. According to Wikipedia, the score was not printed until several decades after Schubert’s death, and until then had remained one of Schubert’s less-noted compositions — so much so that that first edition of the mass had been usurped by another composer, who, eventually, ended up in prison for embezzlement.

To complement the Schubert Mass, the evening performance will include string compositions by Mozart, Boccherini and Grieg as well as a setting of the Irish hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” for Celtic harp and strings.

Solos will be sung by St. James choir members Barbara Nester, Rebecca Stevens, Fred Jones, Ed Shell and Frank Stabler. String players will be Enen Yu, Elizabeth French, Jim Lichtenberger and Guo-Sheng Huang. Timpani will be played by Georgia Huckabay. Organist will be Joe Rambo and St. James Director of Music Helen VanAbbema Rodgers, will be conducting the evening’s concert and playing Celtic harp.

The evening concludes with a contemporary setting of a 10th century Mozarabic hymn, “Christ Mighty Savior,” by California composer Craig Phillips. This will be sung in thanksgiving for the life of violinist Wendy Klopfenstein who was to play in this program. The composition was commissioned for the 55th Sewanee Church Music Conference, July of 2005.

For more information, please contact VanAbbema Rodgers, 928-2912, or e-mail hvar@bellsouth.net.