Treat mom and yourself to an “unexpected gift” Sunday evening when the St. Joseph Community Chorus presents its last concert of the season at the Missouri Western State University Fulkerson Center.

“It will be the end of a great Mother’s Day,” says SJCC artistic director, Frank Thomas.

This is the 26th season for Thomas and the 28th season for the 90-member chorus. The concert, “Unexpected Gifts — Songs from the Heart,” should have something for everyone.

“It’s a variety of wonderful choral literature,” Thomas says. “That’s how I define unexpected gifts. There’s no theme, just some great music.”

The evening will begin with “Swell the Full Chorus from ‘Solomon,’” George Frederick Handel’s exhilarating praise to King Solomon, followed by “Sing and Rejoice” by Will James and Kirk Mechem’s “Blow Ye the Trumpet.”

“‘Blow Ye the Trumpet’ is a wonderful piece,” Thomas says. “It’s basically the theme of the opera presented by the Kansas City Lyric Opera company titled ‘John Brown.’ It’s the glue that keeps that opera together.”

Some pieces will be more familiar, such as “Come to My Garden” from “The Secret Garden,” and the choral selections from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” “Mary, Molly and June” from “Two Parables” is all rhythm, Thomas says. And “The Gong of Time” from “Honey and Salt” has a political message.

“Gong with Time” speaks to how I feel about this political process we are going through,” Thomas says. “There’s a line that says ‘They battle and prattle and battle and prattle their lives away.’ The beginning line says, ‘time says hush.’”

Although the concert is primarily geared towards adults, children are not only invited, but free, says Sharon Gray, SJCC administrator.

“Children 10 and under are always in free,” she says.

The concert can be a relaxing evening spent with mom, plus an unexpected education. Gray remembers when the chorus put on a concert for the first time for fourth- and fifth-graders at Humboldt Elementary School as part of the SJCC educational outreach program.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” she says. “After we finished, up came two rough looking fourth-graders. Then one said, ‘Man, that was cool.’ I guess we succeeded.”

Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson may be reached at sylviaanderson@npgco.com.

What: “Unexpected Gifts — Songs from the Heart” concert by the St. Joseph Community Chorus

When: 7:30 p.m. May 11

Where: MWSU Fulkerson Center, 4525 Downs Drive

Tickets: $12 adults, $10 seniors, $5 students and free for children 10 and under.

For additional information: call 271-4420, or 387-5755