For 10 years the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers has been performing pieces that were written expressly for the ensemble by composer-in-residence Craig Kingsbury. In the fall, the group will release a CD showcasing many of these commissioned pieces.

Next week, in celebration of its relationship with Kingsbury, the group will present "Land of Heart's Desire," an all-Kingsbury concert.

The concert will be presented at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2000 Oakwood Drive, Medford, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 15, at Southern Oregon University's Music Recital Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland. There will be a pre-concert lecture for Sunday's performance at 2 p.m.

The title for the concert comes from a Scottish folk song. It also pays tribute to the Hebridean Islands off the west coast of Scotland, a place much visited by Kingsbury, his wife, Tuesday, and Repertory Singers' music director Paul French and his wife, Jodi.

"We all love the rugged, lonely countryside and the beautiful music sung there," French said. "I think these songs take one to the islands faster and better than any picture ever could."

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The group and guest artists Jodi French on piano, Debra Harris on flute, Laurie Hunter on harp, Sherill Wood on flute and the SOU Chamber Choir will perform 18 works by Kingsbury.

Ten years ago, some of the first commissioned pieces were three songs from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." These included "O Mistress Mine," "Come Away Death," and "Hey, Ho, the Wind and the Rain." Kingsbury's newest commissioned work completed this spring is "It was a Lover and his Lass."

Kingsbury's premieres have featured works based on a 8th century Latin chant, French and English medieval texts, Shakespearean texts such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Hebridean folk songs and selections of international poetry. Wallace Stevens' poem "The Snowman" became "A Mind of Winter," which Hunter will accompany on harp.

"Tuit Mi Penser" is based on poetry by Guillaume de Machant, the 14th century French composer and poet. The poetry of Federico Lorca and his "Canciones de la Luna" are the basis of Kingsbury's "Murio al Amanecar," "La Tarde Canta" and "La Luna Asoma." Kingsbury also has set to music the poetry of Christina Rossetti and Barry Kraft and several Native American texts.

A native of Los Angeles, bass-baritone Kingsbury has been active for many years as a professional singer. He appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Ojai Music Festival, Cuesta Master Chorale, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and performed in concerts, radio broadcasts and recordings with the Roger Wagner Chorale, the Early Music Ensemble of Los Angeles, and the chamber ensemble I Cantori.

In Europe, he appeared with chamber orchestras and oratorio societies in France, Belgium and Holland, and in opera productions with the Opera of Flanders in Antwerp.

Since relocating to the Northwest, Kingsbury has performed regularly as a member of the vocal quartet Cantabile, and has been a featured soloist with Choral Cross-Ties, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Oregon Repertory Singers and Waverly Baroque Ensemble in Portland; with the Rogue Valley Symphony, Northwest Bach Ensemble, Rogue Valley Chorale and Southern Oregon Repertory Singers in Ashland and Medford; and in Washington with the Seattle Choral Company and St. Joseph's Chorale.

Tickets are $15 and $5 for students. Tickets are available at the door and at Paddington Station and Music Coop, Ashland; Grocery Outlet, Medford; online at www.repsingers.org; or by phone at 552-0900.