The University of Houston's Moores Concert Chorale is preparing for its second trip across the pond. Led by director Betsy Cook Weber, the chorale is among nine international groups selected for the prestigious competition Florilège Vocal de Tours.

The chorale will represent the university during this event, which runs May 27 - 30 in Tours, France. Before heading overseas, the group will bid its Houston fans "adieu" with three free send-off concerts. Performances are as follows:

• 5:30 p.m., May 15 - All Saints Catholic Church (214 E. 10^thSt.)
• 7:30 p.m., May 16 - St. Phillip Presbyterian Church (4807 San Felipe St.)
• 7:30 p.m., May 24 - Moores Opera House at UH

"We are very grateful to our local supporters," Weber said. "These performances will offer those who cannot make the trip a preview of the repertoire that we will perform in Tours. We're pleased to share this wonderful selection of music with them."

Selections to be performed include:

• "Si ch'io vorrei morire" by Claudio Monteverdi
• "Tröstet, tröstet mein Volk" by Heinrich Schütz
• "Abendlied" by Josef Rheinberger
• "My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord (American Spiritual)" by Carol Barnett
• "Nachtwache II, Op. 104" by Johannes Brahms
• "Exultate Deo" by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
• "Exultate Deo" by Francis Poulenc
• "A Boy and a Girl" by Eric Whitacre
• "Under the Willow Tree" by Samuel Barber
• "Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine" by Eric Whitacre
• "I'm Goin' Away" arranged by Mack Wilberg
• "Fever" arranged by Jim Clements
• "To the Mothers in Brazil/Salve Regina" by Gunnar Eriksson
• "The Sounding Sea" by Eric Barnum
• "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" by Jim Hart
• "J'entends le Moulin" arranged by Donald Patriquin

The Moores Concert Chorale is UH's premiere large choral ensemble consisting of mainly junior and senior music majors. In 2009, the chorale performed at Welsh festival Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and was named the event's top chamber choir. It also has performed before members of the Texas Music Educators Association in San Antonio in 2005 and 2008. In 2007, the group was the invited choir to perform at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Miami.

The chorale is among the ensembles based within the Moores School of Music. Other award-winning groups include the Moores School Symphony Orchestra, Moores Jazz Ensemble, Moores Opera Center, Concert Women's Chorus, Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band, Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble.

The Moores School of Music offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. It serves approximately 600 students annually. Areas of study include composition, conducting, performance, theory and musicology. Its faculty consists of internationally recognized performers, composers and scholars. A majority of the school's concerts are performed in the 800-seat Moores Opera House. For more details on the Moores School of Music, visit http://www.music.uh.edu/.

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