drug arial, click sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;”>A cappella songs tell of real and mythological animals

Areté Vocal Ensemble will take a walk on the wild side during the final concert of its seventh season.

“Wild Things: Music of Birds, Beasts and Bugs!” will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 10, in Samuelson Chapel on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The centerpiece of the professional ensemble’s unique concert will be “A Medieval Bestiary” by Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer. The 11 a cappella songs are based on T.H. White’s translation of a 12th-century Latin bestiary that documents the behavior of various real and mythological animals in order to teach lessons on morality. Today’s audiences may find humor in the serious commentary about animals such as the unicorn, hyaena and manticore.

Areté singers will also perform wild and woolly solos that expand on the theme of animals, including music by Samuel Barber, Ernest Chausson, David Lang, Cole Porter, John Tavener and William Walton.

Wyant Morton will conduct. He founded Areté, which is based at Cal Lutheran, with the goal of performing the widest possible vocal repertoire, including works from essentially all periods of music. Special attention is given to contemporary, experimental, improvisatory, “crossover” and ethnic music. The ensemble, which takes its name from the Greek word for excellence, focuses on performing the new, the unknown and the unconventional with energy, passion, expertise and virtuosity.

In addition to serving as director of choral and vocal activities and a professor of music at Cal Lutheran, Morton maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator appearing throughout the United States and Canada.

The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane.

Advance tickets purchased online are $15. Tickets at the door are $20. Student tickets are $10 with ID. Admission is free for children younger than 12. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit AreteVocalEnsemble.org.