RainShadow Chorale presents its spring concert, “American Folk,” on June 7-8.

Conducted by Artistic Director Laurie de Leonne, and accompanied by collaborative pianist Lisa Lanza, performances begin at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Port Townsend.

The program assembles American folk traditions ranging from spirituals and protest songs to lullabies, ballads and front-porch tunes.

“As someone with a lifelong passion for folk music, I’m drawn to repertoire that bridges past and present, music that tells the truth, carries memory and invites connection,” said de Leonne. “Our selections include both anonymous traditional songs and composed works that have entered the folk tradition over time. One of the defining qualities of folk music is its transmission by mouth and ear, music shaped not by a single author, but by many voices.”

She added, “This process of repetition and reinvention gives folk music its ergonomic quality. Like the worn stone steps of an old cathedral, it bears the imprint of those who have passed over it, changed it, and made it fit their own time and place. Folk music of any nation carries the soul of its people.”

The program explores the Sacred Harp tradition, Appalachian ballads, gospel-infused spirituals and folk protest.

The songs draw from oral tradition and composed arrangements.

The program also includes de Leonne’s choral setting of “Acres of Clams,” a tribute to our own region and the humor and heart of the Pacific Northwest.

“For some of the songs we lose our classical singing techniques and adopt a more colloquial style,” said soprano and Board President Rebecca Nerison. “And in one we get to be a little silly by channeling our inner barnyard animals. You’ll have to come to a performance to appreciate that.”

What to know:

Tickets are available at the door for a donation.