As part of the continuing concert series celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, the choirs from the Decatur-based Cathedral at Chapel Hill will perform on Sunday, May 23, at 3 p.m. The concert, which will feature Clariece Paulk and the arts department of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill, will be held in the abbey church.

Over the past 60 years, the monastery has become a landmark in the state of Georgia as a place of prayer and a beacon of light for many who seek peace and respite in the contemplative silence and solitude. This concert provides an opportunity to say “thank you” to the community at large, especially to friends and benefactors for their gifts and support.

This grand concert will showcase the Cathedral’s vocal arts division, which comprises the mixed-choral ensembles of The Cathedral Choir, The Joyful Sound Choir, and The Young Singers of the Cathedral. The performance will include a wide range of repertoire from classical to contemporary styles of sacred choral music, including “O Sacred Head,” “The Trumpet Shall Sound,” “Ave Verum Corpus,” and “Open Our Eyes.” In addition to performing as a piano soloist, Paulk will direct the choirs and orchestra and accompany them on the piano and organ.

A large attendance is expected mainly because the Cathedral has been announcing the event for some time to their large congregation, including their Sunday television broadcast and newsletters. Their affiliate sister assemblies have also been invited.

Doors open at 2:40 p.m., and the Cathedral orchestra will perform a 10-minute prelude before the concert begins at 3 p.m.

The monastery was founded on March 21, 1944 by Cistercian (Trappist) monks sent from the monastery of Gethsemani, Ky. A concert is being held one Sunday afternoon a month in this anniversary year with visiting musicians. A reception will follow in the crypt, and the monastery gift store will be open before and after the concert.

There is no admission charge for the concert, but a free-will offering will be taken afterwards, which will help defray the medical costs of the monastery’s older monks.