At St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, spring is a time of not only longer days and warmer weather, but also of music.

This is the fourth year that the church has hosted a spring concert series, said director of music John Glaze.

The series was first begun, Glaze said, when a Zanesville residentwho had grown up in Hillsborowanted to do a concert locally. He performed at St. Mary’s and later the Southern State Singers also performed.

Glaze said that following those concerts, he wanted to “start pulling some other (performers) and make a series.”

“The concerts are provided at no charge,” Glaze said, but the church does take offerings, which “help to offset the costs” of the programs.

This spring’s concert schedule features a variety of performers, beginning on March 19 with the Cincinnati Choral Society. The program begins at 3:30 p.m.

Other performances this spring include: an organ recital by local high school student Daniel Jacky on March 26 at 3 p.m.; a Lenten concert featuring St. Mary’s own musicians on April 9 at 3 p.m.; a performance by the Adagio Trio on April 23 at 3 p.m.; and a concert presented by the Southern State Singers on May 7 at 3 p.m.

Glaze discussed the upcoming performances. The Cincinnati Choral Society, he said, is a “group of around 25 singers.”

“They have traveled quite a bit, to Europe and such,” Glaze added. “They’re really good.”

The next scheduled performance is an organ recital by Jacky. Glaze described the Hillsboro High School senior as an “extremely talented young man.” According to event material, Jacky serves as the organist at the First Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro.

Glaze added that Jacky’s recital will “be a wonderful program,” adding that along with being a talented musician Jacky is also “a genuinely nice young man.”

He also said that performances by local musicians such as Jacky spark interest in not only the church event but also in other types of music.

One band that showcases such a “nice variety” is the Adagio Trio, Glaze said.

“They were here a couple of years ago,” he added. “They do a lot of Celtic music and folk.”

Most groups like the Adagio Trio are selected for the St. Mary’s concert series because Glaze has heard them perform in the past. He said he asked the Trio to perform because he has “always loved their sound and the feeling you get when you listen to them.”

Above all, Glaze said he aims for variety in the concert series. “If you don’t like one thing we’re doing, you might like another,” he said.

As an example, Glaze said that last year the Appalachian Hillbilly band performed. “They were a big hit,” he said, adding that he is “hoping to get them back next spring.”

The concerts are followed by a reception with refreshments, which Glaze described as a time when “people can talk (to each other) and talk to the performers.”

Recordings can often be purchased from the visiting groups, he added.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is located at 234 N. High St. in Hillsboro.