DOUBLE MILESTONE: This season, the Princeton Singers celebrates its 40th anniversary and 25th year under the direction of Conductor/Composer Steven Sametz.

By Anne Levin

With a repertory that spans aboriginal ritual music to medieval chant and beyond, The Princeton Singers has built a reputation for tackling just about any kind of vocal composition.

The coming season marks the 40th anniversary for the group, which was founded by John Bertalot, then the choirmaster and organist at Trinity Church. Also being celebrated is the 25th year of composer Steven Sametz’s association with the group as artistic director.

“It’s our versatility,” said John Cloys, the organization’s executive director, in a phone conversation this week. “We can sing anything from chants to gospel to stuff specifically composed for the group. When you come to our concerts, there is something there for everyone.”

The ensemble has headlined at festivals in China, England, and in this country at the national conferences of Chorus America, the American Choral Directors Association, and the American Guild of Organists. But focus on the local community is also key. The group has collaborated with the Princeton University Art Museum for several years, creating a musical accompaniment to special exhibitions. Their Christmas concerts, including Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales, are regular parts of the local holiday season.

The collaborations with the museum have been ongoing since a concert in 2011 that was part of an exhibition of works by Titian and Van Dyke. “We sing music that corresponds to the exhibits,” said Cloys. “We can look at the exhibit and also hear it, making it a kind of immersive experience.”

The double anniversary season begins October 15 at 7 p.m. with “Inspirations,” a concert at Art on Hulfish (following concerts at Adelphi University and Lehigh University). Works by Josquin des Prez, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Sametz, and Sidney Boquiren are on the program, described as “an exploration of how contemporary composers take their inspiration from chant, carnival songs, and spirituals.”

Next on December 16 is the annual Christmas concert, followed by “Valentines” on February 17, exploring the subject of love across the ages and the globe. The big anniversary celebration is scheduled for May 18, when the ensemble presents “The Best of the Princeton Singers.” All of these concerts take place at Trinity Church.

Bertalot founded The Princeton Singers as a small, independent ensemble based at Trinity Church, primarily to sing English cathedral music, English madrigals, and folk songs. After Bertalot retired and Sametz came on as artistic director, the group turned professional and the repertory was expanded.

“These are paid singers, typically 16 plus Steven,” Cloys said. “They come from all over the area, but mostly from New Jersey. They are men and women of all backgrounds. Some were music majors, some graduated from Westminster Choir College, some have sung with opera companies, and others with their churches. It’s a mix.”

The ensemble has served as choir in residence at the Lehigh University Summer Choral Composers Forum for the past two decades. Sametz, who is a professor of music at Lehigh, has composed a new work for The Princeton Singers for each of his 25 years of leadership.

“Writing for the Singers is one of my great joys,” he said in a press release. “Composing for The Princeton Singers is like writing for any of the true virtuoso choirs in the country — like Chanticleer, Cantus, or the Los Angeles Master Chorale: your imagination can run free and these incredibly talented singers will rise to the challenge.”