The Ames Town and Gown Chamber Music Association will host its eleventh annual winter musicale on Saturday in the Parish Hall at St. John’s By the Campus Episcopal Church.

Those attending can expect an evening of chamber music and a gourmet dessert buffet.

The event is constantly gaining popularity as several hundred people attend the event every year.

“It’s popular because of its warm and intimate setting,” said Stephen Wilson, publicist for the event. “It’s friendly, not the kind of thing you’d find in a big city. It’s distinctive.”

Wilson said this year’s musicale will honor the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death and the birthday centenaries of Aaron Copland and Kurt Weill.

The program will include portions of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and vocal selections of Copland and Weill, as well as music of Sait-Saens, Borodin and Nadia Boulanger-Copland’s teacher.

The local performers donating their talents for this fund-raising event are: The Ames Piano Quartet, trumpeter James Bovinette, harpsichordist Lynn Zeigler, bassoonist Kevin Schilling and pianists Susan Flaskerud, Sue Haug, Paula Forrest Helmuth, Larissa Kanevski and Paul Pisano.

Soprano Jennifer Porto and baritones Ryan Schweers and James Tener will also perform.

George Work is a member of the Ames Piano Quartet and has been participating in the event since it began.

He says that all of the performers bring enthusiasm to the performance.

“The audience will be in for an evening of light, relatively short and hopefully entertaining pieces of classical music,” Work said. “And of course, don’t forget the desserts.”

Work mentioned that the Ames Town and Gown will be commissioning a new piece of music for the piano quartet. The composer is Lee Hoiby, and it will be premiered in November.

“He’s a great composer and pretty well-known,” Work said.

Most of the performers are from the ISU music department.

“It’s a fun thing to do,” Schilling said. “We don’t always get to be on the same program as our colleagues. It’s nice to be able to perform with them.”

Admission is $25, and all proceeds will go toward lowering prices for the regular concert season. Ames Town and Gown, which is in its 50th year, brings accomplished outside artists to Ames.

It is preferred that tickets are bought ahead of time, but there will be tickets available at the door Saturday night. They can be purchased by calling Anita Beal at 292-2699.