The first half closed with a stop on the Emerald Isle. Charles Villiers Stanford’s “The Blue Bird” was the standout in this set. Far more penetrating than the text would indicate, the music painted a profoundly beautiful scene tinged with an awareness that is sometimes mistaken for melancholy. We all enjoyed the familiar “Sally Gardens” and the comical “Finnegan’s Wake,” both nicely arranged by ensemble members Ludwig Bohme and Sebastian Krause respectively, the latter piece setting the stage for a hairpin turn.

A German transcription of French poetry (Baudelaire) set to music in a uniquely American style portends a contrived-sounding concoction, but German jazz musician Harald Banter knew exactly what he was doing. “Abendharmonie” (evening harmony) is a set of three jazz ballads recently commissioned by Calmus. These pieces showcase the group’s personality as well as their boundless versatility.

The remainder of this set took us on an engaging trip through the recent past. Popular melodies by English, German, and American songwriters revealed surprising gifts from within their simple lines through the miracle of good arranging. Sting, Freddie Mercury, Georg Kreisler, and Michael Jackson would be amazed at these transformations.

Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was a humorous finale that isolated the components of an ensemble piece and then demonstrated how they work together. McFerrin’s father, Metropolitan Opera singer Robert McFerrin, presented Tryon Concert Association’s first concert in 1955. Great things certainly have unexpected ways of coming ‘round again.