It’s that time of year at Central Oregon Community College when the Fine Arts Department puts its best foot forward: Central Oregon Symphony wrapped up its Spring Concert earlier this week. The 2012 COCC Annual Art Student Exhibition is on display in The Gallery at Pinckney Center for the Arts till June 1. And Cascade Chorale, under the direction of Jim Knox, will perform “Carmina Burana,” June 8 and 11 at Bend High School.

In the meantime, Knox will direct tonight’s joint concert by the school’s College Choir, called Bellus Vocis, and Central Singers, its vocal jazz ensemble (see “If you go”).

“It’s been a rebuilding year … a recruiting year,” explained Knox, “but it’s going to be a good concert.”

All told, the concert will feature American folk songs, Broadway show tunes, pop tunes, swing, funk and ballads.

“The College Choir (Bellus Vocis) is really the women’s choir,” Knox explained. “There will be some solos sprinkled in there, anything from Broadway to pop. And then the group as a whole will sing some songs: a familiar Shaker tune, ‘How Can I Keep From Singing?’. It should be nice.”

Central Singers will sing a number of Latin-based songs, the jazz standard “Poinciana,” written by Buddy Bernier and Nat Simon in the 1950s and recorded by the likes of Johnny Mathis, and “a beautiful ballad,” “Here’s to Life,” which has been tackled by many singers over the years, including Barbra Streisand.

The concert will also include a couple of “funky tunes,” including “Inherently Dangerous,” said Knox. “They’re singing about six different songs, and we’re doing an a capella version of ‘Blackbird,’” that familiar Beatles tune.

“A lot of these songs, people would recognize and go, ‘Oh, yeah. That was a neat arrangement of that,’” Knox said. “It should be kind of an eclectic mix … that, if someone decided to go, there’d be music for everybody.”

In previous years, Knox said, the College Choir has toured locally in Oregon and in Washington, Idaho and California. And last year, Central Singers had the honor of performing with an award-winning choir from Sacramento State University.

If you go

What: Central Oregon Community College Choir concert featuring Bellus Vocis and Central Singers

When: 7 p.m. tonight, doors open 6:30 p.m.

Where: Pinckney Center for the Arts, 2600 N.W. College Way, Bend

Cost: $5

Contact: 541-383-7512