The St. Charles Singers, led by founder and music director Jeffrey Hunt, embarks upon its fourth decade with a season of concerts often venturing into repertoire new to the mixed-voice chamber choir and its audiences.

“The new season is filled with musical discoveries that our choir will relish and that will surprise and delight our listeners,” Hunt said in a news release.

The acclaimed vocal ensemble will launch its 41st concert season Oct. 18-19 in its hometown with “Time to Explore” at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church.

The program opens with the American premiere of some of Anglo-Irish composer William Villiers Stanford’s late-Romantic settings of Irish folk songs, followed by Johannes Brahms’ “Zigeunerlieder” (Gypsy Songs), Op. 10.

The choir’s Dec. 5-7 “Candlelight Carols” program, subtitled “Celebrating a World of Carols,” will offer an international perspective on Christmas music. Guest artist will be Croatian-born Chicago guitar virtuoso Goran Ivanovic.

The St. Charles Singers will host its third annual “Choral Connections” concerts in Feb. 20-21. The ensemble’s community-outreach initiative showcases the choir alongside choral ensembles from six area high schools, many of whose choral directors also sing with the St. Charles Singers.

“The experience has proven inspirational and rewarding for the student choristers, the St. Charles Singers and the entire audience,” Hunt said in the release.

In June, the choir will conclude its 41st season in Wheaton and St. Charles with “You, Us, Connected,” a program of a cappella sacred and other religious music. The season finale concerts are set for June 11-12 in Wheaton and St. Charles.

For more information about performance times and locations, visit stcharlessingers.com.