Like a pipe organ echoing in a cathedral, the sounds of string instruments seem to resonate perfectly in Eisenhower Chapel.

This, among other factors, struck Eric Schoon (senior-music) with the idea to begin the Sunday Serenade concert series last semester.

"The idea was to provide a good performance space for string players in the School of Music, bring more people to the [Pasquerilla] Spiritual Center and bring more awareness both to what the Center [for Ethics and Religious Affairs] and the School of Music has to offer," he said.

Schoon began the series last semester with four concerts through a fellowship with the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs (CERA). This semester, there are 10 Sunday Serenades scheduled.

The free series will continue at 3 p.m. Sunday in Eisenhower Chapel by hosting a performance by School of Music viola professor Timothy Deighton.

Schoon said Deighton helped him organize the concerts through collaboration between CERA and the School of Music.

"I think a lot of people view the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs as the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center or just church, and we have a lot more going on than just church," Schoon said.

Deighton will perform five pieces this Sunday, which he calls "accessible, beautiful music."

The first piece, a sonata by J.S. Bach, will pair Deighton's viola with the harpsichord, played by Amanda Maple, music librarian with the School of Music.

Maple said the piece employs the harpsichord to create two separate melodies using the treble and bass notes, along with the viola melody.

"The way Bach wrote this was with three lines interweaving, a kind of intriguing way of writing," she said.

Deighton will also perform a solo piece composed just last year by Martin Lodge, a New Zealand composer, written especially for Deighton.

The concert will also feature two pieces by Rebecca Clarke, which Deighton says are "quite romantic, very beautiful."

The second piece by Clarke, "Sonata for Viola and Piano," is a well-known standard piece for viola, Deighton said.

The piece will also feature Deighton's wife, Ann, on piano.

"I think it's a balanced program with a range of music people can enjoy," Deighton said.

Because the concerts take place in the Eisenhower Chapel, Deighton said the audience can experience a more intimate, casual concert than one in Esber Recital Hall.

He said the concerts provide an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

"It's just nice to play the music for music's sake," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."