Encore’s Sixth Annual Institutes at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the Chautauqua Institution are rapidly approaching! If you're not already among the many who are registered, don't delay!  The first Institute, at St. Mary's College of Maryland, is limited to 100 singers! Space is limited so register soon.  Details below:

The St. Mary’s College of Maryland Institute will be June 18-22, 2013. As always, the Choral Program will be conducted by Encore Founder and Executive Director Jeanne Kelly. Co-conducting this year will be Krystal Rickard McCoy, director of Encore’s Southern Maryland Chorale and St. Maries Musica.

For more complete information, cancellation/refund policy, and to register for St. Mary's download a brochure and registration form here.

Encore returns to the Chautauqua Institution for the sixth year August 25-30, 2013. As in 2012, the Institute will include Choral, Theatre and Movement Tracks.

The Choral Track will be co-conducted by Jeanne Kelly and Barry Talley, retired Director of Music Activities at the United States Naval Academy.

Dr. Stuart Kandell, Founder of Stagebridge Theatre in Oakland, California, and David Barnet, professor of theatre at University of Alberta, Canada, will again direct the Theatre Track, while Shula Strassfeld of Dance Exchange will return to teach the Movement program.

The Movement program encourages participation from those with all levels of experience and ability to develop and share movement and stories. This year the program will focus on themes of tradition, family, place and belonging since the main focus of the week is Fiddler on the Roof.  Participants will also work on choreography for two specific songs from the show.

The Chautauqua brochure and registration form can be downloaded here.

If you prefer to register online (Encore will send you an invoice), CLICK HERE to register for St. Mary's.  CLICK HERE to register for Chautauqua.

Read about the 2012 Encore Institute at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and view photos HERE.

Read about the 2012 Encore Institute at the Chautauqua Institution HERE.

It was another busy concert season for the Encore Chorales! 

Greater Reading Encore Chorale

Encore’s newest affiliate, Greater Reading Encore Chorale, performed their inaugural concert Sunday, April 28 at The Alsace Lutheran Church in Reading, PA.   25 very talented singers under the direction of David Rutt presented a splendid concert to a large and enthusiastic audience.   The singers sang with a full, rich  and well blended sound and were very attentive to their conductor.   Their accompanist, Nana Rowley, was excellent and supportive.

The concert opened with a rousing Big City Sound arranged by Greg Gil.  It set the stage for an exciting afternoon.   Two Great Spirituals – Great Gettin’ Up and Great Day! were crisp and energetic. Concertschtick was a hilarious mix of old American tunes culminating with the Hallelujah Chorus.   The singers gave it humor and energy and the audience loved it.

The Alsace Ringers, guest performers,  were a wonderful addition to the concert.   They were precise and they thoroughly enjoyed playing.   Their repertoire included Song of Joy by Arnold Sherman, There’s a Song in the Air arr. By Barbara Baltzer Kinyon,  When We All Get to Heaven by Emily D. Wilson, Sing Amen, Sing! Arr. By Derek Hakes and the Finale by Igor Stravinsky.   It was exciting to hear that beautiful clear sound of a full bell choir fill the space.

The singers took center stage to present a rousing climax of patriotic music beginning with a sensitive and poignant singing of Americana by Luigi Zaninelli.  Narrator Ken Sallade and Ed Greth and solo Nancy Davidson along with the chorale did a memorable performance of The Ones Left Standing.  The audience loved this and clearly were moved by this piece. The conductor then asked the audience to sing along with a spirited Armed Forces Tribute, recognizing each branch of the service.  The concert ended with a rousing and energetic Song For the Unsung Hero.

It was indeed a grand opening for the Greater Reading Encore Chorale.   Encore salutes our newest addition. VIEW PHOTOS HERE.

Myerberg Encore Chorale

The Encore Chorale Spring Concert Season got underway on Thursday, April 18 with a concert at Myerberg Senior Center, featuring the Myerberg Encore Chorale and members of the Anne Arundel Community College Encore Chorale. The singers sang the repertoire of Ching-A-Ring Chaw, Simple Gifts, Zion’s Walls, Dream With Me, and Who Could Ask For Anything More? Their exciting and full sound filled the auditorium and delighted the audience. Cutoffs were sharp, diction was always spot on and the singers had fabulous time presenting their concert.

Mary Lou Prince is pleased to be leading the effort to bring an Encore Chorale to Salt Lake. The Chorale, which she will conduct, will begin rehearsals in September2013.

Mary Lou Prince brings 35 years of professional experience as a conductor, composer and music educator to the Salt Lake Encore Chorale.  In Arizona she created two choirs for older adults, the Santa Rita Chorale and the La Posada Singers.   In addition to their regularly scheduled public performances, The Santa Rita Chorale became part of the community by singing at memorial services in the Tucson Medical Center Hospice Chapel and by participating in Interfaith Worship services around the Tucson area.  Performances of Prince's music by the Chorale raised money for residents of the city dump site in Nogales, Mexico, "Comin' Home", an organization in Tucson dedicated to helping homeless veterans find permanent housing, and to the Red Cross for victims of the tsunami in Japan.

Join Encore for another wonderful “Singing at Sea” voyage May 21-June 2, 2014 enjoying the spectacular and historic cities along the Danube. The 12-day trip starts with 3 days at a first-class hotel in Budapest and then continues with an 8-day cruise aboard the private, luxurious Grand Circle river ship, Harmony. The river voyage starts in Budapest and includes visits to Bratislava, Vienna, Durnstein, Salzburg, and Passau, and concludes in Prague. Tours of each city are included in our package, as well as special Discovery Series events that will include guest speakers on subjects like Austrian history, as well as an Apfelstrudel baking lesson, and a home-hosted visit in Prague. Our musical itinerary includes two performances, including one in Vienna. This is certain to be a once in a lifetime experience and we anticipate a sold-out ship, so please don’t delay in making your reservations.

Singers who are not currently singing with Encore Chorales are welcome to join us and will receive music via mail. Everyone will be expected to know the music at performance level when they arrive in Budapest. We will have some rehearsal time aboard ship. And, of course, non-singing spouses/partners are welcome on the cruise.

The package fees are offered with airfare included, or you may arrange your own air travel. Download an informational flier here or email info@encorecreativity for more details and reservation information. Don’t miss out – make your reservation early!

NEW! VIEW VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS PREVIEW PRESENTATION OF THE TRIP HERE!

For the second year in a row, Encore has been awarded a Creative Aging Program Grant from the MetLife Foundation, administered by the National Guild for Community Arts Education.  Encore was one of eleven arts organizations to receive a grant, which will be used to document and disseminate Encore's program "best practices" for replication across the country.  More details regarding the Creative Aging Program Grant are HERE.

Family & Nursing Care, Inc., the area's leading and most highly regarded resource for private duty home care, has partnered with Encore to support our Encore Chorale program. Through the partnership, Family & Nursing Care will support programs for more than 200 Maryland Encore Chorale singers to practice and present at concerts throughout the Washington, DC area. Family & Nursing Care has partnered with Encore to sponsor upcoming Spring 2012 Maryland Chorale Concerts. This partnership will allow for increased access to artistic opportunities for older adults.

“Our decision to sponsor Encore Chorale’s programs was an easy one,” said Neal Kursban, President of Family & Nursing Care. “Encore Chorale enables older adults to have an active and quality life, which is what Family & Nursing care strives to do every day with the clients we serve. Encore and Family & Nursing Care are clearly aligned in our goals for excellence and accessibility.”

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