Laurel Lake

Fifty talented singers performed the music of early and present-day American composers and arrangers before a packed house of friends, family and local guests. When the hall's maximum seating of 180 was reached, folks spilled into the Commons and the Laurel Lake Pub (cheers!) where people watched the concert on closed-circuit TV.

The choir opened with a toe-tappin' rendition of Irving Berlin's first Vaudeville hits, Play A Simple Melody and Alexander's Ragtime Band.  Then came the haunting folk tune Shenandoah interwoven with Deep River. The hopeful 1968 Vietnam era single, What A Wonderful World, made so popular by Louie Armstrong, was just as uplifting today, as was the swinging gospel arrangement of Precious Lord, Take My Hand by Thomas Dorsey and George Allen. Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Irving Berlin's musical setting of the poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, reminded us of the Statue of Liberty and all she stands for. A tender arrangement of Be Thou My Vision by contemporary American choral writer Dan Forrest showcased the choir's close harmony.

A highlight of the evening was Ching A Ring Chaw, the setting by Aaron Copland. Our singers have had a "love/hate" relationship with this piece all season long ... calling it Chimichanga, Chichén-Itzá, Chitty Chitty  Bang Bang and a few other names I can't repeat. But on Wednesday night, it was all love as the singers performed this rollicking piece flawlessly!

At last, the grand finale. The chorale sang The Armed Forces: The Pride of America as audience members who served in the various branches of the military, or whose family members served, rose amid ringing applause and cheers. Everyone joined in the singing of the National Anthem. A very moving experience, and a tour de force for the choir's accompanist, Ruth Anderson.

What a great year! Membership in Encore Creativity has not only brought us more singers, a choral workshop with Jeanne Kelly, and access to Encore's extensive lending library of choral music perfect for older singers. Encore is inspiring us to new heights in the art of choral singing as we form new friendships that will last a lifetime. We can hardly wait for next season!

Laurel Lake is now accepting new singers for the Holiday season, with rehearsals to start September 14. Interested parties may contact me, Donna Anderson, at 330-655-1436 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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The Laurel Lake Encore Chorale and Ensembelle  presented a holiday at Laurel Lake Retirement Community, 200 Laurel Lake Drive in Hudson, Dec. 21, 2010.

The Encore Chorale features 50 singers age 55 and older from Hudson, Cuyahoga Falls, Twinsburg and neighboring cities, and is the first National Affiliate of Encore Creativity for Older Adults.

Ensembelle, a handbell quartet from the First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls, rings on four octaves of Schumerlich bells and has performed widely throughout the Greater Akron area.

The concert offered new works like Nicholas Myer's "The Winter's Night"; favorites such as the traditional French carol "What Is This Lovely Fragrance?" by Hal Hopson, "Go Tell It On The Mountain" by Howard Helvey, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Harry Simeone and "Carol of the Bells" by Charles Maggs; and popular songs with Sammy Cahn's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and James Eliot's "Over the River and Through the Woods."  Ensembelle, a handbell quartet from the First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls, also performed, ringing on four octaves of Schumerlich bells.

Audience members were invited to join the Chorale for light refreshments following the concert.

Encore Executive Director Jeanne Kelly traveled in November to Hudson, Ohio to conduct a vocal workshop at Encore's first Affiliate Chorale location, Laurel Lake Retirement Community, hosted by Donna Anderson, the Laurel Lake Encore Chorale Conductor. Forty energetic and excellent singers were in attendance.  Most of the singers were members of the Laurel Lake Encore Chorale, but the event also attracted singers age 55-plus from around the area.

The day started with registration and coffee & danish - and then the music began! Jeanne spent the first hour discussing vocal technique and how to make singing more comfortable and enjoyable. Next she introduced the singers to a selection of new choral repertoire they had never sung before.  Their sight reading skills were excellent and the sound they produced was full and rich.

After working hard all morning, lunch was served and the singers had the opportunity to visit and talk about their singing experiences.  They also began to build a consensus to take a "road trip" to Washington, DC next year to perform with the DC area chorales.

After lunch, it was time to resume singing. The group continued to plow through the challenging repertoire. By 2:30, the group was ready to put on a short concert program for some of the Laurel Lake residents who had gathered to observe the workshop.  It was a fun day to conclude a great day of learning and singing.

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