Sing with one of the Northern Virginia Encore Chorales this Fall

Encore invites you to join us for our Fall season of singing to be held at multiple locations in Northern Virginia.   Encore singers improve their voices, improve their health, meet new friends and enjoy a great new adventure singing challenging music in four parts in preparation to join other Encore Chorales for exciting community concerts. There are no auditions, new singers are welcome, and singers may be seated for rehearsals and performances.

WHEN:                  Starting September 2015 for 15 weeks

WHERE:                Locations in Northern Virginia

For more information and to register, visit the Encore website at http://encorecreativity.org, call 301-261-5747 or email info@encorecreativity.org.

The Northern Virginia Encore Chorales welcoming new singers are:

Alexandria Encore Chorale – rehearsing on Monday mornings from 10:30am-12:00noon for 15 weeks starting September 14 at Convergence, located at 1801 N. Quaker Lane in Alexandria.

Langston Brown Encore Chorale – rehearsing on Tuesday afternoons from 1:45-3:15pm for 15 weeks starting September 8, 2015 at the Langston Brown Senior Center, 2121 Culpeper Street in Arlington.

Lansdowne Woods of Virginia Encore Chorale – rehearsing on Wednesday afternoons from 2:00pm-3:30pm for 15 weeks starting September 9, 2015 at the Lansdowne Woods Clubhouse.  Non-residents must contact Encore and register ahead for gate access.

Potomac Arts Academy at GMU Encore Chorale – rehearsing on Tuesday mornings from 11:00am-12:30pm for 15 weeks starting September 8, 2015 at St. George’s UMC, 4910 Ox Road in Fairfax.

Reston Encore Chorale– this new chorale will be directed by David Lang, who is also conductor of the Reston Chorale.  The chorale will rehearse on Tuesdays from 2:00-3:30pm for 15 weeks starting September 1. Rehearsals on September 1 and 8 will be at the RCC Lake Anne, with the remaining 13 rehearsals at the RCC Hunters Woods at 2310 Colts Neck Road in Reston.

Encore has 17 chorales in the Washington DC/Baltimore area serving over 800 older adult singers.  This Fall, Encore singers will rehearse and perform a selection of holiday and seasonal pieces, including Rise Up and Follow That Star, Ose Shalom, A Musicological Journey Through the 12 Days of Christmas, and others. The Northern Virginia Encore Chorales will perform together in December at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington. Combined Encore chorales will also perform at The Kennedy Center.

The value of choral singing in improving and sustaining the physical, mental and social health of older adults is documented and undeniable.  Encore offers the opportunity to explore a new artistic venture for those who have not sung in years, or to continue a life-long passion for others.  Singers learn vocal technique, proper breathing and posture, and always come away delighted by the weekly rehearsals.

Registration information, video of past concerts, and news about Encore can be found at www.encorecreativity.org.  Join us!

About Encore Creativity

Encore Creativity for Older Adults is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to providing an excellent and accessible artistic environment for older adults, either beginning, intermediate, or advanced levels, who seek arts education and performance opportunities under a professional artist.

Encore currently has 17 Encore Chorales in the Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC serving over 800 singers, and 6 affiliate chorales nationally.

Encore’s Executive Director is Jeanne Kelly. While Director of the Levine School of Music-Northern Virginia, she formed three chorales to participate in the study on the impact of participation in professionally conducted cultural programs on older adults, led by internationally known gerontologist Dr. Gene Cohen.  The three year study showed positive results: better health, fewer doctor visits, less medication usage, more positive responses on mental health measures and more involvement in overall activities. This community based arts program under professional leadership also appears to be reducing risk factors that drive the need for long-term care. The lead sponsor of this study was the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, D.C.