Encore Creativity for Older Adults Launches New Choral Programs

Annapolis-based nonprofit Encore Creativity for Older Adults, America’s largest choral organization for adults over 55, has partnered with local entities to expand opportunities for singing for older adults in Anne Arundel County. In September, a new Encore Chorale will debut at the Chesapeake Arts Center, and Encore’s Sentimental Journey Singers, a choir for those with early-stage Alzheimer's or memory impairments and their care partners, will launch at the Pascal Senior Activity Center in Glen Burnie in a partnership with the Anne Arundel Department of Aging and Disabilities.

The Encore Chorale of Chesapeake Arts Center will sing a fun and eclectic mix of music in many styles and from many different eras. No auditions are necessary. Encore’s mission is to provide an accessible arts education and performance opportunities for older adults regardless of ability or experience. The program will meet for 15 weeks on Tuesdays, beginning September 6th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Lane in Brooklyn Park. Encore welcomes new conductor Jacquelynne Fontaine, voice teacher, conductor, stage actress, and a soprano who has performed nationally and abroad in both opera and musical theater. Tuition is $190.00 per person for the 15-week session that will culminate in a holiday concert that is free and open to the public. For more information and registration visit www.encorecreativity.org or call 301-261-5747.

Sentimental Journey Singers, which is offered free of charge, will meet for 15 weeks on Tuesdays, beginning September 6th, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Pascal Senior Activity Center, 125 Dorsey Road in Glen Burnie. Participants will engage in therapeutic music activities and sing familiar songs and new pieces in a social group setting under the leadership of Dr. Mary Ann East, performer, teacher and founder of the popular women’s chorus, Capital Harmonia. Dr. East is the program director of Encore’s highly successful Sentimental Journey Singers choirs in Fairfax and Loudoun, Virginia.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Chesapeake Arts Center and the Anne Arundel Department of Aging and Disabilities to expand our programming in the region,” said Joshua Vickery, CEO of Encore Creativity for Older Adults, a non-profit organization celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. “Encore has become a community where our singers can discover a new passion, challenge themselves, foster new friendships and experience joy.”

For those who prefer to sing virtually, Encore is also offering its popular Encore University, a comprehensive online program of singing plus enrichment courses in music history, music theory, dance, art, movement classes and more. Tuition for the fall semester of Encore University is $185.00 per person. Registration starts August 10th. Singers can combine both the in-person program with online classes for a full musical experience.

Founded in 2007 by Jeanne Kelly during an NIH-funded study to address the mental and physical health benefits of singing for older adults, Encore Creativity for Older Adults now has more than 1,000 singers in 30 programs across the nation, including Chorales and ROCKS, and Sentimental Journey Singers, plus a vibrant online university, summer camp, winter retreat and travel abroad programs.