With hope and cheer, more than 400 singers from across the country will perform in a virtual holiday choral concert, Joy!, produced by Encore Creativity for Older Adults, the nation’s largest choral organization for adults over 55, in collaboration with AARP. The uplifting multimedia production featuring string, brass, woodwind and percussion instruments will premiere Thursday, December 17th at 7 p.m. EST on www.encorecreativity.org and on Encore’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Viewing is free and available until January 16, 2021.
This year, Encore singers from across the country will perform in a virtual holiday concert premiering December 17th, in collaboration with AARP. Photo by Larry Kelly.The New York City Encore Chorale performing last holiday season at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery. This year, Encore singers from across the country will perform in a virtual holiday concert premiering December 17th, in collaboration with AARP. Photo by Larry Kelly.
This inspiring performance will also highlight the power of music to promote brain health and mental well-being, and feature insights from the recent report by AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health, a collaboration of doctors and scientists from around the world. A survey by AARP Research found that active musical engagement, especially for those over 50, was connected to higher rates of happiness and cognitive function.
Although live choral concerts aren’t possible during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Jeanne Kelly, Encore’s Founder and Artistic Director, was determined not to let Encore singers and audiences down this holiday season. “We are thrilled to present our first virtual concert and bring joy during this time, as well as share AARP’s important findings of music’s impact on our health,” said Kelly.
For more information about Encore’s virtual holiday concert and its new virtual winter/spring session, which begins January 25, 2021, visit www.encorecreativity.org or call 301-261-5747.
Founded in 2007 and based in Annapolis, Md., Encore Creativity for Older Adults, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers 22 ensembles in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and New York City, in addition to summer and international travel opportunities. Encore features three programs: Encore Chorale, traditional choral singing, Encore ROCKS, a rock & roll chorus, and Sentimental Journey Singers, a choir for those with early to moderate Alzheimer’s and other memory impairments and their care partners. Encore remains committed to its mission during this pandemic to provide an excellent and accessible arts education program for older adults regardless of ability or experience.
