Towson Encore Chorale Invites Older Adults To Sing Along

Encore: Towson baby boomers, retirees and beyond can crank up their singing voices when Encore, America’s largest and fastest-growing choral organization for adults over 55, begins its fall 2019 season. Registration is open now for the Towson Encore Chorale, a choral group singing sophisticated and exciting arrangements from classical to Broadway.

No auditions are necessary. Encore’s mission is to provide accessible arts education and performance opportunities for older adults regardless of ability or experience. “Aside from having a lot of fun, our singers are able to rekindle a former passion or discover a new one, bond with a new community of friends, and often fill a void in their later years,” said Jeanne Kelly, Founder and Artistic Director of Encore Creativity for Older Adults, an Annapolis, MD-based nonprofit.

Singing is also a healthy endeavor for older adults. According to Chorus America’s 2019 Impact Study, singing promotes healthy and vibrant aging with nearly 20 percent of singers over 65 in the study experiencing improvement in one or more chronic health conditions due to singing. Older singers also reported being in better mental health than the general public of the same age.

The Towson Encore Chorale meets at Towson Presbyterian Church, 400 West Chesapeake Avenue, on Thursdays for 15 weeks, beginning September 5, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. for rehearsals and instruction with Stephen Harouff, who serves as the music director and organist at the church and is a collaborative artist who has performed with the Peabody Opera, and the U.S. Naval Academy Band, among others. The program culminates in a free concert that is open to the public.

Tuition is $175.00. Singers will also receive a rehearsal CD and sheet music so they can practice their parts at home. For information and registration, visit www.encorecreativity.org

Founded in 2007, Encore Creativity for Older Adults has 23 ensembles across the nation, plus summer camp programs and international travel opportunities. For more information, call 301-261-5747.