E Village Music School Offers 2 Choral Groups For Older Adults

EAST VILLAGE, NY — When Angela Wong joined a new chorale group for older adults, she hadn't sang with a group since graduate school more than three decades ago.

She found out about Encore Creativity of Older Adults, a choral singing organization, and decided to try it.

"One reason I tried it is because [there's] no auditions," Wong told Patch. Her daughter, a vocal major in college, encouraged her to sign up, she said. After her first season earlier this year, she loved it.

"It was really a great experience, not only for singing, but just making new friends and just really enjoying each other's company and obviously our shared interest in music," said Wong, who lives on the Lower East Side.

Wong is a part of both singing groups offered by Encore: the Chorale group, which sings songs from classical to Broadway, and Encore's ROCKS Chorus, which sings popular music from the 50s through the 80s. The chorale groups are geared towards adults over 55.

The non-profit provides classes across nearly two dozen choral groups, with most singers in the Washington metro area. Last year, Encore brought on two programs to New York City.

"I think the thing is even if you can't read music, even if you're not a great singer, it's just a lot of fun to join. As long as you love music and enjoy singing in a group, then it's very welcoming," Wong said.

A retiree who lives in the East Village, Jonathan Parker, also hadn't sung consistently since his days in a university a cappella group more than 40 years ago.

"The music has been eye-opening for me because so much of the music I have never sung before or that I even knew about," said Parker, who joined Encore last spring. "To learn them in choral setting in a choral arrangement with piano has been a blast."

"This is a way of connecting with people in an extremely rich way," especially for older folks, he added.

Conductor Bernadette Hoke, the music director and organist at Saint Albans Church in Murray Hill, will lead classes at the East Village's Third Street Music School Settlement beginning September 9. Each session includes 15 weekly rehearsals and a free concert at the end of the program.

"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 the founder of Encore Creativity, Jeanne Kelly.

Encore Chorale meets Mondays, 1:30 to 3 p.m., and Encore Rocks meets Mondays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuition for each program is $295. Third Street Music School Settlement is located at 235 East 11th St. For information and registration, visit Encore Creativity.