Performance Opportunities Available For Older Adults In NoVA Who Like To Sing

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Encore Creativity for Older Adults, a nonprofit choral organization for adults over 55, is inviting Northern Virginia residents to sign up for its in-person or online programs and get the chance to sing at local venues across Fairfax County.

Based in Annapolis, Maryland, Encore Creativity organizes local groups that sing a mix of music in many styles and from different eras, including Encore ROCKS, rock and roll choruses that sing hits from the 1950s through the 1980s, and Sentimental Journey Singers, a choir for those with early Alzheimer's or memory impairments and their care partners.

“Singing is so uplifting for older adults, and we are thrilled to bring our in-person and online programs back to Fairfax County,” Joshua Vickery, CEO of Encore Creativity for Older Adults, said in a statement Thursday.

Encore Creativity, which will be celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2022, has more than 1,500 singers in 26 in-person ensembles across the nation.

The organization welcomes returning singers and new singers to the Fairfax Encore Chorale at St George's United Methodist Church in Fairfax, the Goodwin House Bailey's Crossroads Encore Chorale in Falls Church, the Encore Chorale of Reston at the Heritage Fellowship Church in Reston, Encore ROCKS Fairfax at Church of the Good Shepherd in Vienna and Sentimental Journey Singers at the Insight Memory Care Center in Fairfax.

The 15-week winter and spring season begins the second week in January. All programs consist of 90-minute sessions held during the day each week and led by well-known professional conductors from the area. No auditions are necessary. Encore Creativity said its mission is to provide an accessible arts education and performance opportunities for older adults regardless of ability or experience.

For those who prefer to sing virtually, Encore is also offering its Encore University, an online program of singing courses in music history, music theory, dance and movement classes and more. Singers can combine both in-person singing with online classes for a full musical experience.

Sentimental Journey Singers is open to members of Insight Memory Care Center as well as the community at no charge. Participants will engage in therapeutic music activities and sing familiar songs and new pieces in a social group setting. The program is now in its third successful season.

Tuition is $190 per person for each 15-week in-person chorale and ROCKS programs. Tuition for the 10-week all-inclusive online program with up to 150 classes is $185 per semester per person.

For more information and registration, visit www.encorecreativity.org, or call 301-261-5747.