Encore Chorale launches affiliate in Arlington Heights

Acclaimed choral director Jonathan Miller is bringing a new singing opportunity to older adults in the Northwest suburbs with the Arlington Heights Encore Chorale, the newest affiliate of the national Encore Creativity organization.

The chorale will hold a 15-week session from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays, starting Sept. 14, at the Arlington Heights Senior Center, 1801 W. Central Road, which is co-sponsoring the chorale.

Lifelong choral singers are welcome, as are singers who haven't sung for a while and those who are new to it. Encore is for adults ages 55 and older who seek arts education and performance opportunities under a professional artist. Encore Chorale features daytime rehearsals. There is no audition.

"I am very happy to be bringing Encore to the Northwest suburbs," said Miller, founder and artistic director of Chicago a cappella, and artistic director and conductor with Encore Illinois, directing five other chorales in the Chicago area.

The chorale will learn eight songs of different styles, from Christmas spirituals to Puerto Rican holiday music to a new Hanukkah song and a Dave Brubeck-style take on "We Three Kings."

Learning CDs, sheet music and an accompanist are included in registration, which costs $175 at www.encoreillinois.org. Scholarships are available based on need; email encoreillinois@gmail.com.

"I have been impressed with the quality of Encore's programs in the other Chicago-area locations and around the country," said Megann Panek, Senior Center supervisor for the Arlington Heights Park District.

"I told Jonathan how energetic our seniors are and how much fun we have here, and we decided quickly that it was a good fit."

Encore began in the Washington, D.C., area in September 2001, attracting international attention when a Creativity in Aging study found substantial physical and mental benefits of participation, including fewer doctor visits, fewer falls, improved eyesight and less depression.

In recent years, the national not-for-profit has formed an affiliate program, of which Illinois is the seventh, having launched last spring.

"My wife and I have been fans of Encore for several years," Miller said. "We have enjoyed watching the organization grow and flourish, and we are honored to be able to enrich the lives of older adults in the Chicago area by bringing Encore here."

For more information, call (630) 441-5157 or email encoreillinois@gmail.com.