Ember Ensemble And NYC Encore Chorale To Perform In Concert Together In The Village To Celebrate Aging

The Ember Ensemble will perform with NYC Encore Creativity for Older Adults Chorale on March 2nd and 3rd in a concert titled Carpe Diem!, translated literally as "pluck the day (as it is ripe!)". In the second concert in Ember's Coming of Age season, the Ember and Encore singers will celebrate through music the many opportunities open to those whose work life is, at last, easing its demands in the second half of life-opportunities for greater creative and social engagement and meaningful service. The Ember ensemble of Schola Cantorum on Hudson will perform under the direction of conductor and artistic director, Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D. Carpe Diem! will take place on Saturday, March 2nd at 7 P.M. at St. John's in the Village Episcopal Church, NYC, and on Sunday, March 3rd at 5:30 P.M. at Caldwell University in the Alumni Theater, Caldwell, NJ.

The Encore Creativity for Older Adults chorale program is the nation's largest and the fastest growing choral organization for adults over the age of 55. Based in Maryland, the non-profit organization has over 1,000 singers and 21 choral groups in the Washington D.C. metro area and more than 700 singers in five other states. NYC Encore Chorale and NYC Encore Rocks launched in the spring of 2018. According to Encore's founder and Artistic Director, Jeanne Kelly, their mission is to provide an excellent and accessible (audition-free) artistic environment for older adults, regardless of experience or ability.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with the Encore singers who embody what this concert is all about-seizing new opportunities for enrichment, joy and passion in the retirement years and beyond," says Dr. King. "I've structured the program so each piece of music relates to one of three common themes experienced later in life as a result of new-found time and freedom: time with family, especially grandchildren; time to discover (or rediscover) your deepest, most fulfilling interests; time for new love after loss."

The centerpiece and opener of Carpe Diem! is Jake Runestad's "Come to the Woods", set to a text by the 19th-century naturalist John Muir celebrating all tones of life, from "sparkling sunshine" to the "sounds of the storm." Together, Ember and Encore Chorale will sing David Brunner's "I Am in Need of Music" and the Encore singers will present several selections of their own, including "You Make Me Feel So Young."

Notably, the concert will also include the Northeast premiere of composer Craig Hella Johnson's "Song From the Road," and Ben Folds' popular tune, "The Luckiest." Rounding out the program will be works by composers Ysaÿe Barnwell, J. David Moore and Laurie Betts Hughes.

Carpe Diem! will be performed on Saturday, March 2nd at 7 PM at St. John's in the Village Episcopal Church, 218 West 11th Street (at Waverly Pl) NYC, 10014, and on Sunday, March 3rd at 5:30 PM at Caldwell University at the Alumni Theater, 120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ, 07006.

Tickets for both concerts can be purchased in advance online for $20, or at the door for $25. Seniors/students, $15; children 18 and under are free of charge. For more information go to www.EmberEnsemble.org or call 888-407-6002 Ext.5.

Ember is the performing ensemble of Schola Cantorum on Hudson, founded in 1995 by Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D., as an independent nonprofit organization. Ember performs its entire concert season in Manhattan and in Montclair, NJ. Its unique programming features new music (largely by living composers) with a socially pertinent message. The internationally recognized new music initiative, PROJECT : ENCORE , was founded through Schola and the organization supports multi-pronged education and engagement programs in addition to its performing activities. Ember draws singers from eleven counties throughout New York and New Jersey. Schola is supported by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Marjorie Bunnell Foundation, and many other generous individuals, foundations and business partners.

Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D., is the Founder and Artistic Director of Ember, the vocal ensemble of Schola Cantorum on Hudson (Schola), and of PROJECT : ENCORE. Dr. King chairs the New York Choral Consortium (NYCC) and serves as the Director of Music at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church and the Artistic Director of the Crescent Concert Series in Plainfield, NJ. Known as a visionary conductor, educator and advocate of new music and the choral community, Dr. King is a frequent presenter at professional conferences and active as a guest conductor and teacher of master classes and choral workshops.