Laurel Lake

The Laurel Lake Encore Chorale, featuring sixty singers age 55 and older from Hudson and neighboring cities, will present its annual Holiday Concert on Monday, December 19, 2011 at 7 p.m. at Laurel Lake, 200 Laurel Lake Drive in Hudson, Ohio.

The evening's repertoire will include favorite Carols Around the World; Holiday Music of the 40's and 50's with "An Irving Berlin Christmas" and "The Christmas Waltz"; a humorous choral arrangement of "Russian Dance" from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker; and other selections.

A highlight of the evening will be several pieces for "One Piano, Four Hands" performed by Encore Chorale pianist Ruth Anderson and guest artist H. Dean Wagner. A noted organist, pianist and handbell composer/arranger,Mr. Wagner is the Director of Music for First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls.

Audience members are invited to join the performers for light refreshments following the concert, which is free and open to the public. For more information, call Donna Anderson at 330-655-1436 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Encore’s affiliate chorale of Laurel Lake Retirement Community in Hudson, Ohio, gave a wonderful and inspiring concert on Monday, May 23, 2011.  The 45 singers performed to a standing room only audience and performed beautifully under the direction of Donna Anderson.   The evening opened with the singers performing Rodgers & Hammerstein on Broadway.  The energy level was high, the sound full, the diction clear and everyone was glued to their conductor.    Ryan Michaels, a young tenor from The University of Akron , performed a lovely rendition of You Raise Me Up.   His clear, beautiful voice rang out.

The chorale continued with the traditional Irish tune Be Thou My Vision, followed by guest artist Gregory Fiocca, cellist with the Akron Baroque and Mastersingers of Northern Ohio.   His tone was elegant, full and rich in his performance of The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saens and the haunting Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff.  The chorale’s performance of O My Luve’s Like a Red, Red Rose was stunning.  The singers sang with a gorgeous blend and conveyed the poetry beautifully.   They were accompanied by Gregory Fiocca, cello and  Amy Schneider, violin.  The mixture of the voices and instruments were perfect.   Tenor, Ryan Michaels, returned to the stage to sing Danny Boy, much to the delight of the entire concert hall.

The concert concluded with a rousing and most enjoyable singing of Wi’ A Hundred Pipers joined by Jill Rango, Drum, and Amy Hartman, Flute.  It was a joyous and uplifting ending to a truly great evening. The Laurel Lake Encore Chorale continued the excellence of Encore!

May 5, 2011 -- The Laurel Lake Encore Chorale, featuring singers age 55 and older from Hudson and neighboring cities, will present its Spring Concert on Monday May 23 at 7 p.m. at Laurel Lake, 200 Laurel Lake Drive in Hudson.

Joining the Chorale will be guest artists Gregory Fiocca, Principal Cellist of Akron Baroque, and tenor Ryan Michaels .

This year’s concert will feature a salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway; the music of Ireland and Scotland, including “O Danny Boy,” a choral setting of Robert Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose” with cello and violin, and “Wi’ A Hundred Pipers” with snare drum and flute; and inspirational songs such as “The Mighty Power of God” by Mark Hayes, “Endless Song/How Can I Keep from Singing?,” and “You Raise Me Up” performed by Ryan Michaels.

A highlight of the evening will be two cello solos by Gregory Fiocca: “The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns, and Vocalise by Rachmaninoff.

Gregory Fiocca is Principal Cellist of Akron Baroque and Mastersingers Inc. of Northern Ohio. His 25-year career includes an eclectic blend of performances ranging from orchestral, chamber music and solo to Broadway shows, jazz, and rock. He has served as Principal Cellist of the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, and Assistant Principal Cellist with the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony and Renaissance City Chamber Players of Detroit. Fiocca taught cello at Allegheny College and Western Reserve Academy, and now maintains a private studio in Kent. He holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School where he was a student of Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins.

Ryan Michaels, tenor, is a Vocal Performance major at The University of Akron, and the grandson of an Encore Chorale member. This aspiring singer, songwriter, actor and dancer has played leading roles in high school and community theater productions of Les Miserables, Oklahoma, South Pacific and Man of La Mancha. He has won numerous awards including Akron Idol First Runner Up at First Night Akron 2010; Best Male Soloist, 2009 All Arts Show Choir Classic; and Best Male Vocalist, 2006 New York Show Choir Competition. Michaels has performed at the Akron Civic Theatre, House of Blues and many other venues, and was a 6-year member of ETC All American Show Choir.

Audience members are invited to join the performers for light refreshments following the concert, which is free and open to the public. For more information, call Donna Anderson at 330-655-1436 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Laurel Lake Encore Chorale, under the direction of Donna Anderson, rehearses weekly and performs several concerts each year. The Chorale was the first national affiliate of Encore Creativity for Older Adults www.encorecreativity.org , established in 2007 to provide an excellent artistic environment for adults 55 and over, regardless of experience or ability, who seek performance opportunities under a professional artist. Today, Encore choral and dance programs are offered in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Encore’s combined chorales (500 singers) have performed concerts at The Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, and the White House Conference on Aging. Each year, Encore conducts summer "sleepaway" choral camps for older adults at the famed Chautauqua Institution, New York, and at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Encore also hosts Singing at Sea cruises.