Al and Ellen Torzilli. Photo by Mike Olson
The Reston Chorale kicks off its 50th Season on Oct. 15 with Memories: Through the Years—a pops concert featuring a bit of Broadway, a touch of jazz and some good ol’ rock ‘n roll. Two performances, 4 and 7 p.m., take place at the Reston Community Center (RCC), Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Tickets are available online at www.RestonChorale.org or at the RCC box office, 703-476-4500, ext. 3.
The pops concert includes selections from Ain’t Misbehavin’, Cats, The Fantasticks and West Side Story, as well as music by Harold Arlen, George and Ira Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kerns. Classic rock makes a comeback, too, with covers of ABBA, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, and Simon and Garfunkel.
Joining the Chorale in performance are three long-time favorites among pops concert audiences: The Bobby Pins, classic rock duo Al & Ellen Torzilli and soloist Nancy Riley. Musicians include keyboard artist Tordis Fahringer, drummer Matt Halligan and bass player Shawn Alger.
Memories: Through the Years also features a retrospective of scenes from past seasons, when the Chorale was conducted by James Christian Pfohl, Wilbert “Bud” King, Mary Gay Craig and Fred Wygal, as well as current Artistic Director David B. Lang.
The Chorale’s 50th anniversary stands out as the ensemble’s first “crowd-sourced” season. Most of the music was chosen by friends and members of the Chorale, who were surveyed to find out what they wanted to hear or sing again. “Based on their responses, our 2016-17 Season represents ‘the best of The Reston Chorale,’” says Lang, “from Broadway and pops favorites of Bernstein and The Beatles to classical works of Brahms and Beethoven.”
For more information about The Reston Chorale or the Chorale’s 50th Season, visit www.RestonChorale.org.