MCCC Music Program Invites Community to Choral and Jazz Band Concerts

Spring is in the air and the Mercer County Community College Music Program is ready to celebrate it with two concerts in May.

On Tuesday, May 17, the MCCC Chorus, directed by Pamela Sharples, invites the community to its Annual Spring Concert, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the college's Kelsey Theatre. The chorus, which is comprised of music majors and other MCCC students, will perform a diverse program including madrigals, spirituals, and several pieces by Aaron Copland. Students majoring in voice will perform vocal solos in a variety of musical styles.

The following evening, Wednesday, May 18 at 8 p.m., the college once again invites the community to Kelsey Theatre, this time to celebrate jazz, America's classic musical art form. Directed by Professor James Kelly, the MCCC Jazz Band will present a varied program ranging from the Sonny Rollins hard bop classic Pent Up House, to Baden Powell's Brazilian flavored Berimbau, to a funky reworking of Gershwin's perennial favorite Summertime. Other selections will include Toots Thielmann's wistful jazz waltz Bluesette, as well as a scorching rendition of Horace Silver's Nutville. All selections will feature standout improvisations by MCCC jazz students, who will perform in small groups as well as with the full band.

Both performances are free and open to the public. Kelsey Theatre is located on Mercer's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. For more information, call the MCCC Music Department at 609-570-3735.