Encore! Sings!

In 1973, The Carpenters sang, “Sing, sing a song. Sing out loud, sing out strong!”  Well, the traveling performing ensemble Encore! of the Buffalo Grove Park District BG Singers is taking that song to heart!

Encore! was born in 1997 as many of the artists in the BG Singers wanted their short season to go on throughout the year. So this group of talented men and women became a traveling ensemble and has been to venues as large as Arlington Race Track and as small as a private party to perform.

They were recently invited to compete in an awesome new online competition sponsored by Deer Park Shopping Center, right outside of Long Grove.

Called Sing!, this is a national vocal talent competition that is being held at 13 different shopping centers throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Through our online votes, we can help Encore! become one of the top 12 semi-finalists that will perform live at Deer Park Shopping Center.

According to the Sing! website, “Video recordings of the top three live performances from each shopping center will then be posted online for a popular vote to decide the 11 finalists and one last online vote will decide the Grand Prize Winner. The winning group will receive a $20,000 donation to the charity of their choice.” Additionally, $5,000 Deer Park Gift Cards and the once-in- a-lifetime opportunity to record a song with Emmy award-winning singer/songwriter, Kevin Briody.”

Linda Rosen, director of Encore! is so excited and thrilled for the opportunity to possibly win and give back $20,000 to a local community charity. They chose to perform Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel. When you listen online to this presentation, it’s incredible.

To help our Buffalo Grove Encore! ensemble win this title, you can vote daily until July 15 at http://deerparktowncenter.2011sing.com/sing-contest/4/entry/524

Members of Encore! include the following artists: Catherine Crandal, Teri Dickinson, Cathy Novak, Lynne Schneider, Tricia Dockery, Ilene Heyman, Pam Enright, Debbie Macklin, Lenna Scott, Wendy Zimmerman, Emily Gavin, Stacy Groner, Robin Axel, Wendy Friedman, Jill Gavin, Donna Garfield, Jeanette Kratz, Lori Lapping, Charla Silver, Cheryl Grossman, Jim Merfeld, Mel Siegal, Greg McWright, Jerry Rottmann, Jeff Conrad, Bruce Bohrer, Steve Bulmash, Shelly Spector, Fred Weissman, Mike Garfield, Tom Korman, Steve Schneider and Linda Rosen.

Let’s help the Buffalo Grove Encore! Singers take this one home!

As always, email me with any news, topics or ideas that you want to read about. Remember, I’d like to be the first to know! I can be reached at laurenbgpatch@aol.com.