PUTTING ON THE RITZ! The Ipswich River Community Chorus is preparing to perform songs from the golden age of jazz alongside internationally renowned tenor Victor Robertson April 29 and 30. (Courtesy Photo)
NORTH READING — Strike up the band! The Ipswich River Community Chorus invites music lovers of all ages to come and enjoy a very special concert celebrating the golden age of jazz!
On Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30, the chorus will present “Gershwin and Friends,” a journey through The Great American Song Book. The event will feature beautiful renditions of music that has been enjoyed for generations, including “My Funny Valentine,” “Embraceable You,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and countless other standards, many of which were arranged specifically for this performance by Massachusetts composer and arranger Chad Weirick.
To make the event even more special, the chorus will be joined by internationally renowned tenor Victor Robertson. It is a rare event when a singer of his caliber participates in a community performance. Robertson’s credits include appearances on Broadway, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City and at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His participation is made possible by generous grants from the Massachusetts Arts Council, and from several local organizations, including the North Reading Cultural Council.
Also at this event, the chorus will be awarding its first competitive Nancy Ferretti/Ipswich River Community Chorus Scholarship to two graduating high school seniors selected from North Reading and other surrounding towns. It will be given to two students who have demonstrated excellence in the performing arts who plan to continue studying music and performance in college.
Concerts will be held at 7:30 p.n. on April 29, and at 4 p.m. on April 30. Both performances will take place at the Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill St., North Reading.
Tickets are available through Ticketleap.com, or through the IRCC website: ipswichrivercommunitychorus.org. Limited tickets will be available at the door.
