MCCC Jazz Band, Chorus to Present Free Concerts in May

From bebop standards to the works of classical masters, music lovers will have both traditional and contemporary options with two free concerts by Mercer County Community College (MCCC) students.

The MCCC Chorus will present its spring concert on Tuesday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m., with the MCCC Jazz Band performing on Wednesday, May 8, at 8 p.m. Both performances will take place in Kelsey Theatre on Mercer's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

The MCCC Chorus, directed by Timothy Smith, will present a program entitled "The World in Song: Sacred and Secular Music of Europe, North American and the British Isles," which includes a variety of works by Byron, Mozart, Saint-Saëns and others. The performance will include vocal solos by several of the chorus members.

Wednesday's performance by the MCCC Jazz Band, directed by Professor James Kelly, will include selections from John Coltrane, Oliver Nelson, Horace Silver, and Kenny Dorham. Styles will range from Latin, to swing, to bebop classics. All selections will feature improvisations by jazz students, who will be performing in small ensembles as well as in the full band.

Both concerts are open to the public. Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible and free parking is available next to the theater. For more information, contact the Music Department during business hours at (609) 570-3753.