Spring concert to feature classical music plus danceable swing tunes

Maricopa Music Circle and Maricopa Chorus are teaming up this spring to bring a lovely mix of classical delights and toe-tapping melodies. 

The hour-long musicale is Saturday, April 1, at 7 p.m. at Leading Edge Academy, 18700 N. Porter Road. It’s a new venue for the group that offers plenty of space for moving and grooving. 

Tickets are available at the door for $10. Kids 12 and younger are free. 

The concert will feature classical works, including Mozart’s “virtually operatic” Third Movement from his 1781 Gran Partita, Elgar’s oh-so-lyrical “Salut D’amour,” and Debussy’s “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.” 

Feel free to bring dancing shoes for swing favorites like McHugh & Fields’ “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby” and “Don’t Blame Me,” and Jones & Kahn’s “It Had to be You.” 

“These are songs that people will recognize,” said Laura Olivieri, who joined MMC in 2012 playing viola, and who sits on its executive committee. “This season, we have a little more mid-century music than we have had in the past, so that’s exciting.”  

MMC performs standard orchestral music and popular favorites without a conductor. The groups have been practicing since January, with rehearsals ramping up as they near show date. They host at least two shows a year, a winter and a spring performance.   

MMC is always looking for new talent. All instruments and voices are welcome. The organization is especially in need of a well-versed pianist to join their team. 

“We are trying to foster the fine-arts scene in Maricopa,” Olivieri said. “MMC is the place to be.”  

MMC holds open rehearsals for potential new members in early August. Membership is free. The group meets on Wednesday evenings. Additional Monday-evening practices are scheduled when a concert is coming up.  

The Maricopa Chorus, going into its 10th season, launched in 2013 under the direction of founder John Janzen and performed for two seasons under director Don Raflik. Today, the chorus continues with new conductor Sarah Chaston. 

More information: [email protected].