Music of Carole King from the '60s and '70s

Masterworks Choral Ensemble revisits the brilliance of Carole King and the legacy of the Brill Building. "Singing in the Halls" is Masterworks' season finale, celebrating the music of Carole King from the 1960s and 1970s. The 65-voice choir, Singers ensemble, and soloists perform with an instrumental combo on June 14, 2008 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. The pops-style concert begins at 7:30pm, with a pre-concert lecture at 7pm, and complimentary desserts during intermission.

Historical Perspective Let's go back to the 1960s and look in on the Brill Building, a place of great influence, and the amazing talent of one individual, Carole King. The Brill Building seems to be the center of the music industry's universe. Located in New York, it attracts the best and the brightest: mainstream popular music's singers, songwriters, publishers and producers. In this setting, Carole King and partner Gerry Goffin turn out song after song for pop vocalists, girl groups and boy bands. From 1960 to 1968 Carole King captures popular sentiments in words and melodies for more than 20 major hits, all written for others. From our present-day perspective, we can say Carole King's beginnings as a songwriter seem selfless. As we know, she came into her own fame with a string of hits and top selling albums, starting with Tapestry in 1971. The rest, as they say, is history.

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