Encore! is an a cappella quintet composed of Rogue Valley residents Diana Gilley, Roger Graves, Joelle Graves, Markita Shaw and their conductor/arranger Dr. Kirby Shaw. Encore! began singing together in 1993 when Dr. Shaw and his wife, Markita, relocated to Ashland after a successful teaching career at College of the Siskiyous and University of Missouri, Kansas City. Dr. Shaw is well known in choral literature as a composer and arranger of vocal jazz. He is a sought after clinician and performer internationally.
Encore! has performed along the West Coast as guest artists for The Oregon Shakespeare Festival Daedelus Concert; The Friends of Brookings Concert Series; The Hamilton House Dinner Theatre Series; Northern California Regional Barbershop Concert; and Sweet Adeline's Concerts and Vocal Jazz Concerts up and down the West coast. The members can frequently be caught serenading the customers at Harry and David's Country Store during the Holiday Season and strolling the downtown of Ashland and Jacksonville. Their Christmas CD, "An A Cappella Christmas" is for sale by contacting kirbyshawmusic@aol.com. They have other CDs as well.
Encore! is the perfect entertainment when you cannot bring in instruments for an event. Their a cappella style allows them to stroll the event or present a staged production. They have even been coined "The Rogue Valley's Manhattan Transfer". Their smooth sound covers the complete vocal palette from hit 40's tunes to a little taste of Broadway. They swing and sing the heart out of songs like "Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier".