A New Giving Voice Network Choir is Coming to Denver

We’re so excited to share that a new Network Choir is launching in Englewood, Colorado! Founded by vocalist Anne Rigley and cellist Kris Boggs, the choir will offer people living with dementia and their care partners a space to connect, sing, and experience the joy of music together. With five participants already signed up, they are well on their way to their first rehearsal in January! 

Anne Rigley (left) & Kris Boggs (right)

Anne’s journey to starting this choir began in her work providing care management and life enrichment. She met a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s who had recently moved to Colorado and was feeling very alone. When Anne asked what she needed, the answer was simple: “I would love to get back involved with music.” That one request inspired a single thought which would lead her down a path she never expected: “Surely there must be a choir for people living with Alzheimer’s nearby?” To her surprise, there wasn’t. And so, she began googling... 

In her online search, Anne came across the Good Memories Choir in Chicago, Illinois, a member of the Giving Voice Network. By coincidence, Anne was visiting Chicago that July to see her father. She reached out to the choir, and quickly got in touch with Helen Gagl, the choir coordinator who talked with her for more than an hour and figured out a time for her to visit a rehearsal. 

A Photo of the Good Memories Choir, a Giving Voice Network Choir in Chicago, IL

The timing could not have been more serendipitous. The choirs’ rehearsal coincided with her last day in town before she was scheduled to fly home. Anne remembers walking into the rehearsal and immediately feeling it—the room was alive with music, joy, and connection. During that visit, she also had the chance to meet with the choir’s founders, Jonathon and Sandy Miller, whose passion and vision deepened her sense that something extraordinary was happening there. By the end of the rehearsal, she knew with absolute certainty: she had to bring this experience to Englewood. That single afternoon in Chicago became the spark that ignited what is now the Second Verse Choir. 

As soon as she returned to Denver, Anne reached out to her friend Kris Boggs. As a musician herself, Kris deeply understands how central music is to a person’s sense of self - especially for those who have devoted their lives to it. She had worked with a gentleman living with dementia who had once been a professional orchestra member, as well as someone who had sung with the Metropolitan Opera. Through these experiences, she saw firsthand how music can preserve joy, identity, and connection, and she was passionate about creating a space where people could continue making music, even in the face of dementia. Excited by Anne’s vision and ready for a new project that could make a real difference, Kris eagerly joined her. Together, they began taking steps to start a Giving Voice Network Choir in their area.  

They dove into the resources of Giving Voice, downloading the toolkit, receiving 1:1 mentorship and additional resources, and getting connected to existing Network members for support. After a few months of hard work, they are now well on their way to their first rehearsal on January 8th! At the same time, they are working to establish a nonprofit—the Second Verse Choir Foundation—with plans for a website and official 501(c)(3) status in the near future. The choir has already welcomed a talented director, Jacqueline McCurdy, who brings extra special expertise as a speech pathologist, and accompanist, Jere Surber who is a life-long musician and multi-instrumentalist. They are deeply grateful to Central Christian Church of Denver for providing a beautiful space for rehearsals. 

This new choir is a reminder that inspiration can come from anywhere and Giving Voice and the Giving Voice Network are here to support anyone interested in starting a choir in their community. If you know anyone in the Englewood, Colorado area who might enjoy joining, please send them their way. We can’t wait to see this choir sing its first notes and grow into a vibrant part of the Giving Voice Network family.