Music possesses the power to change lives, redirect moods and feed souls. But each genre of music is different composition-wise, rhythmically and lyrically.

Rock 'n' roll is not classical, country and western or rhythm and blues music. Neither is rock 'n' roll jazz or folk or even pop music.

Rock 'n' roll is rock 'n' roll.

"Rock 'n' roll music is truly a legacy of our modern-day culture," said Debbie Kline-Smith, who's the director of the Lititz Area Community Choir, Warwick Alumni & Friends. "Music always reflects what's going on during the particular time it is written. At the beginning, people looked at rock 'n' roll as being bad. This beat was infectious. Music has brought people together through time. It also generates all kinds of feelings and emotions."

The Lititz Area Community Choir, Warwick Alumni & Friends will explore rock 'n' roll's influence and impact during its spring concert, "Forever Rock, An American Music Legacy," on Sunday, April 27, at 7 p.m. at Warwick High School's Performing Arts Center, 301 W. Orange St., Lititz. Tickets, which can be purchased on a pay-what-you-will basis, will be available at the door, which will open at 6:15 p.m.

"Rhythmically, rock 'n' roll is very challenging to perform," said Kline-Smith. "It sounds easy when you're listening to it, but it's not. The continuity and the way it's written rhythmically, that's what we've been working on. It's a challenge to take music off the page and make it what it's supposed to be."

"Forever Rock, An American Music Legacy" will be a compilation of 10 songs, medleys and mashups of songs derived from music spanning eight decades from the 1950s to now. The performance will feature the voices of three soloists - Jamie Standish-Jensen, Kyle Metzger and Ethan Reimel - and include music from artists like Queen and Simon & Garfunkel.

The concert will last 75 minutes, and it will not include an intermission.

"The music moves chronologically, from the '50s through the '80s," said Kline-Smith. "Then we have some soloists, songs from the ladies' group and songs from the men's group. The more current numbers are at the end of the concert. Every decade kind of has its own moment."

"We'll have a Dick Clark-like character speaking to the audience on the big screen," she added. "It'll enhance what's going on with the music."

"(The music will) make your toes tap," she continued. "I think it's going to be a lot of fun. It's music everyone is familiar with. It's one song after another that the audience has heard before. They were top hits of those decades."

Since January, the Lititz Area Community Choir has been rehearsing for more than an hour each week at Brunnerville United Methodist Church in preparation for the performance. The all-ages choir is made up of 85 members, a third of whom are Warwick High School graduates.

"It's not the typical music a concert choir might do," said Kline-Smith. "Because our choir is made up of so many different generations, I thought, 'Why not do music from all those different decades?' Our lives are filled with this music every day. It's music we grew up with. The music we're highlighting has brought so much enjoyment to so many people over the years. This kind of music is timeless."

After retiring from her position as a longtime music educator at Warwick High School in 2022, Kline-Smith responded to a call for a local community singing ensemble and formed the Lititz Area Community Choir in the fall of 2022. The April 27 performance will represent the sixth concert that the group has presented.

"I know the community knows that I know how to put on a program," said Kline-Smith. "When we started the choir, I knew we'd have some followers. In general, Lititz is a very music-loving community. I thought people would come. The word is out: If you want to have a good night out, come to one of our concerts. It's been a great success for both the singers and the audience."

"I'd love for people to come to this performance and hear history come to life," continued Kline-Smith. "They'll be hearing songs that are part of our past. They'll have certain memories when they hear them. They can listen to music that takes them through different stages of their lives."

For additional information, search for "Lititz Area Community Choir, Alumni and Friends" on Facebook.