Christ Church Cathedral will serve as the venue for May Festival's upcoming community choral showcase, which will be held on Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m.
The event is free and aims to feature new commissions and skilled choral groups from various parts of the region.
Community Choral Showcase
According to a press release, the May Festival is commemorating its history of commissioning and recognizing Cincinnati as a prominent hub for choral music in the US by launching a new project called “25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music.”
The project will involve 25 composers from Luna Composition Lab, who will create new choral works for local artists and choral ensembles in Greater Cincinnati.
Luna Composition Lab, which was established in 2016 by Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid, is a unique program that offers guidance, education, and resources to female, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming composers aged 13-18.
It is the only program in the US that is dedicated to promoting underrepresented voices and shaping the future of music by providing a supportive environment for young composers to flourish.
According to Broadway World, Elaine Diehl from WGUC, Alecia Kintner from ArtsWave, and Dr. William Henry Caldwell, a prominent figure in the local choral community, will host the event.
The showcase will feature 19 choruses from the Greater Cincinnati area, and each group will perform a 20-minute piece, which will include new music from the 25 for 25 commissioning project.
The participating performers are the Cincinnati Men's Chorus, Heri et Hodie, Cincinnati Choral Academy, Thomas More University, Northern Kentucky Community Chorus, Saint Ursula Academy Vocal Ensemble, Ursuline Academy, Cincinnati Camerata, CINKOA: Cincinnati Korean Choir, NKU Chamber Choir, Cincinnati Boychoir, MUSE, World House Choir + Tron, Hear Us, Hear Them, Little Miami Select Chorale, May Festival Youth Chorus, Xavier University Choir, No Promises, and YPCC.
May Festival
The May Festival is an enduring community project that has been running for a long time in Cincinnati.
Its origins can be traced back to 1873 when a group of visionary individuals decided to organize music festivals in the city.
They wanted to create a sustainable and long-lasting project that would put Cincinnati on the cultural map.
The first May Festival, conducted by Theodore Thomas, was so successful that it led to the construction of the Music Hall, which became the largest concert hall in America.
The festival's main attraction and support have been the all-volunteer May Festival Chorus, which has 130 members.
David Mermelstein of Musical America praised the festival, calling it a remarkable achievement that should be celebrated.
For almost 150 years, numerous guest soloists and conductors of national and international renown have accepted invitations to take part in the May Festival.
The festival is supported by the May Festival Chorus and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO), and it will feature four shows over two weekends at Music Hall on May 19, 20, 25, and 27.
On May 19, the festival will present Bach's Magnificat with guest soloists and the May Festival Chorus.
It will also feature the world premiere of two pieces commissioned for the anniversary season.
Meanwhile, on May 20, the festival will present an all-American program featuring works by Barber, Copland, and Dett.
On the other hand, on May 25, the program will feature the world premiere of a new work by Julia Adolphe, followed by Mozart's Requiem.
The festival will conclude on May 27 with Mahler's Symphony No. 8, conducted by Juanjo Mena and featuring five choruses, eight soloists, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
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