Tra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May! That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray! But no. On second thought, Guinevere’s coltish ditty from Camelot is not the right jingle here. Cincinnati’s historic May Festival at the grandly Victorian Gothic revival Music Hall traces its roots back to the 1840s. From the start, the focus was on the immense literature of choral works, performed by volunteer choristers from all walks of life. This year’s edition unfolds under the directorship of Julia Bullock, a diva whose curatorial artistry runs neck-and-neck with her excellence, curiosity, and range as a performer. The opening concert builds to an “Eclectic Mass” pieced together for the occasion from movements by Carlos Simon, Palestrina, Bach, Margaret Bonds, and Handel. Highlights of other programs include the Sea Symphony of Ralph Vaughn Williams, a choral tour de force; and, in partnership with Cincinnati Ballet 2, Carl Orff’s Catulli Carmina, which is wilder and sexier and harder to sing than his ineluctable Camina Burana. At the final concert, Bullock presents Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in a capsule version of her own (and guess who’s Bess). But the chorus has the last word, as it must, gilding the lily of Bernstein’s “Make Our Garden Grow,” with—what else?—Handel’s Hallelujah! But have I mentioned this year’s inaugural novelty, on May 15? It’s a free “Dîner en fleur” in Washington Park, opposite the Music Hall (advance registration required). Tables and chairs are provided—but table settings, décor (encouraged!), eats, and zero-proof beverages are up to the guests. Alcohol available onsite for purchase. —Matthew Gurewitsch