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DTSTAMP:20260421T015732Z
UID:2c2785b7-dea0-4fe4-9a1a-6f9fbaf992a1
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260515
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260420
DESCRIPTION:May 15-23\, 2026\nTra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May! T
 hat lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray! But no. On second t
 hought\, 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\, t
 he focus was on the immense literature of choral works\, performed by volu
 nteer choristers from all walks of life. This year’s edition unfolds und
 er the directorship of Julia Bullock\, a diva whose curatorial artistry ru
 ns neck-and-neck with her excellence\, curiosity\, and range as a performe
 r. The opening concert builds to an “Eclectic Mass” pieced together fo
 r the occasion from movements by Carlos Simon\, Palestrina\, Bach\, Margar
 et Bonds\, and Handel. Highlights of other programs include the Sea Sympho
 ny of Ralph Vaughn Williams\, a choral tour de force\; and\, in partnershi
 p with Cincinnati Ballet 2\, Carl Orff’s Catulli Carmina\, which is wild
 er and sexier and harder to sing than his ineluctable Camina Burana. At th
 e final concert\, Bullock presents Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in a capsul
 e 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 fl
 eur” in Washington Park\, opposite the Music Hall (advance registration 
 required). Tables and chairs are provided—but table settings\, décor (e
 ncouraged!)\, eats\, and zero-proof beverages are up to the guests. Alcoho
 l available onsite for purchase.
LOCATION:The Geraldine V. Chavez Center for the Choral Arts\, 1241 Elm St. 
 Cincinnati OH 45202\, United States
SUMMARY:May Festival
URL;VALUE=TEXT:https://airmail.news/arts-intel/events/may-festival
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