On Saturday, February 25th, the Cincinnati Boychoir will present the first-annual All-City Boychoir Festival. Boys from first through eighth grade from all over the Cincinnati area will spend the morning rehearsing music, learning music theory, and getting to know each other with fun music-based games and activities.
At 1:00pm the Festival Choir, in addition to the Cincinnati Boychoir Concert Choir & Training Choirs, will present a short concert free of charge and open to the public.
The Cincinnati Boychoir’s initiative to bring music education to boys throughout Cincinnati, entitled Cincinnati Sings!, includes weekly free-of-charge outreach choir programs at Evanston Academy and Bond Hill Academy; thirty boys from these programs will be participating in the All-City Boychoir Festival, sponsored by Families Forward. The 100 boys already enrolled in the Boychoir will play host to the additional 70 boys that have registered to participate. In all, more than 50 schools will be represented at the All-City Boychoir Festival.
Additionally, a concurrent workshop entitled “Music In Motion” for local music teachers will be presented by KellyAnn Nelson, the Cincinnati Boychoir’s Director of Education & Outreach; teachers will receive continuing education units for attending.
Generous support for the Cincinnati Boychoir’s Outreach & Education program is provided by The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. The All-City Boychoir Festival has received in-kind donations from Graeter’s Ice Cream and Dewey’s Pizza.
The Cincinnati Boychoir was founded as the All-City Boychoir in 1965 under the auspices of the Cincinnati Public Schools; at that time, three boys from each Cincinnati Public School were invited to attend weekly rehearsals. Now in its 47th year, the Boychoir enrolls over 100 boys in citywide programs, and performs regularly with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati May Festival, and most recently with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. In March 2011 the Boychoir made their Kennedy Center Millennium Stage debut, and in December 2011 presented an all-male performance of Handel’s Messiah. All boys enrolled in the Boychoir will be participating in the World Choir Games in July 2012. The Cincinnati Boychoir is ensemble-in-residence at Christ Church Cathedral.
What: The All-City Boychoir Festival
Where: Christ Church Cathedral; 318 E. 4th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
When: Saturday, February 25, 9:00am – 1:30pm (1:00pm Concert)
Who: Boys in grades 1-8; local music teachers
Mission
Founded in 1965, the Cincinnati Boychoir seeks to enhance
the social, emotional, and musical development of boys by instilling in them a sense of dedication, self-discipline, and respect. By striving for artistic excellence and learning a diverse repertory of choral literature, the boys are prepared for a lifelong love of music and ensemble singing.
