MAY FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT
CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF THE MAY FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS by David Lewellen The May Festival Youth Chorus straddles two worlds. For one, its existence is artistically necessary: to supply the sound of young voices for concerts when the repertoire requires it. It also provides those same young voices with an invaluable music Matthew Swanson leads the May Festival Youth Chorus in their October 2021 open rehearsal, For education. the Fans. Credit: JP Leong “It offers students the same opportunity that adults receive, to perform choral only in the final movement of the evening-long repertoire at a very high level,” said Matthew work, and “it brings a whole new perspective and Swanson, the director of the Youth Chorus, which is energy to the piece,” Swanson said. “The students celebrating its 35th anniversary this season. Singing have fallen in love with it. We’ve talked about what with the adults and with the Cincinnati Symphony it will feel like to enter the stage of Music Hall “requires the same things we hope to instill in them late at night and change the emotional and aural every week in our rehearsals: self-confidence, picture of the entire room. I’m thrilled for them.” musical independence and a love of singing.” The Youth Chorus sings a program of its own “I love the fact that we have a youth chorus,” during the May Festival’s annual spring concert said Robert Porco, the May Festival’s Director in the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in of Choruses. “It’s experience they can’t get anyCovington, KY, and it joins the adult chorus for where else.” some works that would not overtax their developThis spring, the teens will perform the part writing voices. And it also sings in works for which the ten for children’s choir in John Adams’ oratorio El composer specified a children’s chorus, such as El Niño, with the composer conducting. They appear Niño and I Have Something to Say. May Festival Youth Chorus and Xavier University Chorus, conducted by Matthew Swanson, perform together at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in April 2022.
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