CYC’s 33rd season is officially underway! Our Resident Choirs, Piccolo Coro, Vivace, Con Brio, Voci, and Bel Canto, gathered for their first rehearsals filled with energy, new music, and the joy of singing together. We are excited for a season of growth, community, and inspiring performances ahead.

Bel Canto singers gathered for their annual retreat last weekend, beginning Friday evening with icebreakers, rehearsal, and a campfire with s’mores. Saturday was filled with rehearsals, meals in the dining hall, and community-building activities. Singers learned folk dances, folded paper cranes to accompany the song Paper Crane by J. Reese Norris, and even created commercials to “sell” choir products such as chairs, sheet music, and choir bags. Some singers enjoyed free time at the dorm or swimming pool before rehearsing again and sharing a performance with a nearby cross-stitching retreat for the second year in a row—now a tradition! The weekend concluded with one final rehearsal before joining Singfest on campus.

Singfest welcomed 30 singers from across Greater Cincinnati to spend the day making music with Bel Canto. In just three and a half hours of rehearsal, participants learned two new songs, took a break for snacks, and joined Bel Canto in learning a folk dance. The day ended with a performance for families, beginning with Bel Canto sharing selections from their retreat, followed by the Singfest singers joining them on stage to perform the music they had learned that day. What an incredible day of music-making!