We wanted to keep you "in the know" with a quick look at the exciting 25th anniversary season MUSE has planned. This year, we present no less than three stirring, self-produced concerts.

Our programming is bold and adventurous, and mirrors our mission in musical excellence, love, diversity and social change. We are excited to debut newly commissioned works, and collaborate with new and favorite returning musicians and ensembles.

The fall concert, "Rapt in Love" could be billed as "bringing it all back home"; a concert to honor our lesbian and feminist roots in the women's [choral] music movement.

In April, '08, we step out for our 12th New Spirituals Project, "Hope Come True". We collaborate with the Central State University Chorus in performances both at Central State and at the House of Joy (the home of New Spirituals for as many years). In this momentous year, we have commissioned Dr. Rosephanye Powell, an accomplished composer who hails from Auburn, Alabama, and as always, we welcome Linda Tillery to join us for these inspiring new works in the Spiritual tradition.

June of 2008 will be a hot one, musically, as we form an Alumnae Chorus with some of the 200+ singers that have been part of MUSE over the last 25 years. Festivities begin on that Friday night with a potluck and rehearsal together(former singers will receive a letter and schedule), and concerts will feature newly commissioned works by our favorite influential musicians, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Holly Near, Joan Szymko and others. Performances are on Saturday night, June 14, and Sunday afternoon, June 15 (for those with children or who love a matinee).

The year concludes with an opening-night performance at the National Women's Studies Association National Convention, held in Cincinnati June 19-22. And, in July, we hope you will wish us a "Bon Voyage" as we sing a pre-GALA, farewell concert with the Cincinnati Men's Chorus, before setting out for the 8th quadrennial GALA Festival in Miami, Florida.

See you out there!