This week, 360 choirs from 60+ nations will compete in the World Choir Games. This is the world's most prestigious choral music competition, as the best choral groups on the planet compete to be world champions in 23 categories. It's the first time the Games have ever been held in North America.

And it's all happening ten minutes from my house.

For the last six years I've lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, which the rest of America criticizes and craps on mostly because they don't know anything about my most excellent city. (Mark Twain is credited with saying that when the end of the world happened, he wanted to be in Cincinnati, because it was always ten years behind the times.)

Yeah, we're the city that gave you Jerry Springer, and we're really sorry about that. But we're also responsible for producing George Clooney and Sarah Jessica Parker, so give us a chance.

Cincinnati is my favorite of all the places I've ever lived, and part of the reason is the thriving arts scene we enjoy here -- a big factor in securing the World Choir Games. There's the May Festival Chorus, the oldest continuously-running choral festival in the U.S.; the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music; a first-rate (and free!) art museum; and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, a Tony Award-winning regional theater.

And did I mention that it's actually affordable to live here?

I'm thrilled that we scored the World Choir Games, and I will be at the Opening Ceremonies on July 4 with bells on. Well, maybe not actual bells, because that would be a serious musical infraction, but you can bet I will be cheering -- both for the choirs and for the Queen City.

 

The image of the Cincinnati skyline is used with permission of Shutterstock.com.