The Forest-Aires Women’s Chorus was founded in 1962 by Sylvia Gilchrist. She gathered Forest Hills PTA moms to rehearse and perform popular choral music for the sheer joy of singing. Over the years, women from all around the greater Cincinnati area have joined the group. In a short time after its founding, the chorus was able to raise money from performances to donate to the music program in the Forest Hills Schools. After donating funds for equipment, the chorus was then able to raise enough money to start The Forest-Aires Scholarship Program to fund vocal lessons for high school students. That program is still in existence and The Forest-Aires Women’s Chorus has awarded voice scholarships to over 300 high school students, and another six students will be chosen this fall.

Before 1962, the chorus was known as the Mother Singers. “Rumor has it that a newspaper printed a typographical error, headlining the chorus as the Mother Sinners,” says Nancy McCullough, a retired member, who joined the Forest-Aires in 1969. At that point, the ladies decided to change the group’s name to The Forest-Aires Women’s Chorus.

The objective of The Forest-Aires scholarships is to enrich the lives of local students through music, deepen the music learning they receive at school, and help prepare them for advanced study or music performance, if they choose. Through these scholarships, they learn not only singing, but also discipline, mental training, great satisfaction of achieving a goal, and skills needed to appear before an audience. You will see the scholarship winners performing in school, community shows, and churches. Many of them study music and theatre in college and, then, onto careers in music and entertainment.

Founded 1962
2002-2003 Civic Organization of the Year, Anderson Township, Cincinnati, OH

2023 Legacy Award for Outstanding Service, Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati, OH

Our Directors Include:

Sylvia Gilchrist: 1962 – 1971; Gail Hurst: 1971 – 1973; Helen Houran: 1973 – 1978 Wylene Davies: 1978 – 1980; Judy Busse: 1980 – 1982; Bob McSpadden 1982 – 1984 Judi Franceschina 1984 – 1992; Robert Dominique 1992 – 1994; Jennifer Williams 1994 – 1995 Ruth Shawver 1995 – 2005; Paul Bledsoe 2005 – 2014; Alex Gartner 2014 – 2016, Sujin Kim 2016 – 2023