‘Ring Out, Wild Belles!’ returns with Christmas-ish concert to benefit Lake Chelan Food Bank

CHELAN — A familiar cast of Chelan Valley performers is reuniting for a two-night Christmas-season concert with a purpose. The group, now performing under the name Wild Belles, will present “Ring Out, Wild Belles! A Christmas-ish Concert” at One Wines on Friday, Dec. 19, and Saturday, Dec. 20, both at 7 p.m. The shows will raise funds for the Lake Chelan Food Bank at a time when the need continues to grow for local families.

The four female singers — CherylAnn Crego, Jeannie Evig Kapple, Heather Hill, and Kathryn Castrodale — share more than two decades of musical history in Chelan. Their collaborations trace back through Chelan Valley Players productions, Okanogan Valley Orchestra and Chorus (OVOC) performances, school musicals, and a long stretch of community fundraisers.

Crego said the roots of the group reach back to 1999, when she and Kapple began singing together. The circle expanded in the early 2000s when they crossed paths with Castrodale, who served as pianist, band leader, and music director for numerous Chelan Valley Players shows. In 2009, the trio formed a tongue-in-cheek performance group called “Two Wanna-be Divas and One Real One,” staging self-described “evenings of total self-indulgence” that mixed showtunes, dessert, wine, and good-natured theatricality, usually in support of local nonprofits.

Hill joined the orbit about a decade later, after moving to the valley and diving into both performance and fundraising work. Crego said the group had long talked about reviving the “Divas” format, and in 2022 all four women finally came together again. While sorting through Christmas music one afternoon, they found the hymnal version of the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem “Ring Out, Wild Bells” in Castrodale’s collection, and the new name, Wild Belles, stuck.

Castrodale, a long-time valley resident, co-founded the Lake Chelan Bach Fest and continues to perform each year. She has played with the Wenatchee Symphony and OVOC, taught piano to generations of local students, and is part of the trio Classic Pizzazz. Hill’s background spans Chelan Valley Players, OVOC, and work with Rotten Apple Productions. Kapple has directed school musicals, performed in folk bands with her husband, and raised two children who are also active musicians. Crego’s résumé includes Chelan Valley Players, OVOC, The Merc Playhouse, and years of directing theater and teaching voice and piano.

This year, the group will perform in One Wines’ new event space at 526 E. Woodin Ave., an intimate room that seats about 50 guests. Owners Jo and Greg Cowell are hosting their first live concert in the space, and Crego said the partnership has been enthusiastic from the start. Wine will be available for purchase, and reservations are required; the Friday performance is nearly full, with limited seats remaining for Saturday. Guests can call One Wines to reserve.

A suggested $20 donation at the door will benefit the Lake Chelan Food Bank. Crego said rising grocery costs continue to strain many households, and the group hopes the concerts will generate meaningful support for the organization. The food bank provides regular distribution twice weekly and delivers to residents who cannot travel to the facility.

For those unable to attend, donations can be made directly through the food bank’s website at lakechelanfoodbank.org. Crego plans to circulate a QR code online and at the concerts to make giving easier for community members who still want to participate.

Wild Belles hopes the weekend will bring joy, connection, and a familiar sense of creative fun — but the heart of the event is the fundraiser. “Aside from wanting to have fun and put on a show,” Crego said, “we really hope to raise a good chunk of money for the food bank.”

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media