For members of Sostenuto Choral Community of North Texas, those weekly gatherings offer more than music; they offer connection, consistency and, for many, a sense of healing.
For founder Cindy Johnston, music itself saved her life.
A lifetime in music
Long before she ever stepped onto a conductor’s podium, Johnston was immersed in music.
As a child, she sang in church and later joined the choir in school. This experience would shape the rest of her life. After briefly stepping away, she returned in high school, eventually earning a spot in the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Mixed Choir and pursuing music as a career.
She built that career in North Texas classrooms over the next three decades, teaching choir at the elementary, middle and high school levels in McKinney ISD. Along the way, she directed the McKinney High School pit orchestra for campus musicals, led handbell choirs and worked in community theater, spending years conducting with the same repetitive, physical motion.
Music was the foundation of her life.
That foundation unexpectedly led to a turning point.
An unexpected diagnosis
In 2023, after years of wear on her shoulder from conducting, Johnston underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. During a routine follow-up, doctors noticed an elevated heart rate and ordered a precautionary scan.
The scan revealed a nodule in her lung.
Her daughter, a physician, reviewed the scan’s radiology report and immediately recognized that the nodule was cancer.
Johnston had never smoked, but her experience reflects a broader reality. According to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women, and about one in five women’s cases occur in non-smokers. The disease is often difficult to detect early, with symptoms typically appearing in later stages.
In Johnston’s case, the cancer was caught at stage one. Doctors were able to remove part of her lung, and then she entered a period of monitoring.
Building a choir and continuing the work
After retiring from teaching, Johnston co-founded Sostenuto Choral Community of North Texas in 2020 with her son. The choir created a space for adults across North Texas to continue singing, beyond school or church.
What began with a few dozen members has grown into a 70-plus voice ensemble, drawing singers of all experience levels.
The choir’s purpose is reflected in the name “Sostenuto,” a musical term meaning sustained.
“Singing truly sustains people,” Johnston said.
That belief carried her through her recovery and into an unexpected setback. In late 2025, a routine scan revealed that the cancer had returned.
By February, Johnston was preparing for another major surgery to remove the remainder of her lung. Just two days before the procedure, she attended the choir’s first rehearsal of the season.
“I’m so glad to see you all,” she told members. “By the way, I have cancer again.”
Then she left for surgery, grateful to leave the choir in the very capable hands of her collaborative artist, Debra Morton. She, along with others, has made sure Sostenuto moves forward in Cindy’s absence, readying for the May 18 concert.
Showing up for one another
As Sostenuto has grown, so has its role in members’ lives.
The choir brings people to McKinney from across North Texas, and the sense of belonging is what keeps them coming back.
“It’s about the weekly gathering, fellowship, laughter and making music together,” Johnston said.
That sense of community extends far beyond rehearsal nights.
When founding members of the Halbrooks family lost their daughter and sister, Emily, the group rallied around them. They did the same when Johnston underwent surgery, organizing meal trains, offering rides and stepping in to keep rehearsals running in her absence.
“It’s humbling to see what people will do for you,” Johnston said.
Moments of grief and joy often exist side by side in the choir room.
“People are crying while we’re singing; … it’s very cathartic,” Johnston said. “You don’t know which piece is going to affect somebody. If we touch one heart, we’ve done our job.”
A concert shaped by resilience
This spring, that impact will take center stage.
Sostenuto’s upcoming concert, “Testify!” will feature gospel, spirituals and hymns: music rooted in perseverance, faith and storytelling. Some selections reflect traditional arrangements, while others bring newer or original elements to the program, creating a blend that feels both personal and powerful. Johnston selected this genre months before she knew of her cancer recurrence.
The concert has been planned over months of uncertainty as Johnston navigated her diagnosis and treatment plan without knowing what the future would hold.
Even so, she continued choosing music.
“I picked things that spoke to me,” Johnston said.
Now, following surgery, doctors say there is no detectable cancer. In the coming weeks, Johnston will begin chemotherapy as a precaution, followed by targeted therapy.
More than a choir
Sostenuto, often described by attendees as “the best-kept secret in McKinney,” is working to reach more people who may need exactly what it offers.
Sostenuto Choral Community of North Texas will perform their rousing and uplifting concert “Testify!” at 7:30 p.m. on May 18 at First McKinney Baptist Church. Admission is free, with a $15 per person suggested donation at the door. Along with Robert Ray’s “Gospel Mass,” feature titles include “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel,” “Good News!” and “Be Still My Soul.” Sostenuto is sponsored by the City of McKinney Arts Commission season support grant and the upcoming concert is promoted by a McKinney Community Development Corporation grant.
Click here to learn more, or to get involved today.
The above story was produced by Senior Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact’s Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their “sponsored content” purchase through Community Impact’s advertising team.
