San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

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San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
Also known as SFGMC
Origin Flag of the United States San Francisco, California, United States
Genre(s) Broadway, choral, classical, jazz, popular
Occupation(s) Men's Choir
Instrument(s) ca. 230 voices
Years active 1978-present
Associated acts del Castro, The Lollipop Guild, Vocal Minority
Website www.sfgmc.org
Members
Artistic Director and Conductor
Dr. Kathleen McGuire
Executive Director
Teddy Witherington
Principal Pianist
Thaddeus Pinkston
Music Director - del Castro
Grace Renaud
Music Director - The Lollipop Guild
Paul Saccone
Music Director - Vocal Minority
Grace Renaud
Assistant Conductors
Garry Hanna, Paul Saccone
Former members
SFGMC Alumni Association
LGBT and Queer studies series
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The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC), founded by gay-music pioneer Jon Reed Sims (1947-1984), was the world's first openly gay-identified choral organization, and is the world's largest.[1] The SFGMC is widely known affectionately as the “grandfather” of the LGBT choral movement.[2]

Under the direction of Sims, the SFGMC held its first rehearsal on October 30, 1978. Its first public performance took place a month later on November 27 at an impromptu memorial at San Francisco City Hall for Mayor George Moscone and openly-gay Supervisor Harvey Milk, both of whom had been assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White earlier that day.[3] Sims, an instrumental- rather than choral-specialist, appointed choral director Dick Kramer (1927-2007) as successor for the SFGMC conductor. Sims and Kramer co-directed SFGMC’s first official concert on December 20, 1978, at Everett Middle School. The 115-voice chorus presented an eclectic program to a capacity crowd. Today, with a membership of more than 230 voices, the SFGMC continues to present a wide repertoire of music and styles from classical to Broadway.

Contents

[edit] Background

[edit] Early challenges

The SFGMC came into existence during the Gay Rights Movement. In 1977, Harvey Milk traveled around the United States presenting what became known as the Hope Speech.[4] Milk, in his capacity as an openly-gay elected city official, urged gay people to come out of the closet in opposition to such anti-gay efforts as the Briggs Initiative and Anita Bryant's Save Our Children campaign. Sims responded early in 1978 with the formation of the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps. In spite of this precedent, the chorus struggled initially with the decision to use the word "gay" in its name:

“ I remember with some poignancy an argument over whether to include the word "gay" in the title of the Gay Men's Chorus. That was in 1978, and as they used to sing, "If you could see me now…" Until the mid to late '70s, any mention of gay was sensationalized and lurid. Gay bashing was tacitly approved. If a gay man called the police about being harassed, they would arrest him. ”
 

Being an openly-gay organization presented certain challenges. Some men, for instance, were reluctant to join because of the name.[6] Early in 1981, the SFGMC lost a controversial court battle, failing to persuade Superior Court Judge Ira Brown to force the Jesuits at the University of San Francisco to allow a concert at St. Ignatius Church.[7] A civil suit was awarded in SFGMC's favor several months later.[8]

[edit] National tour

The chorus advanced, despite minor setbacks. By the fall of 1980, Kramer's efforts in pursuit of artistic excellence were rewarded with reviews praising the group's musical ability.[9] Aspiring to reach a wider audience, the SFGMC made its first LP recording, The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Tours America 1981, and embarked on a national tour. In June, 1981, SFGMC visited nine cities: Dallas, Minneapolis (Orchestra Hall), Lincoln, Detroit, New York City, Boston, Washington D.C. (Kennedy Center), Seattle (Seattle Opera House), and returned to San Francisco for a performance at Davies Symphony Hall at which San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein awarded SFGMC with the key to the city. Feinstein remarked that this was the first time the honor had been bestowed by the City upon a gay organization.[10] Although a critically-acclaimed artistic success, the SFGMC's tour incurred a debt in excess of US$200,000, covered in part by the mortgages of the homes of three members. The final payment of the debt was paid in 1991, just a few months short of the tenth anniversary of the tour.[11]

[edit] LGBT choral movement

The SFGMC's national tour and its first recording led to the formation of many new choruses in the United States and beyond, including the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington DC, Boston Gay Men's Chorus, Vancouver Men's Chorus in Canada, and the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus in Australia.[2] By 1982, choruses were established in many major cities across the US, Canada, Europe (for instance, Stockholms Gaykör, Sweden), and Australia (the Gay Liberation Quire in Sydney),[12] and the LGBT choral movement began to formalize. The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses) was founded by SFGMC member Jay Davidson, who then went on to serve as its first board president.[13] Similar organizations subsequently formed serving other parts of the world, including LEGATO, an association for lesbian and gay choirs and ensembles in Europe established in 1997, and SING OUT! - the Association of Lesbian and Gay Choirs in the UK and Ireland. There are now more than 250 LGBT choruses worldwide.


[edit] New music

In the late-1970s, gay choral music was virtually nonexistent. Needing relevant music to perform, SFGMC commissioned many works, developing new repertoire for men’s choruses as well as for the LGBT choral community. Tad Dunlap, a member of the SFGMC, composed "I Understood" for the chorus in 1979, with lyrics based on one of Harvey Milk's inspirational speeches. It was possibly the first-ever gay-specific choral composition.[14] The SFGMC's 1986 commission, Invocation and Dance by David Conte, was one of the earliest compositional responses to AIDS, and is now considered a standard of American TTBB choral literature.[15] NakedMan, a song suite by Philip Littell and Robert Seeley commissioned by the SFGMC in 1996, became one of the most important works in gay choral literature and is still widely performed today by LGBT choruses.[16] "Never Ever," the final movement of NakedMan, has found its way into the repertoire of high school and college choirs, especially as a graduation piece.[17] Dr. Stan Hill, the SFGMC's longest-serving conductor (1989 - 2000), was a driving force behind many commissions during his tenure.[18] In honor of its 30th anniversary in 2008, the chorus has commissioned and will perform new works by such composers as David Conte, Ysaye M. Barnwell, Eric Lane Barnes, Ilyas Iliya, L. Peter Deutsch, Steve Schalchlin, and Stephen Schwartz.

[edit] AIDS

AIDS became a primary focus from the late-1980s through the end of the 1990s, as the chorus tended to its many members who were ill and dying.

“ As AIDS took its toll, the chorus members used their concerts as a forum to bring a sense of urgency about the epidemic to the public. Their music became more somber, and they began adding AIDS requiems to their programs. The chorus also became the only place for the members to talk openly about HIV and AIDS. The men shared tips on how to get into clinical drug trials and serenaded friends through their last breaths. For men who were fighting for their lives alone, estranged from parents who had turned their backs on their gay children, the chorus became family. ”
 
— Meredith May[19]

Hill describes the era as "the worst of times," explaining that every Wednesday and Sunday was spent visiting chorus members in the hospitals.[20] Members who died became known as the chorus’s "Fifth Section."[21]

As well as commissioning and performing AIDS-related music,[22] the chorus participated in and presented concerts and other events to raise awareness and funds for AIDS health service and research organizations.[23] Although SFGMC lost over 250 members,[24] the organization yet survived and thrived with sustained passion for its mission. In 1998, with a renewed sense of hope, the chorus made its first international appearances in Sydney, Australia.

[edit] Community outreach

After surviving the worst years of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, the chorus was ready, once again, to serve as ambassadors for the LGBT community. In 2000, with the appointment of conductor Dr. Kathleen McGuire, the SFGMC significantly expanded its community outreach. Over the next few years, appearances included: Giving Back concerts, raising funds for women in 2000, for youth in 2002, for breast cancer and for AIDS also in 2002; the SFGMC's first by-invitation concerts for elementary and high school students in 2002 and 2003; a performance at a Vacaville prison for World AIDS Day in 2003; programming to reach out to transgender, African American, and faith-based communities in 2004; participation in Special Olympics events (2003 - 2005); the addition of a Spanish-language ensemble in 2005; and the sponsorship of an LGBT youth chorus in 2006.[25]

Following almost a quarter-century of singing for gay rights, the SFGMC finally performed at St. Ignatius Church - this time without controversy - on January 11, 2003, at a memorial service for AIDS advocate and SFGMC alumnus, David Smith Fox (1952-2002). Symbolically, it was no small affair, with Nancy Pelosi and other dignitaries among the 600 attendees.[26]

[edit] Membership

Chorus members model various concert attire
Chorus members model various concert attire

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus is dedicated to bringing harmony to the world through choral presentations, by honoring the dignity of its members and supporters, and by serving as cultural ambassadors for San Francisco’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and allied communities.

– SFGMC Mission Statement, [27]

The SFGMC is a non-profit community arts organization comprising singing members, non-singing volunteers, board members, staff and alumni. The SFGMC's board of directors operates under the title: Golden Gate Performing Arts, Inc. Non-singing personnel include men and women. Members of the Fifth Section are also acknowledged in concert programs.

A number of chorus members choose to participate additionally in smaller ensembles, with fewer than twenty-five singers in each group.[28] These ensembles represent the larger chorus at outreach appearances, in their own concerts and recordings, and are featured regularly in concerts with the full chorus. Currently, there are three ensembles: The Lollipop Guild, founded in 1979,[29] best known for its a cappella and Barbershop singing; Vocal Minority, founded in 2003, specializes in vocal jazz and show choir repertoire; del Castro ("from the Castro"), founded in 2005, focuses on world music and performs songs in Spanish and other languages.[30] A larger, ad hoc group called the Ambassadors also represents the chorus at outreach performances.

According to data gathered by the SFGMC Alumni Assoc. in 2003, since its inception, more than 1,000 men have served as members. Two founding members still sing with the chorus, along with several others who went on the tour in 1981. Auditions for new SFGMC members are held semi-annually, in January and August. In order to be eligible for membership, singers must pass an audition, be at least 18 years-of-age, and self-identify as male. Identifying as gay is not a requirement, but members are expected to abide by the organization's mission.[27]

[edit] Performances

SFGMC presents an annual subscription concert series incorporating three major events: holiday concerts in December; spring concert in April at Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall—home of the San Francisco Symphony; Annual Pride Concert with other San Francisco LGBT organizations;[31] plus a concert featuring the three ensembles in the fall and a winter cabaret featuring the chorus's soloists. Among the most popular of San Francisco's annual holiday events, Home for the Holidays has been presented by the SFGMC since 1990 on Christmas Eve at the historic Castro Theatre.[32]

Through its SingOut Program, SFGMC also makes more than 50 community appearances each year, including events that directly benefit local social justice and healthcare organizations. In recent years, SFGMC has helped to raise more than US$250,000 for such service organizations as the AIDS Foundation, AIDS Emergency Fund, STOP AIDS, Face to Face - Sonoma County AIDS Network, Stanislaus Community Assistance Project, Santa Cruz Assistance Project, Napa Solano Health Project, Lyon Martin Women's Health Services, Breast Cancer Fund, American Cancer Society, Special Olympics, Larkin Street Youth Services and Lavendar Youth Recreation and Information Center.

[edit] Achievements

SFGMC has received myriad awards and honors, including Cable Car Awards in the 1980s,[33] official recognitions from San Francisco and California elected officials, the Circles of Hope Award from the Metropolitan Community Foundation in 2003,[34] and Absolutely Fabulous Awards for floats in the San Francisco Pride Parade. The Chorus is featured in the award-winning documentary films Singing Positive in 1995,[35] and Why We Sing in 2006 in which each member wears a personalized stole and choir robe in lieu of the customary tuxedo.[36] SFGMC has recorded nineteen compact disks (see Discography below), including the 2005 and 2006 winners of the Out Music Awards for Outstanding New Recording: Chorus or Choir.[37] In June 2007, eMusicUK's Getting Started in Classical Music webpage listed the CD San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Tours America 1981 as one of twelve essential recordings considered Best of the Best. SFGMC was heard around the world singing at San Francisco City Hall during the same-gender marriage ceremonies of February and March 2004, including that of comedienne, talk show host Rosie O'Donnell.[38]

SFGMC has performed in Australia, Canada, and across the United States, appearing in such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York City, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Sydney Opera House, Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago and Salle Wilfried Pelletier in Montreal. The Chorus has appeared and collaborated with numerous celebrities and arts organizations, including: San Francisco Symphony, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Opera, Marin Opera, Opera By The Bay (Sausalito), San Francisco Ballet, The Women's Philharmonic, the Community Women's Orchestra, Deborah Voigt, Lisa Vroman, Carol Channing, Michael Feinstein, Florence Henderson, Nell Carter, Megan Mullally, Sir Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Kristen Chenoweth, Sharon Gless, B.D. Wong, Cris Williamson, Joan Rivers, Nichelle Nichols, Julie Newmar and Armistead Maupin.

[edit] Leadership: Artistic Directors and Conductors

  • Jon Reed Sims (Oct. - Dec. 1978)
  • Dick Kramer (Dec. 1978 - Jan. 1982)
  • Robin Kay (guest conductor, Feb. - Mar. 1982)[33]
  • Robert Erickson, Dale Richard, Claude Zetty (interim conductors, 1982)[33]
  • Ernie Veniegas (1982 - 1985)
  • Charles Baker, Dennis Coleman, Vance George (guest conductors, 1985)
  • Greg Tallman (Aug. 1985 - June 1989)
  • Joseph Jennings (guest conductor, Sept. - Dec. 1998)
  • Dr. Stan Hill (July 1989 - July 2000)[39]
  • Dr. Kathleen McGuire (Aug. 2000 - present)[40]

Around the world

By country

History · Groups · Activists

Declaration of Montreal

Same-sex relationships

Same-sex marriage · LGBT adoption

LGBT rights opposition · Heterosexism

Violence

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[edit] Discography

  • Tours America '81 (LP 1981, CD 1992)
  • How Fair This Place (1991)
  • Brahms, Bernstein, & the Boys! (1993)
  • Our Gay Apparel (September 1995, December 2003)
  • NakedMan (July 1996)
  • ExtrABBAganza! (April 1997)
  • Q (1998)
  • Our Boys Will Shine (1998)[41]
  • Misbehavin' with Nell Carter (May 1999)
  • Sing Me to Heaven (July 2000)
  • Exile (June 2000)
  • Best of SFGMC (June 2001)[42]
  • I Dream of a Time (November 2001)[43]
  • SFGMC Does Queen (June 2002)
  • Closer Than Ever, 25th Anniversary Concert (May 2004)
  • Oh, Happy Day! (July 2004)
  • Home for the Holidays - Live at the Castro Theatre (June 2005)
  • Divas' Revenge: Opera & Broadway Our Way (November 2005)
  • Cowboys, Boas and Bears! Oh, My! (June 2006)
  • Why We Sing (DVD June 2007)[44]
  • Out Of The Extraordinary (2007)[45]
  • USS Metaphor (DVD, May 2008)

For more information, see CD catalog at the SF Gay Men's Chorus official website.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Although the Seattle Men's Chorus and the Turtle Creek Chorale are both choruses of gay men and are of comparable size, the word “gay” is included in neither organization's title.
  2. ^ a b Tim Seelig, the Turtle Creek Chorale's Artistic Director, Explains The Power of Harmony. Buzzflash. Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
  3. ^ Herron Zamora, Jim (28 Nov 1998). Moscone, Milk legacy hailed. Examiner. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  4. ^ Shilts, Randy, The Mayor of Castro Street. 1982
  5. ^ Ammiano, Tom (February 9, 1997). Ammiano reflects on the changes over 35 years. Examiner. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  6. ^ Marine, Craig (December 11, 1998). Two decades of singing out. Examiner. Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
  7. ^ Perkins, Laura (April 16, 2006). Quake, Fire Devastate the City: Here's a look at the Bay Area's past. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  8. ^ History: 1980-1981 3rd Season. Golden Gate Performing Arts, Inc. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  9. ^ The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Tours America 1981 liner notes, 1981, lists quotations from Robert Commanday, San Francisco Chronicle, Allan Ulrich, San Francisco Examiner, and Heuwell Tircuit, San Francisco Chronicle.
  10. ^ Rhynsburger, Mark. "On the Road with the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus." The Advocate, Issue 324, page 27, August 20, 1981.
  11. ^ "Chorus Bill Paid," Bay Area Reporter, January 21, 1982
  12. ^ See |Gay Choirs in Australia 1981 - 1991
  13. ^ Attinello, Paul (July 15, 2004). Choruses and Bands. glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  14. ^ According to a founding member of the SFGMC.
  15. ^ A web search reveals that the piece has been performed at numerous state and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association.
  16. ^ In a letter commemorating the work's 20th anniversary, Assemblyman Mark Leno wrote: "NakedMan continues to be one of the most important choral pieces ever found in the history of gay men's choral music." Concert program, San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, April 17, 2006.
  17. ^ One such example: "Dickinson State University holds commencement exercises" . Dickinson State Digest Vol: 19 - Iss: 37, May 20, 2002. 
  18. ^ Hill is well-known in GALA Choruses circles as being a passionate advocate for commissioning new LGBT works. For instance, Hill led the SFGMC's commissioning of NakedMan and its two sequels: Exile (also with the SFGMC) and Metamorphosis (with Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus). Hill often presents clinics and workshops at GALA Choruses conferences on the topic of commissioning new works.
  19. ^ May, Meredith (4 June 2006). Gay Men's Chorus carries on. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  20. ^ Interview with Dr. Stan Hill in the documentary film, Why We Sing (June, 2006).
  21. ^ The following article lists the names of chorus members of the Fifth Section. Note that other chorus members have died since publication: Gay Men's Chorus carries on - The Fifth Section. San Francisco Chronicle (June 4, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
  22. ^ "Gay and lesbian choruses have performed many opposite works since early in the crisis, including reinterpretations of older songs. New cantatas written for them include Hidden Legacies by Roger Bourland and John Hall (1992) and Naked Man by Robert Seeley (1996)." Attinello, Paul (March 9, 2007). Music and AIDS. glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  23. ^ Ulrich, Allan. (February 21, 1995). 'Classical Action' gala inspiring, entertaining SHOW RAISES NEARLY $1 MILLION TO FIGHT AIDS 'Classical Action' gala inspiring. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  24. ^ May, Meredith (June 4, 2006). Gay men's chorus carries on. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  25. ^ For more information about these activities, see: May, Meredith (March 10, 2002). Teaching the reality of gay life: Oakland schoolkids learn a rare lesson. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. Year 2000 News Archive. QComedy.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. Newsletter Volume I. GLSEN San Francisco/East Bay (Spring 2002). Retrieved on 2007-03-09. MAXreport, September 2002. MAX Men's Associated Exchange. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. Singing Praises: Are you there, God?. Village Voice Media for SF Weekly (April 14, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-09. Van Iquity, Sister Dana (October 26, 2006). Back To The Fabulous ’50s With Gay Men’s Chorus. San Francisco Bay Times. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. Van Iquity, Sister Dana (May 25, 2006). GLAM Youth Choir's Stirring Debut. San Francisco Bay Times. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.Spirit of the Season event programs, Special Olympics, 2003 - 2005; "Inside News," HEPP (HIV & Hepatitis Education Prison Project) Report, December 2003 Vol. 6, Issue 12, Page 9
  26. ^ McMillan, Dennis. "Gay Men's Chorus Makes History - Emotional Events Mark Turning Points," San Francisco Bay Times, January 23, 2003.
  27. ^ a b SFGMC New Member Handbook, Golden Gate Performing Arts Inc., 2007
  28. ^ SFGMC has included subgroups since 1979. Former ensembles include: Chamber Singers, Men About Town, Nota Bene, Swing Set, and an unofficial group, Automatic Pilot.
  29. ^ According to SFGMC's official website, The Lollipop Guild was the first official sub-group of a gay chorus and is the longest-running group of its kind in GALA Choruses.
  30. ^ For more information about the ensembles, see: About the Chorus - Ensembles. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
  31. ^ Held at various locations each June since 1979, this event is an official event of San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade and Celebration
  32. ^ "Without anyone trying to make it so, the annual Christmas Eve concert at the Castro Theatre presented by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus has somehow become a sine qua non tradition [...]"Chang, Chin (December 12, 2003). Clef Notes - A month of the Bay Area's best orchestral and vocal music. SFGate. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
  33. ^ a b c "Statement Issued By The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus," Bay Area Reporter, February 11, 1982
  34. ^ Posthumous Honor to SF Supervisor Harvey Milk Celebrates His Life & Legacy at 25th Anniversary of His Death. Common Dreams (September 16, 2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
  35. ^ Carman, John (August 23, 1995). Cinemax Profiles Courageous S.F. Gay Chorus. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  36. ^ Why We Sing: The Choruses. Why We Sing. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.
  37. ^ Out Music Awards. Queer Music Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.
  38. ^ O'Donnell ties knot at City Hall. SFGate, (February 27, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  39. ^ Stan Hill Takes a Final Bow. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  40. ^ Changing tunes It's a whole new era for the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
  41. ^ This title is omitted from the recordings listed at SFGMC's website.
  42. ^ Compiled by Michael Panter and Peter Stark for wes zwei and digitally remastered by Don't Panic Service (Germany)
  43. ^ Including and produced by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C.
  44. ^ Documentary of the GALA Choruses Festival, Montreal, 2004: www.WhyWeSing.org
  45. ^ Compilation benefit album, featuring various artists, produced by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries

[edit] Further reading

  • Harmanci, Reyhan. A NOTE ON CHANGE: 'Why We Sing!' Documentary explores choral music's appeal and how it fosters community. San Francisco Chronicle, August 24, 2006
  • Hilliard, Russell E. "The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus A Historical Perspective on the Role of a Chorus as a Social Service." Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services: Issues in Practice, Policy, and Research. The official journal of the Caucus of the LGBT Faculty & Students in Social Work. Volume: 14, October 29, 2002. Issue ISSN: 1053-8720. The Haworth Press, Inc.

[edit] External links