| San Diego Men's Chorus | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | SDMC |
| Origin | San Diego, California, USA |
| Genres | Broadway, choral, classical, jazz, popular |
| Occupations | Men's Chorus |
| Instruments | 40 to 70 voices |
| Years active | 1985-2009 |
| Members | |
| Artistic Director Jerry R. Foust Principal Accompanist Amy Dalton |
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| Past members | |
| Gay Men's Chorus of San Diego | |
San Diego Men's Chorus (SDMC) provided entertainment for San Diego, California since 1985. A former member of the Gay & Lesbian Association of Choruses GALA Choruses, SDMC performed some of the finest choral literature from a variety of genres. The Chorus offered numerous 'outreach performances' each season, and supported local LGBT organizations and HIV/AIDS organizations in the San Diego area.
The San Diego Men's Chorus was a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under the Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code.
The Chorus was served by several Artistic Directors throughout its history, concluding, in its final years, with the direction of Jerry R. Foust, who had served previously as the Assistant Director for more than 18 months before assuming the Artistic Director position in January 2006.
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San Diego Men's Chorus was founded in May 1985 by a small group of committed singers who felt a need to provide San Diego with a quality presentation of men's choral music. Membership was open by audition, and, on September 9, 1985, a total of 55 men were in attendance at the first weekly rehearsal.
SDMC was assisted by members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, which, in August of that year, staged a fundraiser concert at the Casa del Prado Theater in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. Thus, the new chorus in San Diego was able to begin with US$1,500 already in the coffers.
SDMC has had many noteworthy achievements in its twenty plus year history:
Throughout its history, the San Diego Men's Chorus has made donations of concerts, concert tickets, and money to organizations such as San Diego AIDS Foundation, Auntie Helen's Fluff-n-Fold, Mama's Kitchen, Special Delivery, Human Rights National Committee, Creative Response, San Diego American Indian Health Center, San Diego Hospice, Being Alive-San Diego, Fraternity House, and Positively Speaking. The annual Pride benefit concert performed along with other San Diego area gay & lesbian musical organizations was an enduring tradition for many years.
In June 2007, the Chorus teamed up with the San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines International to present "Sing for the Cure," a song cycle chronicling the struggle and survival of breast cancer survivors. The performance included an all-volunteer orchestra and featured celebrity narrator Nichelle Nichols, star of the original "Star Trek." The performance was a benefit for the local chapter of Komen for the Cure.
The Chorus initiated a "Youth & Arts" program in Fall 2007, and hosted San Diego County high school students for free music workshops and a preview of its holiday concert, with the assistance of major contributor Qualcomm. The workshops were presented in conjunction with Westwind Brass.
In January 2010, The San Diego Men's Chorus formally merged with The Gay Men's Chorus of San Diego, forming a new performing arts entity titled the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus. Each of the two 'legacy' choruses participated under their separate names in a joint holiday concert at San Diego's Balboa Theatre in December 2009. Subsequently, they have been performing as a combined unit under the new name, with artistic direction by Gary Holt, and a combined total of about a hundred and twenty voices, making it one of the ten largest vocal ensembles in the GALA Choruses organization.
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