Inaugural Wrap-Up: Tuesday, 1/27/09

When I received the call from the Obama inaugural committee on Friday, January 9 about GMCW singing in the opening inaugural concert I was in San Antonio at the GALA (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, Inc.) Leadership Meeting. I had the great opportunity to spend several days with my fellow Artistic Directors from GLBT choruses. There are nearly 200 GLBT choruses in the gay chorus movement. We spent our days discussing concert repertoire, fundraising, ticketing systems, economic issues (considering the current economy), marketing, and membership issues. The best part was spending time with my peers, sharing our experiences and coming away with lots of ideas for GMCW.

When I received the phone call from the inaugural committee, I was in the middle of a meeting with the artistic directors. I left the room to answer the call (which is very out of character for me). When I returned I had the thrill of sharing the great news with my fellow directors. They were as excited as I was, as our appearance at the inaugural concert reflects the work that all of the GLBT choruses do across the country. We sing to promote change. Since our inaugural performance I have received many congratulatory e-mails from my fellow directors, but even more e-mails from gay chorus singers who were very moved by our performance. GMCW has a lot to be proud of.

FYI … I have never blogged before so I am avoiding turning this blog into formal articles, which come more naturally to me.

More great news … Taunee Grant, our new Director of Marketing and Communications began working with us on January 5. The dynamic energy that Taunee is bringing to the organization is wonderful. I am convinced that we will have an even greater presence in the community.

We are having a great time working on everything gAy to Z. Get your tickets to the March 21-22 ASAP so that you can get the best seats.

Update: Tuesday, 1/20/09

Tonight, singing at the inaugural ball Out for Equality: the LGBT Community Commemoration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden's Inauguration, our small ensemble Potomac Fever brings to an exciting close the two-week frenzy of preparation, changes, and preparation again that has characterized GMCW's inaugural festivities performances. But what a welcome frenzy it has been!

Potomac Fever has been included in every list of performers in the ads prepared since they were invited ... listed as Potomac Fever from the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC. Kudos to the event planners for their inclusiveness. Other performers include Melisssa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Thelma Houston and Rufus Wainwright.

All 13 singers will perform a set scheduled for 7:15 pm at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel. If you'll be there, don't miss them!

This is another proud moment for GMCW.

Queen Latifah tells of Marian Anderson's concert at this very location 70 years ago; the video of Ms. Anderson's simple, beautiful and profound redition of "My Country Tis of Thee" blends into our new arrangement of that song; Josh Groban begins to sing; and we are speeding to our places on stage behind a wall of American flags that would soon part to reveal 100 of us in tuxes and red ties. It looked great on HBO, but the best view in the house was ours: a sea of more than 500,000 people stretched to the Washington Monument and beyond — President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden and their families seated just a few feet away at the edge of the stage built on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Filled with great pride, joy, and hope, the members of GMCW sing their hearts out as we play a role in the making of history. There on stage, along the National Mall, throughout Washington, DC, and across the country there is an overwhelming feeling that positive change is in the air and the GLBT community is not marginalized.

There is a bit of controversy that GMCW was not mentioned during our performance (we were not the only chorus uncredited). This does not and will not diminish the significance of the moment: that we were there, singing as openingly gay men. I have to admit that blogs are new to me ... but I've been keeping up with several. There's tremendous support for GMCW's participation in the concert.

Not as supportive are the ultra-conservative blogs. I have been amused by the far right's negative reaction as the news spread that an openly gay bishop would give the invocation and that GMCW would perform. Their mantra was not surprising: "Keep your children away from this sinful concert!" I know that the work GMCW and all GLBT choruses do will continue to change hearts and minds. For our part, GMCW is daily rededicated to our mission to Entertain, Educate and Affirm. We are proud that we have given over 2000 free tickets to youth over the last 7 seasons and we are excited that, 40 years after the Stonewall Riots, GMCW will be celebrating "everything GAY" by filling the house with high school and college students for a FREE performance of our March show everything gAy to Z.

Update: Friday, 1/16/09

This is a monumental and historic week for GMCW as we will be singing at two different events during the inauguration festivities of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

This Sunday, January 18, 100 of our 250 singers will be singing “My Country Tis of Thee” at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, the first of many official events sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. The chorus will join Josh Groban and Heather Headley for this performance. The performance is at 2 pm with the free HBO broadcast at 7 pm on Sunday evening.

GMCW takes immense symbolic satisfaction that we will sing at the Lincoln Memorial, where so many others have spoken and sung to achieve equality. In 1939 the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for Marian Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. Thousands of DAR members, including first Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, resigned from DAR. This led to a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial by Ms. Andersen on Easter Sunday in 1939. She opened the concert with a stirring rendition of “My Country Tis of Thee” to a crowd of more than 75,000 of all colors and a national radio audience of millions. The inclusion of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington in the inauguration opening ceremonies singing “My Country Tis of Thee” is another significant historic moment that will help put a face and give a voice to gay equality.

GMCW’s small ensemble POTOMAC FEVER will be singing at the inaugural ball “Out for Equality: The LGBT Community Commemoration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s inauguration. The event is on Tuesday, January 20 at D.C.’s Renaissance Mayflower Hotel.

We are celebrating a new day dawning in our nation’s capital. We hope that all our nations’ citizens – gay and straight can live out the American dream. As President-Elect Obama begins his presidency, we move closer to a time when the dream of equality for all is fulfilled.

Wednesday, 1/14/09

You might imagine we're all excited to have been invited to perform at the opening ceremony for Barack Obama's inaugural and to have our small ensemble, Potomac Fever, performing at the GLBT Inaugural Ball! HBO's producers are working hard on the evolving performance line-up for the ceremony to be televised from the Lincoln Memorial, but we aren't yet permitted to announce what we're singing or which headliners we're singing with, as that has changed once already since we were invited five days ago — so much has happened so quickly, it seems like weeks!

This is an historic moment for GMCW and really the entire Gay Choral Movement. Our press release is here. I only wish that the entire GMCW family could be with us on stage. The producers have asked us to limit the number of chorus members to 100, a very tough task for an organization that values inclusion. That said, our members understand the tremendous honor this brings to the organization and have expressed great pride in our selection. I know they will be there in spirit, which makes me all the more proud of them.

I hope you'll check our website daily, as we hope to share more details as we know them and can share them. I'll blog more as soon as we have permission to release more information.

What a historic moment!
Jeff