Wednesday, 2/11/09

On Saturday, February 21 you will have the opportunity to attend a wonderful concert by the GMCW small ensemble, Rock Creek Singers, conducted by GMCW's assistant director, Thea Kano. Please don't miss it. It is an especially important concert as RCS will be singing songs that were either commissioned by or arranged for gay choruses. The GLBT choral movement has existed for more than 30 years. The wealth of music that has been created provides a legacy for some of the most important social and political issues that the GLBT community has faced, especially in the last 40 years since the Stonewall Riots. From breast cancer to AIDS to GLBT families, the music of gay choruses continues to be a passionate reflection of GLBT history.

GMCW will welcome special guests — the Gay Men's Chorus of Charlotte. GMCC is a young chorus, founded just 3 years ago by their artistic director, John Quillin. One week after the concert in DC, Rock Creek Singers will travel to Charlotte to sing with GMCC at their Spring concert, Platinum Blonde.

One of the special joys of being in a gay chorus is the opportunity to sing with other choruses. There are two other joint projects that are also taking place this season. Several GMCW members will be traveling to Ft. Lauderdale to sing two performances of the 2008 GMCW commission, Songs of My Family. I will have the great pleasure of conducting this joint concert with the Ft. Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus and the Miami Gay Men's Chorus. If you are in Ft. Lauderdale on Friday, March 13 or Saturday, March 14, please come and see the concert. Tickets are available by going to www.ftlgmc.org.

GMCW's a cappella small ensemble Potomac Fever will be traveling to New Mexico to sing two concerts with the New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus in Albuquerque and in Santa Fe on April 25 and 26. We are especially excited to be singing the Sunday afternoon concert at Rainbow Visions, one of the first gay retirement communities in the country.

It continues to be an exciting year for GMCW.

Jeff