New York City Gay Men's Chorus

The New York City Gay Men's Chorus is a choral organization in New York City that has been presenting an annual concert season for more than three decades. Historyedit: The New York City Gay Men's Chorus (NYCGMC) was founded in August 1980 under the leadership of conductor Gary Miller. Their first season culminated in a sold out concert with the Riverside Symphony at Alice Tully Hall in June 1981 which featured new pieces or newly arranged works by Leonard Bernstein, Jack Gottlieb, Calvin Hampton, John Mueter, Stephen Sondheim, and Glen Vecchione. Music critic Allen Hughes in his review in The New York Times wrote: "The chorus is less than a year old, having been organized last August, but there was nothing about it that suggested immaturity. Musicianship and diction were exemplary, the dark tuxedos worn by all singers made for neat appearance, and the entrances and exits had been planned to achieve optimum efficiency, dignity and style." In 1982 the chorus became one of the founding members of the GALA Choruses along with The Stonewall Chorale, the Anna Crusis Women's Choir, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and a handful of other choruses and the following year the chorus was host to the "first national gay choral festival" presented by GALA at Alice Tully Hall. In addition to the NYCGMC, the festival featured performances by gay choruses from Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, Madison, Wis., Anaheim, Calif., and New Orleans. The festival featured two world premieres: Libby Larsen's Everyone Sang and Ned Rorem's Whitman Cantata. In 1984 the chorus performed at the Eastern Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). It was the first time that the ACDA had featured a gay chorus at one of its conventions. In 1985 the NYCGMC participated in a high profile AIDS Benefit, The Best of the Best: A Show of Concern, at the Metropolitan Opera House; appearing alongside such legends as Burt Bacharach, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Carole Bayer Sager, Carol Burnett, Ellen Burstyn, Colleen Dewhurst, Marilyn Horne, Melissa Manchester, Bette Midler, Christopher Reeve, Brooke Shields, Lily Tomlin, and Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The chorus has continued to perform regularly in benefits for a variety of organizations and causes, including arts education funding for New York schools. Throughout its history the NYCGMC has been committed to supporting contemporary composers. In 1985 the chorus established an annual choral competition, the first winner of which was John Burge's Songs of War. In a July 1985 review music critic Bernard Holland wrote: "The creation of homosexual singing ensembles in recent years provides more than just a sense of cultural community. Good music for concerted male voices has occupied major composers only marginally in the past, and enthusiastic performers such as the New York City Gay Men's Chorus are providing an outlet and an inspiration for new music." As of 2011 the NYCGMC has commissioned more than 100 choral works, including Conrad Susa's The Chanticleer's Carol (1981),Stuart Raleigh's Words for the Future (1985),David Conte's Invocation and Dance (1987), and Frank Ferko's Humoresques (1987). European Concert Toursedit: In 1988 the NYCGMC became the first American gay chorus to tour Europe with performances in London, Amsterdam, Cologne, Germany and Paris. The performances were all used as benefits for the local communities to raise funds to combat the AIDS crisis in those cities. In London, the concert was hosted by Ian McKellen and featured the iconic Eartha Kitt. The Chorus would return to Europe in 1991 to promote their third recording - Love Lives On. This tour featured performances in London, Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin, Munich and Paris. Again the performances raised funds for local AIDS charities. In London the host for the concert was Simon Callow. In Amsterdam the Chorus performed in a concert benefit for the Dutch National AIDS Fund. The concert, Friends For Life, featured soprano Roberta Alexandra and the Dutch National Police Band. The concert was recorded as well as televised on national television. The Chorus toured Europe a third time in 1998, sharing the stage with the Seattle Men's Chorus. This tour covered Barcelona, Spain, Paris, Amsterdam and London. In addition to their own performance in Amsterdam, the choruses also took part in the cultural part of the Gay Games V. Performance Historyedit: Season Holiday Concert Spring Concert Pride Concert 2012-2013 An American Holiday Big Gay Sing 5: Broadway America the Beautiful? 2011-2012 Holiday House of Love Big Gay Sing 4 What Now?(!) 2010-2011 Sing Your Brass Off! Big Gay Sing 3D (Accentuate the) Positive 2009-2010 Together at Town Hall Big Gay Sing 2 High 2008-2009 Holiday Spectacular Big Gay Sing Outreach Performances 2007-2008 Holiday Spectacular Take the A Train (NJPAC) Vibrate 2006-2007 Holiday Spectacular Classically NYCGMC Take the A Train 2005-2006 Holiday Spectacular You Oughta Be in Pictures Our Journey 2004-2005 Silver Bells Absolutely 80s Season in Pride 2003-2004 Twisted Holiday A Great Generation Out on Broadway 2002-2003 A Holiday Homecoming Viva La Diva Pride for All Ages 2001-2002 Holiday Flourish We Are Family Music for Michael Mouse 2000-2001 Ring in the Season 2001: A Choral Odyssey Diversity 1999-2000 Comfort and Joy Old Friends A Gay Century Songbook 1998-1999 Seasons of the Heart Swellegant Elegance Common Ground 1997-1998 Near to Us Once More The Man I Love Look to the Rainbow 1996-1997 A Christmas Garland Jerry's Boys Naked Man 1995-1996 Deck the Hall! With a Song in Our Heart Out with Our Friends 1994-1995 A Family Holiday Operatincs Out with Our Friends 1993-1994 Making Spirits Bright Live In Concert Flashpoint/Stonewall 1992-1993 Joyful and Triumphant! Reel Music Our Songs Have Changed Us 1991-1992 Wassail! Bernstein! Proud! 1990-1991 Deck the Hall! Anything Cole Diversity! 1989-1990 Masters in This Hall Rhapsody Toasting the Tenth 1988-1989 Noel! Noel! Sondheim Tonight! Together in Pride! 1987-1988 Welcome Yule! Ten Cents a Dance! Share the Pride! 1986-1987 Deck the Hall! NYCGMC: The Movie! We, the People! 1985-1986 Home for the Holidays In Living Color! A Bi-Coastal Affair! 1984-1985 A Holiday Sampler Back to Broadway Singing Out Proud! 1983-1984 Home for the Holidays One Night Only! Together at Last 1982-1983 Winter Settings Fascinatin' Rhythms In Concert 1981-1982 Christmas at Carnegie Hall Valentine's Concert At Alice Tully Hall 1980 - 1981 Live at Cooper Union This Time Broadway Testament of Freedom Notable guest artistsedit: Many notable entertainers and ensembles have performed with the NYCGMC as guest artists or hosted NYCGMC concerts, including the following: Roberta Alexander, Mitchell Anderson, Ant, Jim Bailey, Kaye Ballard, Michele Bautler, John Bayliss, Laurie Beechman, Hunter Bell, Vicki Belmonte, BETTY, Harolyn Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff, Stephen Bogardus, Jeff Bowen, Stephen Brinberg, Betty Buckley, Julie Budd, Charles Busch, Dean Butler, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Michael Callen, Simon Callow, Carolee Carmello, David Carroll, Joyce Castle, Carol Channing, Stockard Channing, Walter Charles, Kristin Chenoweth, Petula Clark, Victoria Clark, Kay Cole, Judy Collins, Betty Comden and Adolf Green, Barbara Cook, Daugherty and Field, Jim David, Frenchie Davies, Shane Davis, Kathryn Day, Lea DeLaria, Loretta Devine, Colleen Dewhurst, Baby Jane Dexter, Denny Dillon, Debra Ann Draper, Nancy Dussault, George Dvorsky, Daisy Eagan, Faith Esham, Holly Faris, Tovah Feldshuh, Tommy Femia, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Harvey Fierstein, The Flirtations, Beth Fowler, Joy Franz, Helen Gallagher, Joanna Gleason, Emily Golden, Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Kevin Gray, Amanda Green, Ellen Greene, Joel Grey, Jerry Hadley, Stephen Hanan, Ann Harada, Mary Cleere Haran, Sam Harris, Debbie Harry, Gean Harwood, Constance Hauman, Jerry Herman, Peggy Hewitt, The High-Heeled Women, Mimi Hines, Jackie Hoffman, Marilyn Horne, Hot Lavender, Harry Huff, Karen Huffstodt, Imperial Court of New York, George S. Irving, Jimmy James, James Judy, Just Good Friends, Judy Kaye, Lainie Kazan, Larry Kert, Jessica Kirson, Eartha Kitt, Terri Klausner, Philip Koch, Alexandra Korey, Julie Kurnitz, Coco LaChine, Nancy LaMott, Cyndi Lauper, Debby Lennon, Jenifer Lewis, Larry Lipnik, Emily Loesser, Dorothy Loudon, Greg Louganis, Rebecca Luker, Heather MacRae, Indira Mahajan, Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Karen Mason, Armistead Maupin, Liz McCartney, Julia McGirt, Maureen McGovern, Sir Ian McKellen, John McMartin, Terrence McNally, Sharon McNight, Marilyn Michaels, Theodora Middleton, Liza Minnelli, Liliane Montevecchi, Melba Moore, Rita Moreno, Kim Morgan, Julie Murney, Mystery Date, Holly Near, Bebe Neuwirth, Scott Nevins, Phyllis Newman, Marni Nixon, Philip Officer, Kelli O'Hara, Kurt Ollmann, Robert Osborne, Our Lady J, Anders Paulsson, Rosie Perez, Roberta Peters, Billy Porter, Faith Prince, Sondra Radvanovsky, Ron Raines, Meredith Rawlins, Lee Roy Reams, Rex Reed, Ann Reinking, Caroline Rhea, Alice Ripley, Bobby Rivers, Joan Rivers, Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Jamie Rocco, Jai Rodriguez, Ned Rorem, George Rose, Justin Ross, Michael Rupert, Vito Russo, Roz Ryan, Camille Saviola, Joe Sears, Jane Shaulis, Thos Shipley, Christopher Sieber, Ira Siff, Emily Skinner, Randy Skinner, Richard Skipper, Liz Smith, Marilyn Sobol, Stephen Sondheim, David Staller, Elly Stone, Mollie Stone, Billy Stritch, Elaine Stritch, Jo Sullivan, KT Sullivan, David Summers, Terry Sweeney, Sylvia Syms, John Tartaglia, Indra Thomas, Benita Valente, Danitra Vance, Robert Verdi, Deborah Voigt, Frederica von Stade, Claudia Waite, David Walker, Fredi Walker-Browne, Cynthia Watters, Elizabeth Welch, Westminster Concert Bell Choir, Alton Fitgerald White, Lillias White, Terri White, Margaret Whiting, Jaston Williams, Julie Wilson, B.D. Wong, Arthur Woodley, Rachel York, Karen Ziemba

Source: Wikipedia

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