Chicago Gay Men's Chorus
Encyclopedia
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
organization in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1983 with fifty-five singers, the chorus currently consists of approximately 150 singing members and over 200 members in total.
History
The Chorus was organized in 1982 in response to an invitation to participate in the first National Gay and Lesbian Choral Festival, Come Out And Sing Together (COAST). The event was staged at New York City’s Lincoln CenterLincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
and featured 1,200 individuals from twelve choruses from across the United States. The fifty-five singers from the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus representing the city of Chicago opened the festival.
After the festival, the Chorus joined choruses from nine other cities to form a musical organization known as Gay And Lesbian Association of Choruses
GALA Choruses
The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses is an international association of LGBT choruses founded in 1982. Its goal is to foster artistic and organizational development within its member choruses. The association includes almost 10,000 vocalists in over 100 associated choruses singing as...
. As one of GALA’s founding member groups, CGMC continues its affiliation with the organization and has performed at every music festival sponsored.
In the years since its debut performance, CGMC became a prominent member of Chicago’s gay and lesbian community and in the city’s arts community as a whole. In 2001, CGMC was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame
The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame is an institution founded in 1991 to honor persons and entities who have made significant contributions to the quality of life or well-being of the LGBT community in Chicago. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley attended nearly every installation ceremony each...
. In 2006, CGMC joined the League of Chicago Theatres. 2006 also marked CGMC's twenty-fifth performance season.
The Chorus performs three large-scale concerts during each performance season, usually at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre, and several other run out performances during the course of each year. The Chorus has sung the National Anthem for Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
games at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, and has performed at several events hosted by Mayor Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
.
Performances and Music
CGMC has a regular yearly performance season that consists of a holiday show, a spring show, and a pride/summer show. The music performed in these concerts ranges from classical to pop to modern music. The Chorus also incorporates a wide range of performance styles into its concerts. In addition to traditional choral material, the concerts often include dance, sets and costumes, and other elements frequently found in musical theater.The spring concerts are often full-scale theatrical productions, frequently presented in a parodic manner. Past spring productions have included The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
, The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, and H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
.
In 2006, the Chorus performed The Ten Commandments: The Musical, an original musical co-written by the group’s Artistic Director, Patrick Sinozich, and a singing member, Bill Larkin. The Chorus has also performed several musical reviews named after Sidetrack, a popular Chicago video nightclub, and based on the club’s weekly show tunes video nights.
In additional to its regular performance season, the Chorus makes appearances for fundraising or community representation purposes. In past years, CGMC has appeared at benefits such as Show of Concern presented by Marshall Field's
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
, World of Chocolate presented by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and Jubilate! presented by Bonaventure House.
The Chorus has also appeared for organizations or at events such as AIDS Walk Chicago, International Mr. Leather
International Mister Leather
International Mister Leather is an international conference and contest of leathermen held annually in May since 1979 in Chicago, Illinois....
, the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade
Chicago Pride Parade
The Chicago Pride Parade, also colloquially called the Chicago Gay Pride Parade or PRIDE Chicago, is the annual gay pride parade held on the last Sunday of June in Chicago, Illinois in the United States...
, and the Illinois Gay and Lesbian Rodeo Association. In addition, the Chorus has made various traveling outreach trips to local cities including Bloomington-Normal and Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
.
The Chorus has made out-of-town appearances in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New Orleans, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Milwaukee, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Miami. The Chorus also frequently hosts Chicago appearances of choruses from some of these same cities, other nearby cities, and European cities such as Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Hamburg, Germany.
CGMC’s 2010-2011 season will feature two major shows: "Christmas Follies- Unplugged," and "Divas," a celebration of numerous female icons in music history. There will not be a Summer/Pride show, instead allowing the chorus to appear in smaller venues throughout the community and Chicagoland area.
Performance History
| Season: | Holiday Show: | Spring Show: | Pride/Summer Show: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012 | Holly Follies | That 80's Show | (No Pride Show) |
| 2010–2011 | Christmas Follies- Unplugged | Divas | (No Pride Show) |
| 2009–2010 | Christmas Follies | ExtrABBAganza | Summer Camp |
| 2008–2009 | Revolt of the Elves | Bad Habits | Over The Rainbow |
| 2007–2008 | Fruitcake | Apple Pie | The Boys are Back in Town |
| 2006–2007 | Favorite Things | Sidetrack V: With a Twist! | 25th Anniversary Bash - LIVE! |
| 2005–2006 | A Cowboy Christmas (with Chi-Town Squares) | The Ten Commandments: The Musical | Midwest Pride 2 (with the Indianapolis Men's Chorus) |
| 2004–2005 | Fa La La La Blah Blah Blah! | In the Mood | CGMC World Tour |
| 2003–2004 | Sassy Brassy Christmas | Low Hanging Fruit | Sisters: Hands Across the Water (with Schola Canterosa and Windy City Gay Chorus) |
| 2002–2003 | Carols At the Spinet | Just A Little Song and Dance | Viva L'Amour (with Hersong) |
| 2001–2002 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | Sidetrack IV: Bottoms Up! | Love in Black and White |
| 2000–2001 | Cool Yule | 2001: A Gay Odyssey | Midwest Pride (with Heartland Men's Chorus) |
| 1999–2000 | Ho! Ho! Ho! | H.M.S. Pinafore | Pride on the Pier (with Windy City Gay Chorus and Unison) |
| 1998–1999 | Winter Solstice | Men in Musicals | Is It Safe to Come Out Yet? |
| 1997–1998 | Make the Yuletide Gay | Forbidden Halsted | True Pride |
| 1996–1997 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | Sidetrack III: Last Call | We're Still Here |
| 1995–1996 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice (with The Derivative Duo and About Face Theater Collective) | Sidetrack II: A Hangover | One Night Only |
| 1994–1995 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | Sidetrack: The Musical Review | Is That Pride in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Glad to See Me? |
| 1993–1994 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice (with Waukegan Concert Chorus and Christmas Spirit) | The Mikado | Lions and Rhinos and Bears... Oh My! |
| 1992–1993 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | Still Crazy After All These Years | Très Gay (with Noot Aan De Man, Amsterdam Gay Men's Chorus and Tampa Bay Gay Men's Chorus) |
| 1991–1992 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | The Wizard of Oz | Let's Call the Whole Thing Off |
| 1990–1991 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | The Wizard of Oz | Takin' a Chance on Love (with The Akasha Dance Company) |
| 1989–1990 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice (with the women of Waukegan Concert Chorus) | Pirates of Penzance | Headed for the Future (with Chi-Town Squares) |
| 1988–1989 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice (with The Great Lakes Freedom Band) | Pirates of Penzance | Old Friends (with Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida) |
| 1987–1988 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice (with Stardust and The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Chorus) | Nobody Does It Like Me | They Dance So Well, Why Must They Try to Sing? (with The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Chorus) |
| 1986–1987 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | (No Spring Concert) | You Gotta Have Friends (with Artemis Singers) |
| 1985–1986 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice | The Wonderful World of CGMC | La Chic (with Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles - About :The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles has been a notable part of the Southern California performing arts community for over twenty-eight years... ) |
| 1984–1985 | Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty & Nice (with Artemis Singers) | CGMC and Other Musical Instruments | Together (with New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus) |
| 1984 | Ha, Ha, Ha! Ho, Ho, Ho! And a Couple of Tra, La Las | Here We Go Again | Start Us With 10 |
| 1983 | - | Premiere Show | Pride 1983 |
Membership
The Chorus membership is divided into singing members and auxiliary members. The majority of the members are gay men, but the Chorus has a written policy to welcome all persons to the group regardless of sex, race, creed, or sexual orientation.Singing members belong to one of the four singing sections; first- and second-tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, and bass. Most of these voices are divided into upper and lower subsections. To become a singing member of the Chorus, a prospective member must have a successful audition with the artistic director, and re-audition every two years. Non-performing auxiliary members are individuals who are tasked with behind the scenes duties in support of the mission of the Chorus.
Each of the three shows of the performance season has a nine to thirteen week preparation period consisting of weekly three hour rehearsals. The holiday and spring concerts are usually thirteen weeks long with the pride/summer concert preparation period generally being shorted to nine weeks. In addition to the weekly rehearsals, there are a small number of optional sectional and full Chorus rehearsals that take place during each preparation period.
All music for the three concerts of the season are performed “off book” meaning all songs must be completely memorized. With a few exceptions, nearly all run out performances are also performed with memorized music. Run out performances may consist of pieces that the Chorus is working on for an upcoming concert, pieces performed at a recent concert, or selections from the permanent repertoire of the Chorus.
Organization
The Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus is a non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
. Membership dues, ticket sales, performance fees, CD sales, and individual and corporate donations support the operation of the Chorus in addition to grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs’ City Arts grant program.
The Artistic Director leads the artistic staff of the Chorus, which consists of an Assistant Conductor, Artistic Administrator, Accompanists, Choreographers, a music librarian, and a music researcher. The Artistic Director, Artistic Administrator, Assistant Conductor, and Accompanists are paid positions while the others are volunteer positions filled by the Chorus membership.
The Chorus also employs a full-time General Manager, but relies significantly on volunteer work by its members to support its activities.
The Chorus is governed by a Board of Directors, which is responsible for governing the strategic and fiscal operation of the Chorus, which is largely carried out by a system of committees. Members of the Board of Directors consist of members from the Chorus itself or from the general community, and candidates are selected by the Elections Committee. The Board of Directors is led by an Executive Committee made of up the Board President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The Chorus also elects a Membership Council, which is responsible for all membership-related activities including retention and recruitment of Chorus members, organizing auditions, tracking attendance and member communications. Members of the Membership Council are elected from active singing members of the Chorus, and candidates are selected by the Elections Committee. Upon election, the council selects a Council President and representatives for each singing section of the Chorus.
The operational committees of the Chorus include four standing committees and a number of subcommittees with members appointed by the Board President and Board of Directors. The four standing committees are Finance, Fundraising, Performance, and Marketing.
Recordings
In November 2001, the Chorus released its first CD entitled Cool Yule, featuring holiday music with jazz-inspired arrangements. The group’s second CD, I Will Be Loved Tonight, was released in December 2004 and is a collection of songs dealing with relationships and love. In 2006, the Chorus released its first collection of live recordings, Favorite Things, with live concert performances of holiday songs popular with the group’s audiences.External links
- Chicago Gay Men's Chorus Official website
- GALA Choruses Official website