LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
D.C. Gay Men's Chorus Returns to Rehoboth |
The Rehoboth Beach Convention Center will be the setting for a benefit concert to raise money for the Sussex County AIDS Committee. The concert, to be held on Saturday evening, June 27, 1998 will feature the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington, DC.
The 150-voice Chorus is celebrating several milestone events in this, its seventeenth season. On March 21 & 22, 1998, GMCW produced its first fully-staged "book musical", Gilbert and Sullivans "Pirates of Penzance", to packed houses and rave revues. Writing in The Washington Post, music critic Joseph McLellan deemed it "a smashing success." In late May the chorus will embark on an historic Scandinavian tour, performing in the capital cities, Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm, Sweden. It will be the first American gay chorus ever to perform in these countries. Founded in 1981, GMCW quickly became a staple of the Washington choral music scene. Over the years, GMCW has performed at the Kennedy Center, the National Theater, the Warner Theater, Constitution Hall, the Lincoln Theater, and Lisner Auditorium on the George Washington University campus, along with a number of venues in and around the District. In addition, GMCW has toured to many of the major cities in the United States. Under the direction of James Holloway, GMCW performs three subscription concerts annually: a holiday concert; a spring concert that alternates between a serious music theme and a musical comedy, and a summer concert that often features appearances by guest choruses. GMCW also appears at a number of community events, including the annual interfaith AIDS service at Washington National Cathedral. At the forefront of the gay and lesbian choral movement, GMCW has won a number of awards, including the Mayors Arts Award for artistic excellence in 1989 and the Washington Area Music Associations WAMMIE award in 1995 for outstanding gospel/inspirational performance. In January 1997 GMCW was honored to perform at "An American Journey", one of the Presidential Inaugural activities. This concert marked the first time that a gay chorus had performed as part of an official inaugural function. The chorus can be heard on its premier CD, "Singing Free", and on "Pride & Joy", a collection of holiday music. "Pride & Joy" was a 1998 nominee for a WAMMIE award and a Gay & Lesbian American Music Award. GMCW produced its first celebrity concert in 1996, "Forever, For Love and For Life: Holly Near" immediately preceding the Candlelight Vigil that accompanied the showing of the NAMES Projects AIDS Memorial Quilt. In the Fall of 1997 it released a third CD, "Proud & Peaceful", a collection of new age and light classics performed by gay and lesbian pianists from around the United States. Tickets for the GMCW concert are $15 each (cash, check payable to SCAC, VISA or MasterCard) and may be purchased at the SCAC Office, 107 South Street, Rehoboth Beach, or by phone with a credit card. Call SCAC at (302) 644-1090 for tickets or information. Hosts Needed to House Gay Mens ChorusThe Gay Mens Chorus of Washington, DC will perform in concert at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, Saturday, June 27, 1998 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the concert which will benefit the Sussex County AIDS Committee (SCAC), a local AIDS Service Organization that provides services for persons with HIV infection and AIDS. "This is the second concert the DC chorus has done for SCAC," explains SCAC Executive Director Glen Pruitt. "In 1995, the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington performed to a packed auditorium in a concert that was well-received by the community." The Chorus donates its services, with only one requestfind housing accommodations for the chorus members for the weekend. "Its very much like having friends come to the beach for the weekend," adds Glen. "Only in this case, theres about 150 friends coming for a visit!" SCAC is seeking persons in the Rehoboth Beach and Lewes area willing to host one or more chorus members on the weekend of June 26 and June 27Friday evening through Sunday morning. The hosts are asked to provide accommodations, while the chorus members will be responsible for their own food and transportation for the weekend. With so many singers coming in for the concert, theyre going to need everyones help. Whether you have room for one singer or the entire first tenor section, your help will make a big difference. To volunteer as a host, purchase tickets, or for more information on the concert, call SCAC, (302) 644-1090. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 4, May 8, 1998. |