Note from Doni: Below is a recent conversation between myself and Dr. Kathleen McGuire, Artistic Director & Conductor of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, about the group’s upcoming Saturday concert at the Cascade Theatre. This is the first leg of the SFGMC’s 2010 California Freedom Tour, a partnership with the Shasta County Arts Council and the Stonewall Alliance Center.
Q: I know you’re very busy, so I’m grateful you took the time to answer a few questions for anewscafe.com. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will perform its Redding concert on Jan. 30, followed by a concert in Chico the following day. We’ve heard that one of your singers is from Redding. Is this typical, that the places to which you travel might be one of the singer’s home town?
Our members come from all over the country (and also other countries), and yes, some are from the towns we’re visiting. It’s exciting for them for us to visit their home towns. Some singers are bringing their family members to the concert, who’ve never before seen the chorus perform.
Q: What can the Redding audience expect?
We’re bringing about 100 singers. The concert is in two acts with intermission. The program is a mixture of many styles, including Broadway, gospel, pop, Barbershop, with some campy bits and some more serious music, too – something for everyone. It will be a lot of fun, and sometimes a little educational, too. The program is suitable for the whole family. A surprise on the Redding and Chico tour is our specials guests, Doin’ It Justice – a mixed, community chorus from Chico. One of the founding members was a former member of SFGMC.
Q: When you look at the individuals who make up the SFGMC, how would you describe the range?
The members of SFGMC range from early twenties to seventies, from all walks of life, and with many diverse interests, backgrounds and professions. The membership is as diverse as the gay community.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, starting with how long you’ve conducted SFGMC?
I’m an Australian-born lesbian. This is my tenth season with SFGMC. Before San Francisco, I lived in Colorado for four years (where I completed my doctorate in music). Before that I did my masters degree in England. I’ve been conducting for almost 30 years. I have a gay brother and a lesbian aunt. My brother founded Australia’s first gay and lesbian chorus in 1990.
Q: How many concerts does SFGMC do each year?
SFGMC has five major programs each year as part of a subscription series, plus at least 30 community outreach appearances including annual touring to Modesto, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz.
Q: Forgive me if this is a tacky question that you’re sick of answering, but do people ever express surprise that a woman is SFGMC’s conductor?
The shock factor of seeing a woman conducting a group of men has worn off these days, since I’ve been there since 2000. The focus is on the men, which is what’s important. I bring another layer of diversity to the organization, but really it’s all about the music and not my gender.
Q: Is SFGMC ever accused of discrimination, since it’s a choral group made up solely of gay men?
Men who do not identify as gay are welcome to join the chorus, provided they are at least 18 years of age and support the mission statement: The mission of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus is to inspire its audience, members and the world through high-quality choral experiences. Women are welcome to be part of the organization and serve in various capacities (e.g. conductor, administrative staff, board of directors, committees).
Q: How do you and your chorus members feel about performing in areas – like Shasta County – that are predominantly conservative?
We’re very excited to be performing in conservative areas. That is how we can change hearts and minds and support those who need us. When Prop 8 passed in California, we knew there was still much for us to do outside San Francisco but in our own state.
Q: How has SFGMC been received in other communities?
When we first performed in Modesto in 2001, our posters were torn down all over town. Now, our annual concert there raises $30,000 each December for the local AIDS charity. We’ve been welcomed by open arms and help a lot of people in the process. Since 2000, we’ve help to raised over $400,000 for charities in the towns we visit. We hope to help our partners in Redding and Chico, too.
Q: I look forward to meeting you and hearing the SFGMC’s Redding concert at the beautiful Cascade Theatre. Is there anything else you’d like to say?
The passage of Prop 8 showed that there is still a great deal of work to be done in our own backyard when it comes to acceptance of the LGBT community. The Chorus changes hearts and minds in places where our voices need to be heard. We believe that to accept us, you must know us. It is by telling our stories, and through our culture, that this happens.
In 2010, SFGMC will embark on a tour of five California cities: Redding, Chico, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Tracy. The tour is in three trips with the first leg in Chico and Redding later this month; the second will take us to Fresno and Bakersfield in May. The final leg will be Tracy in July. Approximately 100 chorus members will travel by bus to each destination. The CA Freedom Tour has been funded by private donors. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit PFLAG and local partners at each location. In Redding, the local partner is Shasta Arts Council; in Chico, the local partner is Stonewall Alliance.
Concert information:
Redding – Cascade Theatre
Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Benefiting PFLAG and the Shasta County Arts Council
Tickets: CascadeTheatre.com or call 530.243.8877
Chico – Harlen Adams Theatre, California State University, Chico
Jan. 31, 2 p.m.
Benefiting PFLAG and Stonewall Alliance Center
Tickets: ChicoPerformances.com or call 530.898.6333
For more information about the SFGMC click here.
(Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.)
Independent online journalist Doni Greenberg founded what’s now known as anewscafe.com in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke of the Czech Republic. Prior to 2007 Greenberg was an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She lives in Northern California in the tiny town of Igo.
