The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. (GMCW), is one of the oldest

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

choral organizations in the United States. With more than 300 singing members, it is also one of the largest. The chorus's stated mission is that it "delights audiences and champions gay equality with robust artistry, fun, and surprise."The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC
/ref> In addition to singing members, GMCW has nearly 100 support volunteers, 400 subscribers, 500 donors and an annual audience of nearly 10,000. The parent organization is the Federal City Performing Arts Association, Inc., and GMCW is a member of

GALA Choruses The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses ("GALA Choruses") is an international association of LGBT choruses founded in 1982. In its inaugural performance 14 choruses performed together in September 1982 in San Francisco as part of the first Gay ...

. The chorus was established in 1981 by enthusiasts of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus who attended a local performance at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

Concert Hall. In the time since its founding, GMCW has performed locally at the Kennedy Center, the National Theatre, the Warner Theatre,

DAR Constitution Hall DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall located at 1776 D Street NW, near the White House in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew Me ...

, the Lincoln Theatre and, most frequently,

Lisner Auditorium Lisner Auditorium is a performance venue sited on the Foggy Bottom campus of The George Washington University, at 730 21st Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. Named for Abram Lisner (1852-1938), a university trustee and benefactor whose will provid ...

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

. The chorus performed at

President Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

’s second inauguration in 1997. In 1998, the chorus toured three Scandinavian capitals. While there, GMCW was received by Sweden’s Princess Christina to thank members for singing in support of Noah’s Ark, a Swedish AIDS services organization. During its 20th-anniversary season in 2000–2001, GMCW performed at Carnegie Hall and Boston’s Symphony Hall in joint concerts with the gay men’s choruses of Boston and New York City. In December 2002, GMCW performed as part of the televised 25th annual Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to Elizabeth Taylor. The chorus has commissioned original works for men’s chorus, such as ''Changing Hearts'' in 2004 and ''Songs of My Family'' in 2007. Both works were featured on CD releases subsequent to their inaugural performances on stage. GMCW performs three subscription concerts annually: holiday-themed (December), spring (March) and summer (June), which opens Washington’s annual week-long Capital Pride celebration. In addition, in 2007 and 2008, the chorus performed a non-subscription concert of classical fare in February, between the holiday and spring concerts. There are occasional smaller, also non-subscription productions, such as an auditioned

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

concert in October or November. The chorus makes appearances at local community events, including programs for

PFLAG PFLAG is the United States' first and largest organization uniting parents, families, and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+). PFLAG National is the national organization, which provides support t ...

, Whitman-Walker Clinic and the Human Rights Campaign. The chorus sponsors five small ensembles: Potomac Fever, an '' a cappella'' close-harmony group, Rock Creek Singers, a

chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations * Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics * Debate chamber, the space or room that houses delib ...

choir, GenOUT, an LGBTQI supportive chorus for DC area youth, Seasons of Love, a gospel choir, and 17th Street Dance, a dance troupe. These ensembles serve as representatives of the larger chorus at community functions, and each produces an annual concert. The records of the GMCW are cared for by the Special Collections Research Center in the Estelle and Melvin

Gelman Library The Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, more commonly known as Gelman Library, is the main library of The George Washington University, and is located on its Foggy Bottom campus. The Gelman Library, the Eckles Library on the Mount Vernon campus a ...

of the

.Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC records
Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University

HistoryCompiled by Greg D. Kubiak, with contributions by Roger Bergstrom, Jeremy Brumbelow, Bill Cutter, Andrew Harmon, Rick Rosendall, Duward Sumner and printed, authored materials from the GMCW archives.

June 28, 1981: After the national tour performance of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus at the

10 days earlier, Marsha Pearson had distributed fliers announcing a meeting to organize a gay men’s chorus. The meeting occurred in the old Gay Community Center at 1469 Church Street in Northwest Washington with 18 men, and the GMCW was born. Jim Richardson became the new organization’s Interim Director with the first rehearsals being held at the center, and later at the First Congregational Church in downtown Washington. Sept. 23, 1981: At the invitation of D.C. Mayor

Marion Barry Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as the second and fourth mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Barry had served ...

, GMCW’s debut performance occurred at a reception at the District Building, to mark the opening of the

National Gay Task Force The National LGBTQ Task Force is an American social justice advocacy non-profit organizing the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Also known as The Task Force, the organization supports ac ...

’s Washington office (later the NGLTF). Also that month, GMCW established its management umbrella, incorporating the Federal City Performing Arts Association (FCPAA), as a non-profit educational organization whose goal was "to provide first-rate music in performance by and for Washington’s gay and lesbian community and the community-at-large." Dec. 12, 1981: With nearly 90 members, the chorus performed its first holiday concert, jointly with the DC Area Feminist Chorus and Different Drummers, at the First Congregational Church to a standing-room-only audience of close to 1,000. March 17, 1982: GMCW’s debut concert – under direction of its first permanent music director, Nick Armstrong – was performed at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill. Selections were also performed by GMCW’s two smaller ensembles — the Sine Nomine Singers, a 16-member chamber group and A Few Good Men, a 20-member song-and-dance troupe. Sept. 9, 1983: The COAST (Come Out And Sing Together) Festival not only marked the first "road trip" for the Chorus outside the Washington-Baltimore area, but also provided the experience of performing in a real concert venue – the

Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assist ...

at the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

. It was also the first national gay choral festival – bringing eleven groups together from around the country – established by the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses. Oct. 8, 1984: GMCW performed at the National Theatre for its "Monday Night at the National" for a mostly straight audience. The Chorus concluded their concert with the gospel-style "Walk Him Up the Stairs", and received a standing ovation. Dec. 13, 1985: GMCW presented an evening performance of its holiday concert, donating the proceeds of $5,700 to the Whitman-Walker Clinic in its fight against AIDS. (The GMCW Holiday Concert was inaugurated in 1984.) June 21, 1986: The Chorus celebrated its 5th anniversary by returning to the place of its inspiration – the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center. DC First Lady Effi Barry read a Mayoral proclamation declaring "Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Day" and introduced the Chorus. July 2, 1988: GMCW sang at the funeral of

Leonard Matlovich Technical Sergeant Leonard Phillip Matlovich (July 6, 1943 – June 22, 1988) was an American Vietnam War veteran, race relations instructor, and recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He was the first gay service member to purposely ...

, a decorated Vietnam veteran who was discharged from the Air Force in 1975 for declaring his homosexuality. Oct. 15, 1989: The Chorus was allowed to participate in the AIDS Healing Service at the Washington National Cathedral under its own name after a significant struggle for recognition. GMCW was asked to participate in the 1988 service, only to have the invitation "rescinded because the Episcopal hierarchy deemed us too 'political'", according to one member. (While they did participate, it was not under the GMCW name.) Chorus leadership pursued the issue in 1989 and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church yielded. Jan. 19, 1997: The chorus performed an 11-number set at the Smithsonian Institution’s American History Museum on the eve of the 53rd Presidential Inaugural – the first time a gay choral group was invited to participate in such a national event. June 28, 1997: On its 16th anniversary of formation, the Chorus was joined by the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus at the Lisner Auditorium to perform the DC premiere of "NakedMan", to which a review noted, "GMCW always produces a slick, highly professional staging." May 28, 1998: GMCW launched it first overseas tour to Scandinavia, visiting Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen. In Stockholm, GMCW was received by Sweden’s Princess Christina, and in Copenhagen, they became the first gay chorus to sing in the Tivoli Gardens concert hall. April 2, 2001: The Chorus performed at Carnegie Hall as part of their 20th anniversary season joint concerts with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. June 16, 2001: The 20th-anniversary gala concert was held at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with special guest the

San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) is the world's first openly gay chorus, one of the world's largest male choruses and the group most often credited with creating the LGBT choral movement. The chorus was founded by gay music pioneer Jo ...

. Dec. 8, 2002: GMCW participated in taping the 25th Annual Kennedy Center Honors — the first nationally televised performance by the Chorus — telecast on Dec. 26, 2002, on CBS. The chorus was invited to perform in tribute to one of the honorees, Elizabeth Taylor. The audience included the President, Vice President, Cabinet secretaries, congressmen and leaders in government, business and the entertainment industry. Gay Mens Chorus of Washington DC

June 4, 2005: The Pride Concert not only included a reprise of ''NakedMan'' — with special guests the Ft. Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus — but also presentation of the "Capital Pride Director’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Commitment to the GLBT Community in Washington". June 25, 2006: Culminating its 25th anniversary season, the chorus closed with "Singing Free!" with special guest

Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...

at the Kennedy Center. The single performance concert weekend included an alumni reception celebration the night before, and special chorus and guest party after the concert. January 18, 2009: The chorus performed in '' We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial'' as back-up vocals for a duet of "My Country ’Tis of Thee" with

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...

and Heather Headley. October 11, 2009: The chorus performed in the pre-concert rally for the

National Equality March The National Equality March was a national political rally that occurred October 11, 2009 in Washington, D.C. It called for equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in all matters governed by civil law in all 5 ...

at the West Front of the United States Capitol Building. March 19, 2010: GMCW staged an all-male version of the musical '' Grease''. Dec. 4, 2010: GMCW participated in taping the 33rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors, telecast on Dec. 28, 2010, on CBS. GMCW was invited to perform in tribute to one of the honorees,

Jerry Herman Gerald Sheldon Herman (July 10, 1931December 26, 2019) was an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway theatre. One of the most commercially successful Broadway songwriters of his time, Herman was the composer and lyricist ...

. The audience included the President and First Lady, Vice President, Cabinet secretaries, congressmen and leaders in government, business and the entertainment industry. The chorus performed on stage with

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

Chita Rivera Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chic ...

Carol Channing Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Her characters usually had a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, ...

Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She starred in the Broadway musicals '' 42nd Street'' and ''Grey Gardens'', winning two Tony Awards. She has co- ...

Laura Benanti Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 13, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of '' Gypsy'', winni ...

(who had performed in concert with the chorus at the Kennedy Center eight and a half years earlier),

Sutton Foster Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice, in 2002 for her role as Millie Di ...

Kelli O'Hara Kelli Christine O'Hara (born April 16, 1976) is an American actress and singer, most known for her work on the Broadway and opera stages. A seven-time Tony Award nominee, O'Hara won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her pe ...

and

Matthew Morrison Matthew James Morrison (born October 30, 1978) is an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the Fox television show '' Glee'' (2009–2015). He has starred in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadw ...

. This was the chorus’s second appearance on the honors telecast. June 4, 2011: GMCW’s 30th-anniversary season included a reprise of its 2004 work ''A Pink Nutcracker'', a concert salute to the 2010 congressionally-enacted end of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy on gays and lesbians serving in the U.S. armed forces, and a full-scale production of the Carol Hall musical ''

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall. It is based on a story by King that was inspired by the real-life Chicken Ranch in La Grang ...

''. The season ended with a concert featuring a special guest, Tony Award winner

Jennifer Holliday Jennifer Yvette Holliday (born October 19, 1960) is an American actress and singer. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as '' Dreamgirls'' (1981–83), '' Your Arms Too Short to Box with God'' (1980–1981) and later became a ...

, and premiering ''Alexander’s House'', a one-act work by composer Michael Shaieb telling the story of disparate parts of a gay man’s family — including his lover and friends and a young-adult son he had left behind — coming together as they cope with his death. Oct. 24, 2011: The chorus hosted a party at the Hotel Helix in honor of the release of FCPAA Board of Directors member Paula Bresnan Gibson’s ''Voices From a Chorus''. The book was the result of 14 months of research and work, during which time Paula interviewed 65 members and supporters of the chorus. Everyone who took the time to speak with Paula was featured and quoted in the book. For many months thereafter, Paula would go to book stores for live readings and discussions with customers. In July 2012, Paula and a panel of chorus members spoke during GALA Festival 2012 in Denver. To date, copies of the book are provided for free to all incoming members of the chorus. June 2, 2012: The chorus’s 31st season had begun in December 2011 with a successful holiday extravaganza, ''Red & Greene'', featuring special guest

Ellen Greene Ellen Greene is an American actress and singer. She has had a long and varied career as a singer, particularly in cabaret, as an actress and singer in numerous stage productions, particularly musical theatre, as well as having performed in many ...

. ''The Kids Are All Right'', performed in February 2012, featured the Pittsburgh-based LGBT youth performing arts collective Dreams of Hope. In March, the Chorus performed an elaborately-staged production of Richard O’Brien’s countercultural classic ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...

'', which included audience call-outs from the film. GMCW’s small ensembles Rock Creek Singers and Potomac Fever united for the first time in many years for a single concert, ''Together Again'', in April. The season concluded with the June 2012 performances of ''Heart Throbs'', an energetic salute to the men of pop music. A month later, along with the small ensembles’ own appearances, the Chorus performed ''Alexander’s House'' as the first of a special series of morning "Coffee Concerts" at GALA Festival 2012 in Denver. June 1, 2013: The Chorus’s 32nd season performances began in December 2012 with ''Winter Nights'', which featured special guest the Virginia Bronze handbell ensemble. For the February 2013 concert, ''My Big Fat Gay Wedding'', the Chorus hosted not just a special guest, gay folk singer and former member of Chanticleer Matt Alber, but also staged a wedding. A live-auction bid for the opportunity had been offered the year prior, during the 2012 Spring Affair fund-raiser. Dixon Charles and board member J.T. Hatfield Charles won the auction and were wed on stage by Chorus member and registered marriage officiant Patrick Nelson. In March, the Chorus performed a full-scale production of the 2007 Broadway musical '' Xanadu'', based on the 1980 film starring

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

. In April, GMCW’s small ensembles Rock Creek Singers and Potomac Fever performed in the concert ''Side by Side''. The season’s finalé included the June 2012 performances of ''Seven'', a sexy, ebullient celebration of the

seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

. June 26, 2013: Chorus members assembled in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, at the direction of Associate Music Director

Thea Kano Thea Kano (born August 1, 1965) is an American conductor. She is the Founder of the New York City Master Chorale, and was its Artistic Director until the end of the 2018–2019 season. She served as the Associate Music Director of the Gay Men' ...

, in reaction to the Court’s rulings eliminating key provisions of the federal

Defense of Marriage Act The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...

and allowing a lower court’s ruling on California’s

Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...

to stand, thus allowing the law banning same-sex marriages in California to end. In front of press and hundreds of well-wishers, the Chorus performed "Make Them Hear You" (from the musical ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...

'') and "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

". The performances were recorded on video, both by amateurs and professionals, and aired on local and national news broadcasts. May 18, 2014: A bittersweet but significant moment occurred as the Chorus closed its 33rd season at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with special guest

, who had joined the chorus 12 years earlier at the same venue. At that time, Jeffrey Buhrman was ending his second season as artistic director of the Chorus. On this day, in the performance of ''A Gay Man’s Guide to Broadway'', he closed his 14th and final season, which had begun with a festive holiday show, ''Sparkle, Jingle, Joy'', with guest Matt Alber, and continued with ''Passion'', ''Von Trapped'' (a gay interpolation of ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

'') and the small ensembles’ concert ''Forte'', performed at the Mead Center for American Theater, home to

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

. In ''A Gay Men’s Guide to Broadway'', as many Chorus and audience members fought back tears, Burhman was honored by the Chorus and Benanti and given an extended standing ovation, and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, mayor Vincent Gray declared it "Jeffrey Burhman Day".

Notes and references

External links

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s official Web siteGALA Choruses Inc.’s official Web siteGuide to the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC Records, 1980-2013
Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University. {{authority control Choirs in Washington, D.C. Musical groups established in 1981 Gay men's choruses LGBT culture in Washington, D.C. Gay culture in the United States 1981 establishments in Washington, D.C.

HistoryCompiled by Greg D. Kubiak, with contributions by Roger Bergstrom, Jeremy Brumbelow, Bill Cutter, Andrew Harmon, Rick Rosendall, Duward Sumner and printed, authored materials from the GMCW archives.

Notes and references

Further reading

External links