February 19 & 20, 1994
March 25, 1994
Children Should Be Seen…
History – UNISON
On October 9, 1979, a group of 25 or so women and 40 or so men gathered in the basement of Wellington Avenue Church, where a new mixed chorus was to form of gay men and lesbian women. It had no name yet. It only had its organizer Jerry Carlson, its director Richard Garrin, and its accompanist, Phil Stewart. We started to sing. It was a great day in the history of the Chicago gay and lesbian community. As the weeks went on, personnel declined, and we ended up with 38 men and 4 women. A decision had to be made quickly. So, in a few short weeks, the chorus changed to male choral music. The result was the now 15 year old Windy City Gay Chorus. The dream of women and men singing together was never forgotten by Richard Garrin. In 1990, the Long Range Planning Committee of Windy City Performing Arts set as its number one priority to develop a chorus of men and women. In the fall of 1992 auditions were held, and 41 singers were chosen as charter members of Unison: Windy City Lesbian & Gay Singers.
Unison, now in its second season, is a group of women and men who sing together, whose musical purpose is one that will eventually challenge the traditional expectations that people have of choral music. The “Singers” made their debut at “Don We Now XIV” in 1992, and sang their inaugural concert in April with recording artists Cris Williamson and Tret Fure as guests.
Unison is yet another example of gay men and lesbians coming together to make our community in Chicago stronger and more visible and to lend credibility to the motto “the city that works”.
If you are a soprano, alto, tenor or bass, consider joining Unison for the second half of their season. Auditions are on February 24th, 1994. Call our office for an appointment.
Click here to view the full concert program!
WCGC at Egyptian Theatre
History – UNISON
The 75 member Windy City Gay Men’s Chorus is a stunning example of the revival of male choral singing in North America. Now in its second decade of music-making, the chorus is known internationally for the highest standards of choral excellence and adds up to what some composers and conductors have termed the finest male chorus in the country. The chorus won first place at the Great American Choral Festival. “The New York Daily News” stated the group’s Lincoln Center debut was ”A thorough pleasure in tone and balance… the results were positively heroic!”
Windy City Performing Arts 