June 23 & 25, 1983
Program Notes
As the Windy City Gay Chorus enters its fifth season, it has established a tradition of performing American music. The chorus sang passages from Randall Thompson’s Testament of Freedom at its very first concert, and repeated them last April with the Twin Cities Men’s Chorus. At Lincoln Center in New York City last year, the chorus opened with Norman Delo Joio’s setting of Whitman’s Jubilant Song. In fact, virtually every concert that the chorus presents includes both American folk tunes and Broadway musical selections (One program even included a medley of songs based on TV commercials!)
Tonight, the Windy City Gay Chorus celebrates the rich heritage of American song with examples of many of the styles that, like America itself, combine into a single grand tradition.
History
The Windy City Gay Chorus is a nonprofit organization whose gay and gay-sensitive members come together for the primary purpose of musical excellence, which provides for its members and audiences cultural and social enrichment while fostering community spirit and pride, and which seeks to present a positive gay image to the community at large.
The Chorus’s commitment to excellence was apparent just two months after its founding at the very first “Don We Now…” concert, in December 1979. Continuous artistic growth enabled WCGC to host the First International Conference of Directors and Managers of Gay Choruses in May, 1981, and led to their highly acclaimed New York debut at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in February, 1982. This joint concert with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus emphatically established the Chorus’s reputation with New York’s critics.
Each year the WCGC presents three major concerts: in December, in the spring, and during Gay Pride Week. The Chorus also is proud to be a part of the Gay Pride Parade. In April, 1983, WCGC hosted the first gay chorus from outside Chicago to sing here when the 80-member Twin Cities Men’s Chorus shared the stage at the spring concert.
There are also smaller performances – a free Christmas night concert is already a tradition, as is a more intimate, informal winter program. Last fall, WCGC provided entertainment at the Gay Academic Union Conference, and at the Greater Chicago Gay and Lesbian Democrats kick-off rally. The Chorus may be found presenting Christmas carols at local hospitals, in bars and in police stations!
The Chorus’s visibility beyond Chicago’s gay community is also increasing. It has sung at the Century Shopping Mall, and members performed at Yul Brynner’s 50th Anniversary Party at Arie Crown Theatre last year. The Chorus has given concerts at downtown theaters, at Mandel Hall (University of Chicago) and at several northside locations. Each year the Chorus goes on tour: Milwaukee in 1981, New York in 1982 and Indianapolis in July, 1983. Plans are underway to rejoin The Twin Cities Men’s Chorus in Minneapolis in the spring of 1984.
Membership in the Chorus is open to all by a short audition. Most of the members are not professional musicians, although they are expected to demonstrate musical growth at an annual re-evaluation. The Chorus does share members with the Chicago Symphony and Grant Park Choruses, The William Ferris Chorale, the Lyric Opera School and other prominent groups, but it also has members with affiliations to no other musical or gay organizations. The Chorus welcomes non-musical people too, who would like to help with productions without singing. If you would like to volunteer any sort of talent, whether musical or administrative, please call the Chorus at (312) 227-3853. We would like you to join us.
Windy City Performing Arts 