FRONT PAGE New York City Gay Men’s Chorus enters 2010 voted one of New York’s top 5 choirs by WQXR, and continues its climb to new artistic and commercial success with ‘Big Gay Sing 2’ and ‘High’ In October 2009, New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, directed by Charlie Beale, was voted one of New York City’s top five choirs by WQXR 105.9FM. This is New York City Gay Men’s Chorus’s 30th season, and the recent success of ‘Together at Town Hall’ in December 2009 bodes well for the future of the organisation. The 200-strong chorus has been a prominent feature of New York’s gay scene since 1980, and continues to challenge perceptions about gay men through singing fabulously. Charlie comments: ‘We like to be entertaining, to sing extremely well and also to highlight issues relevant not only to gay men but to the world in general. It is particularly exciting that our recent new intake reflects the significant increase across the US in the number of younger and more political active members joining Gay Men’s Choruses. This is hugely encouraging for the future of our movement. Our members could not be more passionate about the work that there is left to do to promote equality, fairness and tolerance.’ On March 25th and 26th 2010, NYCGMC will present ‘Big Gay Sing 2’, a spectacular and outrageous singalong show involving some of the ‘gayest’ songs ever and much audience participation. Essentially a show which involves the audience singing karaoke with 200 gay men, BGS2 follows up last year’s ‘Big Gay Sing’, which proved a run-away box-office success in 2009 and re-established NYCGMC’s reputation for innovative entertainment with a gay twist. Comedian Scott Nevins will again host, and this time around, individual audience members can even compete to sing a solo with the chorus in a new segment entitled ‘Big Gay Idol’. There will be set-pieces featuring songs by Cher and George Michael and from musicals including ‘Dreamgirls’ and ‘Cabaret’, alongside a unique choral rendition of ‘Stars and Stripes for Ever’. The show will also examine what it means to be gay in 2010 and will feature sections on ‘America’ and on the burning issue of marriage equality. By contrast, in July 2010, NYCGMC will present ‘High’, a hard-hitting and emotionally powerful show about relationships destroyed by addiction. Directed by Jason Cannon, the centrepiece of the evening will be a newly commissioned 45 minute rock oratorio called ‘Through a Glass Darkly’ by Broadway composer Michael Shaieb, which will shine a light on the growing phenomenon of crystal meth.. For more on the piece, go to http://fatlabmusic.com/darkly/. The evening will also include other healing and uplifting songs around addiction and recovery in the chorus’s usual wide range of styles. For more on Charlie’s work with NYCGMC, go to his blog or follow NYCGMC on Facebook and Twitter. - In November 2009, Charlie is selected to report on the UK’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra Charlie has had long experience of running big bands in the UK, from college bands at Kingston University, Anglia Ruskin and eventually the Royal College of Music Big band, and of course his own band in the early 1990s. In October, Charlie was commissioned by Jazz Services UK Ltd. to write an extensive report for Arts Council England suggesting ways forward for the UK’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra. NYJO had reached a crossroads in its development and needed outside input on its future development in jazz. Conducting interviews with many of its major stakeholders, Charlie’s input covered NYJO both as a performing organisation and as an educational organisation in a changing financial environment. ‘My life was touched by NYJO in my teens and twenties’, Charlie writes, ‘So I know the quality of what they do and the benefits they bring to the young musicians involved and indeed to UK jazz itself. I also had personal experience of some of the issues faced by the organisation, so I was humbled to be asked to help. I wish them huge success as they face a time of change.’ In May, June and July 2009, New York City Gay Men’s Chorus sings in every borough of the city, and ‘gets through to Vegas’ on America’s got Talent Traditionally May, June and July are the busiest performing months for the chorus, and last Summer, NYCGMC had its busiest summer ever, accomplishing the goal it set itself of singing in every borough of New York City, from the Bronx to Staten Island and from Brooklyn to Queens. The program of over 20 gigs culminated in two prestigious performances in Manhattan. The first was at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, where the chorus campaigned alongside Christine Quinn and sang the newly commissioned ‘Tree of Peace’ by Gwyneth Walker as part of the cathedral’s Pride celebrations. The second was a performance involving flags, a 20-piece marching band, dancers, rollerskaters in sequins and 150 singers in a Carnival celebration as part of the Manhattan Pride parade. The chorus also sang at a number of smaller events, and regularly spreads its unique brand of joy at festivals, museums, hospices and day-care centres around the city - we are pictured below at one of Hudson Guild’s Adult Centers in New York’s Chelsea, at the Queens Pride Festival in Jackson Heights and at the Museum of the City of New York in Harlem.  In one of the most exciting days of our 2009 Summer, NYCGMC also ‘got through to Vegas’ after several rounds of auditions on ‘America’s Got Talent’. We were especially proud to be the only gay choir participating that year and gave a national US TV audience the chance to see us in action.  In May 2009, Charlie was the co-Artistic Director of ‘Various Voices’, the largest ever festival of GLBT choirs in Europe In May 2009, Charlie was the co-Artistic Director of ‘Various Voices’, a festival of GLBT choirs held at London’s South Bank Centre. Before leaving for New York, Charlie masterminded the artistic strand of the successful 2006 London bid for the chance to host the 2009 Various Voices festival. An uplifting 4-day festival of song that invited gay and straight singers to come and celebrate with the GLBT communities of Europe, the festival eventually featured 60 choirs from 14 countries and over 2000 singers in total. Centering around three key themes - celebration, growth and interaction - this Various Voices festival focused on choirs interacting with each other and with audiences both inside and outside the SBC, in formal and informal contexts. On the theme of choir growth, there were also workshops in everything from beat-boxing and ballroom dancing to creating a blended classical choral sound. Masterclasses were offered by top professionals including Mary King and Sue Coffee from the US. Two key evening events were an international ‘Big Gay Sing’, featuring soloists from all over Europe and hosted by Lorraine Bowen, and the first European performance of ‘Sing for the Cure’, given by an international choir directed by Tim Seelig, that included representatives from the many US choruses who are part of the GALA movement. ‘Popular Voiceworks 2’ is commissioned and should be out in 2011, after ‘Popular Voiceworks’ wins the MIA’s ‘Best Pop Music Publication’ of 2008 Popular Voiceworks co-authored by Steve Milloy (left) and Charlie Beale (right), was voted ‘Best Pop Music Publication’ 2008 by the MIA, Music Industry Association of the UK. A book of 28 songs for voices in pop, jazz, gospel, soul and theatre music styles, with backing CDs and photocopiable parts, Popular Voiceworks is selling exceptionally well and publishers OUP are said to be delighted. At the award ceremony at the Sheraton, Park Lane, London, on Tuesday October 14th 2008, Charlie commented, ‘It’s very special to be honoured by the industry itself. Both of us hope the book enables singers around the world to approach singing in these styles with real authenticity and enjoyment.’ ‘Popular Voiceworks 2’ has now been commissioned and should be out in 2011. Reviews: 'In terms of genre it's a delightfully mixed bag, with everything from spirituals to 80s pop pastiches making an appearance. It is packed with useful teaching notes and handy warm-up ideas. .... Beale is at ease throwing deliciously scrunchy chords into unexpected corners of well-known tunes, while also getting a lot of fun out of pop numbers like 'Dancin' in the Street'.' -Eamonn O'Dwyer, Music Teacher, October 08 * 'Popular Voiceworks is itself a hefty number, ring bound and more than 200 pages long, many of them available to be photocopied. There are also 2 CDs of performances and backing tracks tucked in the back cover. Suitable for use for choirs of age 11 upwards, and with detailed strategies for learning each song that are effectively in themselves lesson plans, this volume will be a boon for teachers and is another remarkable achievement for this series.' -Matthew Greenall, The Singer August 08 Charlie gives keynote at ‘Jazz in Education’ day to top UK jazz educators On Saturday October 25th 2008, Charlie gave the keynote address at one of the most important jazz conferences in the UK, the Jazz in Education’ day run by the UK’s Jazz Services. In his wide-ranging speech to an appreciative crowd, entitled ‘Jazz education comes of age - A basis for Jazz Education’, Charlie outlined the under-celebrated achievements of jazz educators in the UK. Above all, he pointed out, jazz educators have succeeded in providing an institutional framework for jazz education in the UK. Jazz is now embedded by name in the National Curriculum, GCSE and A level, and this has been accompanied in recent years by a massive expansion of jazz education from Diploma to Ph.D level in Universities and colleges. Crucially, jazz is now a legal ‘entitlement’ for all pupils in state education across the UK from 7-14, also an idea unimaginable 20 years ago. But delivery is patchy, and there is more to do to train classroom teachers and instrumental teachers to deliver jazz with confidence and authenticity across the country, and to convince parents that available qualifications in jazz are of equal value. To download the full outline of the speech, click here. NYCGMC’s ‘Broadway Voices’ collaborates with Maltby and Shire  In September 2008, Charlie (far right) was the musical director for three cabaret performances of "I Want It All – A Maltby and Shire Songbook" at The Metropolitan Room, sung by Broadway Voices (pictured here with Maltby and Shire) — a new quartet of singers from the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. Supported by the composers who attended several rehearsals, the all-male cast sang songs from Maltby & Shire's hit shows Closer Than Ever, Starting Here, Starting Now, Baby, and a song from their new project Take Flight. David Shire sent us a personal note after the first performance, which read: ‘We were blown away the other night - what a fabulous evening! Thanks you so much for the talent, enthusiasm and love with which you presented our songbook.‘ Charlie comments: ‘This was a unique opportunity to work with two of the most successful living Broadway composers. David and Richard were hugely generous with their time, and we learnt a huge amount about their priorities as writers - as with jazz, it’s all about words and rhythm.’ The move to New York - three years on. Since September 2007, Charlie Beale has been full time Artistic Director of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, one of the largest and most iconic choirs in the world. NYCGMC’s first major gig under his baton was the sell-out ‘Holiday Spectacular’ Carnegie Hall on December 11th 2007. After NYCGMC’s May 17th 2008 concert of Billy Strayhorn’s music at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Baraka Sele, Vice-President of Artistic Strategy wrote: “CHARLES . . . I can not find the words to thank you for making this past Saturday evening not only successful, but also one of my most memorable nights at NJPAC! . . . I want you to know what an honor it has been to work with you! You are so congenial, cooperative, and consummately professional--not to mention creative/knowledgeable/flexible and understanding. What a wonderful evening of amazing music, incredible camaraderie, and oh-h-h can those men sing! . . . I think you are an absolutely gifted music conductor/director . . . I loved when you said to the chorus during the rehearsal, "Astonish the audience with how quietly/softly you can sing." And the chorus and the excellent musicians astonished all night long. What a great group of virtuosos! I received so many compliments about the performance as our audience/patrons left the Victoria Theater. One gentleman exclaimed, "It's one of the best concerts I have attended--in life!" Please pass on my kudos and congratulations to the chorus for a superb job and well done!” Interviewed in Mastersinger Magazine in late 2007, Charlie said: “New York CIty Gay Men’s Chorus is in many ways the grand-daddy of the Gay Men’s Chorus movement. It is one of the oldest in the US, having started in the 1980s, and is now 250-strong. .... As a jazz musician and educator, New York is a central exchange in the network of ideas, so an opportunity to live and work out there is too exciting to refuse. After 10 years dividing my time between so many different performing, teaching and academic activities, it will also be good to focus all my energies on one big artistic project.” (Mastersinger Magazine) Nearly three years on, that decision seems to have been absolutely right. Other Gigs and Events, in the US and UK. Charlie presented a clinic at OUP, 198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016, to launch ‘Popular Voiceworks’ on Friday June 13th 2008. On April 23rd and May 7th 2008, Charlie made his jazz/cabaret piano debut in Matt Leahy’s ‘A Man walked into a bar’ at the Metropolitan Rooms, 34 West 22nd St., New York NY. For a review, click here: Cabaret Scenes Review - Matt Leahy.pdf. On July 4th and 5th 2008, Charlie delivered a day’s jazz workshop for Woodwind department of Cornwall Music Service, followed by a day’s masterclass for around 30 Cornwall jazz students. On July 12th-19th, Charlie took NYCGMC to the GALA Conference in Miami, the international conference of GLBT choirs, that occurs every four years. NYCGMC performed on June 14th in the Ziff Auditorium. Contact Charlie For more information, email Charlie at: charliebmusic@gmail.com, or call Big Apple Performing Arts on 212 344 1777, x3. Website last updated - January 15th 2010. http://fatlabmusic.com/darkly/http://charliebmusic.blogspot.com/http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=nycgmc&init=quick#/nycgmc?ref=search&sid=572770046.387837303..1http://www.nyjo.org.uk/http://www.stjohndivine.org/http://www.nycpride.org/http://hudsonguild.org/index.htmlhttp://www.queenspride.com/http://www.mcny.org/http://www.variousvoiceslondon.org.uk/vv/http://www.oup.co.uk/isbn/0-19-343556-Xhttp://www.jazzservices.org.uk/Home_files/A%20basis%20for%20jazz%20education.pptxhttp://www.nycgmc.orgHome_files/Cabaret%20Scenes%20Review%20-%20Matt%20Leahy.pdfHome_files/Cabaret%20Scenes%20Review%20-%20Matt%20Leahy.pdfmailto:charliebmusic@gmail.comshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6shapeimage_1_link_7shapeimage_1_link_8shapeimage_1_link_9shapeimage_1_link_10shapeimage_1_link_11shapeimage_1_link_12shapeimage_1_link_13shapeimage_1_link_14shapeimage_1_link_15shapeimage_1_link_16

Charlie Beale

Charlie Beale