REBUILDING THE NEW YORK CITY GAY MEN’S CHORUS

New York CIty Gay Men's Chorus, GALA Festival Opening Ceremony, July 2016 - we always sang with energy!

Transformation and Impact

NYCGMC at the New York Philharmonic Orchestra holiday Show, Avery Fisher Hall, December 2015

From 2007 to 2019, I was lucky enough to be the full-time conductor of New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. In my 12 years, I am proud to have reimagined and rebuilt NYCGMC into the world-class, world-renowned New York institution it should be. Together, we rebuilt the sound, prioritizing stylistic versatility, and the ability to do musical theater and pop styles with confidence and authenticity.

Once you know what your mission is, being mediocre is simply not enough. We needed to return to artistic success, and build a reputation for being fun and easy to work with. We needed to build new audiences, so we could once again be a pioneering voice for the LGBTQ+ community.

We also needed a financial transformation. When I arrived in 2007, we had a 6 figure debt, and by the time I left, we had surpassed a budget of US$1.1M, with an endowment and considerable savings. You can’t change the world without the back office and budget to do so.

New Ensembles

Singathon on the street New York’s West Village — Our Annual Singathon on the street

By June 2019, NYCGMC had several innovative small ensembles and outreach groups. We had our queer a cappella group ‘Tonewall’, a ‘SAGE Singalongs’ group that did regular singalongs for LGBTIQ+ elders, and a group that worked with African Caribbean French-speaking women from Brooklyn who were HIV positive. We also had a schools program that went out in to mainstream New York schools in Queens, and ran a yearly Singathon on the street.

Connection and building relationships is the key to impact, and all of these projects enabled us gradually build new connections with thousands of regular New Yorkers.

Changing the culture of the organization

I was especially proud of the great strides we made towards Equity and Inclusion. Under my leadership, the number of people of color in the group increased from a paltry 10 when I arrived to roughly 55, including 25 singers from all over South East Asia and 15 African Americans. We also increased the number of singers whose mother tongue was a form of Spanish. Not good enough, and the work was slow and gradual, but the results were real. We also set up a monthly forum where BIPOC people and others could meet, share and make proposals to other parts of the organization.

The average age of group members fell from 52 to under 40, we increased our gender diversity, and improved representation, by ensuring that people of color could fully contribute in a number of leadership roles, including Board members, Section Representatives, Outreach Co-ordinators and choreographers.

Changing our repertoire

Live in Times Square on Good Morning America, offering ‘Light’ in the wake of the Orlando massacre, June 13th 2016.

As our membership became more diverse, it became important to sing their music and represent their voices in the art. We sang K-pop (Mamamoo’s New York is SO gay), Bollywood (Jai-Ho! from Slumdog Millionaire) and many pieces in languages including Latin, Hebrew, Japanese, and many in Spanish.

All made some singers uncomfortable, and all facilitated good change in both singers and audiences. All demanded that we put in the hard vocal work necessary to sing with true respect. The growing numbers of BIPOC and younger singers under my leadership, and our expanding audiences were testament to our progress in this area.

Changing our Choral Sound

Originally classically trained and an organist lover of church music, I strongly believe that the best choirs should sing well in all styles, and adapt their sound, rhythmic approach and diction to suit their repertoire. Larynxes can be high or low, and all singers should be able to belt like Patty Lupone, resonate like Bryn Terfel and twang like Tammy Wynette.

Beyond that, all choral directors should be trained how to facilitate the full range of vocal sound in their singers. There is more than one correct way of singing, and yoiur choir will only connect with its audience if it uses vocal sound appropriate to the repertoire being used.

The best choral singing has authenticity above all, and should reflect the voices and cultural backgrounds of all concerned. This attracts more singers, and connects the singing with a wider range of listeners.

NYCGMC sings in sweet classical style, at the June 24th 2009 Service of Thanksgiving & Celebration for Pride at the Cathedral of St John the Divine. This is ‘Tree of Peace’ by Gwyneth Walker.

NYCGMC Big Gay Sing 7 March 2014. It's hard to hate someone you just sang a song with!

Changing our Rhythmic Approach

Rhythmic approach and groove was also key. Regardless of our social and political goals, you can see from the pictures and video below that my singers created rhythmic energy, sang with great diction on the beat, articulated clearly and put music of all styles in their bodies. We sang in a very wide variety of settings in many groove-based styles, and we always seemed to succeed in moving people, and raising the roof!

Guest Stars

In New York, making relationship has to involve musical theater and pop music, and this is especailly true in the LGTBTQ+ community. This included a 2018 appearance in Alan Cumming’s comeback show at Carnegie Hall, 2017 stadium gig appearance with Demi Lovato, a 2014 Pride appearance singing 'Chandelier' with Sia, and a 2013 dance music show featuring soul diva Martha Wash. We also had an on-going relationship with transgender singer-songwriter Our Lady J, and performer artist Justin Vivian Bond. We were especially proud to be trusted by gospel and soul singers Lillias White, Frenchie Davis and Michael McElroy (Broadway Inspirational Voices).

I also had the privilege of performing with Kelli O’Hara (South Pacific), Victoria Clark (A Light in the Piazza), Carolee Carmello (Scandalous, Parade), Chris Sieber (La Cage aux Folles, Spamalot), Fredi Walker-Browne (Rent) and Ann Harada (Avenue Q).

‘Quiet No More’ - Excerpts from the June 2019 Carnegie Hall show, featuring a massed choir from 25 LGBTIQ+ choruses across the US, singing this brand new commission

For more on my stylistically open vision for choral singing, from how to make a stylistically open sound to choral leadership, rhythm skills and audience development, get a copy of my book ‘Transforming Choral Singing’.