CGMC Blog

CGMC Makes History with GOHI!

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:38:46 -0500

In January 2006, Outlook Weekly and The Gay Ohio History Initiative [GOHI] formed a partnership with the Ohio Historical Society [OHS] to preserve, archive and curate Ohio’s LGBT history and culture...and the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus has received an RSVP!
A committee of volunteers and community leaders have been working together to advance this project and CGMC's GOHI liaison Matt Eisert needs YOUR HELP! CGMC is looking for donations such as photos, flyers, programs, videos and 'Kitschy' items that represent CGMC way back when...and now. We are particularly looking for items that will stand out now, and items that will stand out well into the next 100 years...items that are unique and that identify the chorus for what it is...and items that tell of what we once were.
If you have any of these beloved keep-sakes and are willing to part with them, please contact Matt Eisert at 614.562.6288 or vie email at matt@carriagetraderealty.com. The Columbus Gay Men's Chorus will be forever in your debt...and we do mean FOREVER! ;)
For more information about the Gay Ohio History Initiative (GOHI), please visit their website at http://gohi.org/.
Thank you in advance for your help with preserving Ohio’s LGBT history!

Vox on Fox!

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:56:14 -0500

Ladies and gentlemen, it was Vox on Fox this week as our featured small ensemble made an appearance on Fox’s Good Morning Columbus program.
Check it out on YouTube!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tvZmkjpxSYg

Columbus Dispatch Review of Joy!

Sun, 9 Dec 2007 16:33:25 -0500

By Lynn Green
For the Columbus Dispatch

What could sum up the meaning of the holidays better than the word "joy"?

The King Avenue United Methodist church was filled almost to capacity for the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus presentation of Joy!, a program that balanced old and modern Christmas classics -- and added just a touch of camp.

The singers take themselves less seriously than they take their music, which is refreshing in a season of high-pressure musical events. If you think the Gay Men's Chorus couldn't possibly offer something for everyone, think again: How many holiday concerts offer an excerpt from Rachmaninoff's Vespers, Motown hits and the radio-favorite parody Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear?

One of the chorus' strongest moments was with Robert Seeley's Over the Skies of Yisrael, a fairly long piece that commanded a rich sound and strong interpretation. By contrast, the opening set of sacred music sounded weak, and the baritone section often pulled the intonation flat.

A medley called "Christmas at the Movies" brightened the evening with such favorites as We're a Couple of Misfits from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Heat Mizer/Snow Mizer duet from The Year Without a Santa Claus. (Yes, those are television, but we can forgive the oversight.) The Beach Boys' Little Saint Nick and a medley of Motown holiday hits were fun but could have benefited from a little more energy and volume.

The chorus' staff continues to build upon strength and experience. Artistic Director David Monseur has prepared an amateur group that performs admirably. Tim Sarsany's musical arrangements and orchestrations are rich, yet clear, and they fit the chorus well. Pianist Nathan Hamm continues to contribute a balance of technique and sensitivity.

The small orchestra often overpowered the chorus, in part due to the room's acoustics, and the members need to play more cohesively. Intonation and articulation were usually different for each instrumentalist.

The concert ended with the Mannheim Steamroller version of Stille Nacht (Silent Night), sung by candlelight and featuring American Sign Language interpretation by Jane Allinder and Meg Tucker. It was a moment of quiet joy to end an evening of fun.

Originally published Saturday, December 8, 2007.
Click here to see the review on the Columbus Dispatch web site.

Remembering our members

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:48:18 -0500

Welcome to our new blog! We are very excited to add a new dimension to our website and we hope you enjoy this new element. I want to spend just a moment telling you about the poinsettias you'll see at each of our Joy! concerts this December.
We're very enthusiastic about beginning our 18th season of song, but there are some bittersweet aspects of this longevity. Over the years we have lost a few of our cherished members. Each of the twenty-eight poinsettias on stage at Joy! represents one of our members who has passed on. When you see the poinsettias at our performances, we hope you will take a moment to remember one of our cherished members - if you knew them - or someone special in your life who has passed on. These poinsettias are a beautiful reminder of the gifts our loved ones have brought to us, especially in this time of holiday tradition.
Our concerts are just over a week away. If you haven't bought your tickets yet, what's stopping you? This is such a meaningful time of year, and music is a vital part of the season.
Finally, I challenge you to not only attend our concert, but to also invite someone to come to this concert who really needs to see it. Buy that person a ticket as a Christmas present. Maybe that person just needs a break from the grind of life, and needs a couple hours to sit back and listen to some beautiful music. Maybe that person has struggled through some recent tough times and needs an opportunity for a little rejuvenation. Or maybe you can help that individual understand a little further through the power of music what it means to be a proud gay individual.
Happy Holidays to you and yours from the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus. We look forward to seeing you at Joy!
Matthew Arnold CGMC Executive Director

A fresh face for Illuminati

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:55:14 -0500

Who is that smiling face? It’s Michael Crandall, our new Illuminati Director. Mike will be leading the artistic development of our faith-based outreach group. Illuminati sings sacred music in sacred spaces, a very unusual charge for a gay chorus. Illuminati is the only ensemble of its kind in the country; it was formed as a direct response to the perceived divide between the GLBT and religious communities.
Keep an eye out, Illuminati will be singing around Columbus about once a month at various gigs and services. The first chance for you to see Illuminati will be at the CATF World AIDS Day service on December 1, 2007. They’ll also be featured at this year’s Joy! holiday concert.
Mike served as the Choral Director at Teays Valley High School in Ashville, Ohio for ten years. His choirs consistently received superior ratings at District and State OMEA Contests in the highest classes. Under his direction, the Teays Valley H.S. show choir, “Prominent Rendition,” won numerous awards throughout the Midwest, including being named Grand Champion over 30 times. “Prominent Rendition” was also selected to perform at the 2001 & 2003 OMEA State Conventions. He has twice served as Co-Musical Director of the Ohio Honors Chorale, an ensemble of advanced high school musicians who have made concert tours through Europe. He is also a frequent adjudicator and clinician for choirs and competitions in Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Joining the Artistic Staff in the Fall of 2007 as CGMC's Illuminati Director, he is very excited to be leading the Chorus’s primary outreach program. He is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, and currently serves as an Educational Travel Consultant for New Horizons Tour and Travel.
Please join us in welcoming Mike to the CGMC artistic staff!

CGMC enters the blogosphere...

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:10:06 -0500

Welcome to the CGMC blog! We will use this online journal as a way to easily communicate with our patron base. We’ll be including lots of interesting content including concert previews, member profiles, performance recaps, and the like. We’ll also make an effort to give you a “behind the scenes” view of everything from concert preparation to musical outreach.
We’d love to hear from you on suggestions about what you’d like to see in the blog. Please let us know by writing to Matthew Arnold, our Executive Director, at: matthew@cgmc.com