The Chorus Prelude - Summer/Fall

News from

Seattle Men’s Chorus

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 VOL. 2 NO. 2.1

Seattle Women’s Chorus

Previewing Seattle Women’s Chorus’s 2014-2015 season: Hallows in the Cathedral: Moonshadow & Reel Women!

SMC member, Bryn Nelson, Shares Insight from the 2014 Germany Tour

F LY I N G H O U S E . O R G

SMC/SWC SEASON SPONSOR

ARTISTIC

DENNIS COLEMAN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Photo by John Pai

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Now that our 2013-2014 season has drawn to a close, I am overwhelmed as I reflect on yet another tremendous year of music, celebrating our mission of inclusion and acceptance, and feeling such incredible support from the community. Each concert presents another opportunity to share joy, tell stories, impact lives, and of course, showcase the remarkable talents of the Choruses. And so long as we see and experience discrimination, inequality, and bullying within the LGBTQ community, we’ll continue to lift up our voices in song, fighting hatred and fear with passion and love.

2014-2015 Season! In October, Seattle Women’s Chorus (SWC) returns to Saint Mark’s Cathedral for the third consecutive year, bringing you Hallows in the Cathedral: Moonshadow. I’m quite excited about this new tradition of Halloween-themed concerts each fall, and there’s really no better venue for such haunting music than the Cathedral. It’s my hope that this production will have a little something for everyone, with a wide variety of music from choral art pieces to pop to an audience sing-a-long! It’s sure to be a beautiful, mysterious, and alltogether magnificent show.

In the midst of a hot Seattle summer, it’s full steam ahead preparing for our highly anticipated

As we say farewell to fall, Seattle Men’s Chorus welcomes the holidays and their 35th season (wow!) with Seattle’s OTHER Holiday TraditionTM. …Our Gay Apparel is a

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DENNIS COLEM A N ARTIS TIC DIREC TOR

2014-2015 SEASO N

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bright and festive production featuring fresh twists on holiday classics, complete with the campy humor and fun you’ve come to expect from SMC. The men will don their favorite gay apparel, from funky sweaters to leather to sparkly stilettos, transporting you to a winter wonderland that’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. I hope you’ll join us for a magical holiday extravaganza!

In February, SWC returns to the Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center for another unique show. Reel Women pays tribute to some of the illustrious and talented women of the silver screen, exploring some of our most beloved films and the extraordinary women who bring them to life.

Prepare to be dazzled by this journey through motion pictures – oh, and don’t forget the popcorn!

SMC will present LEGACY: Tyler’s Suite / I Am Harvey Milkk in the spring, a powerful production paying homage to the lives of Tyler Clementi and Harvey Milk. I am humbled to honor the lives of these men and the incredible legacies they’ve left in the gay community.

Then, closing the season in June is Queen – need I say more? If you haven’t already, there’s still time to purchase season tickets! What better way to support the Choruses you love and be part of all the fun?

As always, thank you for your continued support in all we do, and for being part of our Chorus family.

Dennis Coleman Artistic Director FH. | 

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Dennis Coleman

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Frank Stilwagner

ARTISTIC/PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Eric Lane Barnes PRINCIPAL ACCOMPANISTS Evan Stults, Nancy Otness Bent COMPANY MANAGER Halie Looper BOX OFFICE MANAGER Kevin Carson PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Nancy Hautala ASSISTANT PRODUCTION/STAGE MANAGER William Frantz

DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: STRATEGIC SERVICES & GRANTS Jacquelyn Rardin COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Gerry Kunkel FUNDRAISING EVENTS MANAGER Tina Davis

A Successful Auction!

DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE Anil Vora GRANT WRITING Julie L. Wilchins, LLC

FINANCE FINANCE DIRECTOR Jennifer Wood ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE Alison Coates

MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER Matthew Arnold MARKETING & OUTREACH ASSOCIATE Liz Dawson PUBLIC RELATIONS Jennifer Rice LLC GRAPHIC DESIGN Alan Jazak/Formation Studio

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Steven B. Crandall VICE – PRESIDENT Mieke Brouwer SECRETARY Michael Hughes TREASURER Bob Davidson Jonathan Bowman, Jon Frank, Ken Inoue, Fritz King, John Lindgren, Adrienne McEntee, Leann Nester, David Nilsson, Constance Wilkinson

OUR VISION A world that accepts and values its gay and lesbian citizens.

OUR MISSION Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus entertain, enlighten, unify, and heal our audience and members, using the power of words and music to recognize the value of gay and straight people and their relationships.

The Chorus Prelude is a triannual newsletter published by Flying House Productions. To subscribe, please contact us using the information below.

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FlyingHouse.org SeattleMensChorus.org SeattleWomensChorus.org 206.388.1400 (Mon-Fri, Noon–7:00)

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On Saturday, May 10th we hosted our 18th Annual Black Tie & Sequins Dinner, Dance, and Auction: A Venetian Ball. It was a night filled with excitement, joy, and philanthropy. Our 300 guests enjoyed cocktails, a four course dinner, entertainment and dancing all while supporting the choruses by bidding on the 300+ items available via the Silent and Live Auctions. By the end of the night, the auction had raised just over $280,000, our largest fundraising event in years!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the event, whether by donating an item, volunteering, attending or bidding. You helped to make the auction a success. We can’t thank you enough for your continued support. Be sure to mark your calendars now! The 19th Annual Black Tie & Sequins Dinner, Dance, and Auction will be held on Saturday, May 9th at Fremont Studios.

FRANK STILWAGNER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Dear dedicated supporters and patrons: As we close out our 2013-2014 season and begin looking to the future, one of the aspects of our mission and goals that most motivates me is our outreach.

Outreach has long been a vital component of our organization, but as we move forward it will continue to take on an increased role in our endeavors.

You may already know that we’ve had a Youth Ticket Outreach Program for years now, and we are proud to give away hundreds of tickets for each concert run to LGBT youth, along with their friends and families. Just over a year ago, we added bus transportation to

the program. So now we send buses out to outlying areas like Olympia, Lacey, Federal Way, Everett, and more, to pick up youth who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend our concerts. Even in western Washington, students and youth often feel isolated. Providing them free transportation and tickets to our concerts shows them that they’re not alone and that they have a welcoming community within our organization. The bus portion of our outreach has grown from three participants the first time we did it, all the way to 75 this spring. We hope to continue growing this critical program.

I’m also thrilled to announce that during July of 2015 both Choruses will take a trip to Spokane to perform a concert wholly in support of the local LGBT community.

We’ve begun working with some of the agencies and youth centers in Spokane, and all ticket proceeds will go directly back to those organizations. It means so much to me personally to see our Choruses fulfilling our mission and spreading our vision of acceptance throughout the state. Our plan is to take an outreach trip to

EXECUTIVE

underserved areas on a regular and ongoing basis.

Finally, as you’ll read more about in this issue, in June, Seattle Men’s Chorus traveled to Germany for an outreach tour of great proportions. We took the one-act opera, For a Look or a Touch, on tour through five cities in Germany, and performed at Berlin’s Pride Festival. We had an amazing time, and are grateful to have had the opportunity to tell the story of how two gay lovers were torn apart during the Holocaust. This, of course, is in addition to the regular outreach performances we present in and around western Washington.

Seattle Women’s Chorus recently presented a concert in Bremerton to support Kitsap Pride. The Men’s Chorus took a short trip to Langley (Whidbey Island) to help raise funds for Citizens Against Domestic Violence and Abuse.

We are deeply committed to our outreach, in order to help us realize our vision of a world that accepts and values ALL of its citizens.

Thank you for your support of the Choruses and the work we do.

Yours in song,

Frank Stilwagner

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YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK Each year, the Choruses entertain and enlighten more than 30,000 people. Through the power of music, we continue breaking down barriers, inspiring hope, and changing lives. Yet, our impact would not be nearly as far-reaching if not for the generosity of our patrons, members, friends, and community grantmakers. It’s thanks to people like you that we are able to share a message of acceptance through our concerts, events, and outreach. And trust us - your dollars are hard at work!

CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY TO A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT: Youth Ticket Outreach Program For over two decades, our Youth Ticket Outreach Program has connected LGBT youth (ages 13-21) and their friends and families to an inclusive, supportive community.

Through collaboration with nearly 50 youth service providers and schools throughout the greater Seattle area, the Choruses are able to distribute more than 1,500 free tickets to each of our five main stage concerts throughout the season.

In April 2013, we added a firstof-its-kind, FREE chartered bus service, providing transportation to and from our Seattle shows, enabling us to eliminate the barrier of transportation to our concerts for LGBT youth living in more remote areas. What started with three students from Everett attending Seattle Men’s Chorus’ (SMC) Dancing Queen, grew to over 70 participants from Everett, Federal Way, Olympia, Tacoma, and Lacey d at attending SMC’s Totally Wicked McCaw Hall, just one year later. The Choruses are excited to continue expanding this outreach initiative, ensuring that more youth from

SMC CONCERT SPONSOR

“We were brimming with excitement the whole way home!

We had so much fun and the show was absolutely incredible. Thank you again for thinking of Stonewall and making that happen!”

– Stonewall Youth, Olympia

“Thank you for inviting the members of Oasis to see your performance! We enjoyed your beautiful voices and lovely acting skills!”

– Oasis Youth Center, Tacoma

“As a singer I have always been moved by the idea of the program, tearing up on stage the nights the youth are present, but being in the audience directly with them was a rare and very moving moment.”

– Joe Hopkins, SMC member and Youth Ticket volunteer

more remote parts of our state have the opportunity to connect with people who celebrate and accept them just as they are.

Through a recent Power2Give campaign, hosted by ArtsFund, we raised nearly $3,000 to support this program. Thanks to the generous gifts of our beloved patrons, friends, and allies, youth who face daily discrimination, have feelings of loneliness and despair, or think that there’s no one else like them, have a place to call home when they attend a chorus concert. It’s a positive, powerful, and life-changing experience for these youth, many of whom are seeing the Choruses for the first time. And for our members, either those who volunteer on the buses or those who perform, it’s an equally rewarding and eye opening experience, directly witnessing the impression our Chorus family can have on young people.

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Here’s what some of our participants have had to say about the Youth Ticket Outreach Program: SS 

On the Rise

SMC/SWC SEASON SPONSOR

New Performance Risers for our Choruses

At our last couple of concerts, you may have noticed that Seattle Men Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus singers are standing a little taller, having a little more movement and are just generally easier to see and hear. Thanks to grants from 4Culture and The Norcliffe Foundation, we were able to successfully purchase new performance risers in January!

Because our core mission involves providing accessible high-quality choral performances throughout the region, it was essential that we have safe risers on which our performers can stand during concerts. Our old risers dated from 1993, and were no longer safe for use, as well as being extremely bulky and difficult to transport. Due to their instability and increasing risk of harm to our members, it became necessary for the organization to recycle them after our June 2013 concert last year.

The new risers by Staging Concepts are portable, and can be used at all of our performance venues in various configurations and sizes, providing maximum flexibility for venues—large or small, ample room for performer choralography, and high-quality sound production.

In addition, the risers will provide a tremendous resource to other performing arts groups and venues in the region. Since we will only use the risers on our concert dates throughout the year, we will make the risers available for use by other arts groups on over 300 days per year. Because of the risers’ modularity, groups will be able to easily use some or all of the modules and set them up elsewhere as needed. The new risers’ features will maximize their utility for various groups. They are wide enough to accommodate chairs for seated performers. For the safety of all performers, including those with mobility impairments, they can be configured with multiple options for escape stairs, guide rails, and wheelchair ramps. An excellent way to support our fellow art community at large!

FIVE EASY WAYS TO GIVE

Call 206.323.0750 Mail or Visit Us in Person!

319 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122

Fax 206.323.9425 Online FlyingHouse.org Forms of payment:

Checks payable to Flying House Productions, credit card, and cash.

Flying House Productions is a 501(c )(3) nonprofit organization.

Contributions are tax-deductible as permitted by law. Got questions?

Please email Giving@FlyingHouse.org, or call (206) 323-0750 x222

FH. | 

HALLOWS IN THE CATHEDRAL: MOONSHADOW SAINT MARK’S CATHEDRAL

Photo by Conrado Tapado

FRI, OCT 17, 8:00PM SAT, OCT 18, 2:00PM SAT, OCT 18, 8:00PM FRI, OCT 24, 8:00PM SAT, OCT 25, 8:00PM

On April 22nd, the singers of Seattle Women’s Chorus (SWC) gathered together for the first rehearsal of the season. Energy was high as old friends embraced, new members nervously found their seats, and Artistic Director Dennis Coleman took the podium to present the music for the fall show, Hallows in the Cathedral: Moonshadow. The night flew by as we worked the music, learning measure by measure about the vision Dennis and Associate Artistic Director Eric Lane Barnes have pieced together for a captivating show in Saint Mark’s Cathedral this fall.

Eric generously took the time to answer some questions about the upcoming season.

The concerts for the 20142015 season are Hallows in the Cathedral: Moonshadow and Reel Women. How were these themes chosen?

Eric Lane Barnes (ELB): Last October SWC presented Hallows in the Cathedral, a mystical journey with musical themes of light and dark, good and evil, the sacred and profane, all performed by a chorus of extravagantly costumed witches. We are continuing the autumn tradition this year with themes of the moon. Many of the songs are moon-centric (‘Moonlight Serenade’, ‘Moondance’, ‘Old Devil Moon’) while others are atmospheric, textural pieces that lend an air of mystery to the time of year when the days shorten, shadows lengthen and the air is misted with a smoky tang. The word ‘hallows’ refers to that which is sacred; having this concert in the  | T C P

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Associate Artistic Director, Eric Lane Barnes

magnificent open space of Saint Mark’s Cathedral allows Seattle Women’s Chorus to explore new and ancient ideas of what ‘sacred’ means.

Reel Women delves into the role of women in film, both behind and in front of the camera, with a lively selection of songs, film clips and live narration. The show will explore the history of women in film, from the many women directors of silent film through the glamorizing of women in Hollywood’s golden age up to recent films made by women. The show will be intercut with several short films made by local women filmmakers recreating

famous male scenes with women, and several hilarious ‘coming attractions’ for non-existent films.

Unsung women pioneers of film will be featured, alongside Hollywood female trailblazers such as Mary Pickford, Hedy Lamarr, Ida Lupino, Judy Holliday, Sigourney Weaver, Oprah Winfrey, Veronica Roth, Penny Marshall, Tilda Swinton and Lupita Nyong’o. The message in the music of Reel Women will be how much women have contributed to the film industry, and how far they have yet to go before they are considered equal with their cinematic male counterparts.

What is the most surprising or delightful moment in the fall show?

ELB: There is a piece called ‘Ritmo’ which is an exuberant potpourri of body rhythms and voices; a hilarious song in which a lady astronomer reveals that the man in the moon is a lady; a dance beneath a full moon and a group of singing werewolves.

TICKETS ONLINE:

SeattleWomensChorus.org

PHONE:

206.388.1400

(Mon-Fri, Noon-7:00 PM)

REEL WOMEN CORNISH PLAYHOUSE AT SEATTLE CENTER

How does Saint Mark’s Cathedral lend itself to the programming of the Halloween show?

ELB: Since the audience and performers are in the same space at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, it allows SWC to, at times, perform around and within the audience. The acoustics of the Cathedral are quite live and built for choral music; this is a venue where Seattle Women’s Chorus is able to shine like the grand choral group it has become.

When programming each show, what balance do you look for? Are there slots in each show that you look to fill with certain categories/ types of numbers (i.e., a funny number, a serious number, a big production number, a crowd favorite, etc.)?

ELB: We like to program as wide a variety of music as we can manage for the Chorus. With the shows in the Cathedral we can focus on the beauty and grandeur of the choral sound – this is where more classical or musically challenging pieces can take shape. At The Cornish Playhouse there is more of an emphasis on show production; here we can do performances that are more theatrical in nature, allowing for video, scripts, choreography and lighting that are not part of the Saint Mark’s experience. In both venues, however, we always try to

achieve a balance of songs that will elicit wonder, laughter, tears, encouragement, and hopefully a better understanding of our world and what it is like to share it with one another.

Did you incorporate any of your own favorite movie tunes into the spring show?

ELB: The songs for the spring show are still being selected. The first step is to find a theme that works.

Then we set to work infusing that theme with specific stories and ideas that excite the imagination, and then gathering these stories and ideas into sections that flow from one to another. Into this

flow we will weave songs, scenes, monologues and videos to tell the story of women in film. The show will feature a dazzling collection of well-loved songs from movies, songs written about movies and movie stars as well as a few original pieces composed specifically for the show.

Many thanks to Eric for his beautifully evocative words. I know you can’t wait to see what fantastic elements Dennis and Eric weave into this season. I can’t wait either.

See you in the fall!

Tiki Naccarato Andrew Upper First Alto

Photo by Conrado Tapado

Photo by Conrado Tapado

THU, FEB 5, 2014, 7:30PM FRI, FEB 6, 2014, 8:00PM SAT, FEB 7, 2014, 2:00PM SAT, FEB 7, 2014, 8:00PM SUN, FEB 8, 2014, 2:00PM

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What do “gay apparel”… “two gay icons”… and a big ol’ Queen have in common? The 2014/2015 Seattle Men’s Chorus Season … that’s what!

GAY...

GAYER...

Dennis Coleman, Artistic Director, and Eric Lane Barnes, Associate Artistic Director have done it again… offering an exciting season of diverse and intriguing programming that runs the gamut of emotions and musical styles sung with the rich choral tones of 200 males voices.

On March 28, SMC returns with a compelling tribute to two gay men whose lives (and deaths) have had a profound impact on the LGBT community – Harvey Milk and Tyler Clementi. Through new, original commissions, this incredibly moving production honors the lives of these two men. Divided into two halves, the first act features the story behind fallen Rutgers University student and violinist, Tyler Clementi, and the second act depicts the life and impact of LGBT hero, Harvey Milk.

The season begins with the Seattle Men’s Chorus Holiday Show, ...Our Gay Apparel, which opens Saturday, November 29 at Benaroya Hall kicking off SMC’s 35th season!

“I know that our audiences look forward to hearing a beautiful male choral sound at the holidays each year … and I’m confident this concert will more than fulfill that tradition,” Dennis said. “The concert features several lush, warm arrangements of holiday favorites, including some brilliant mash-ups of carols with songs you might not expect.” Eric agrees!

“This holiday show will be bright and splashy, with several fun production numbers,” he added.

“Don’t be surprised, for example, if you see a full-on Ziegfeld Follies number featuring a parade of ugly Christmas sweaters, North Pole resort togs, and Scrooge telling us all what not to wear.” Ho-hohilarious!

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The creators of Tyler’s Suitee include: composer Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Wicked); John Bucchino, whose songs have been performed by artists from Art Garfunkel to Patti LuPone; multiplatinum-selling singer, composer, lyricist, pianist, and actress Ann Hampton Callaway (Swing! ); composer and singer Craig Carnelia (Working, Sweet Smell of Success); Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, three Grammy Awards, and an Academy Award, John Corigliano; composer Jake Heggie (For a Look or a Touch, Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers); Emmy winner Lance Horne and lyricist and librettist Pamela Stewart, who wrote lyrics for the entire work. Tyler’s Suitee is a poignant, heart-rending, soaring and ultimately uplifting piece that will touch your very soul.

I Am Harvey Milkk was written by award-winning composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party, Big Fish). The show weaves the story of Harvey Milk’s life – from boyhood to his rise as the first openly gay man to hold public office in California to his assassination. Part choral work, part theater piece, I Am Harvey Milkk is an emotional celebration of an American icon. Seattle Men’s Chorus is very pleased that Andrew Lippa – an accomplished singer and pianist - will be performing the title role in our presentation of I Am Harvey Milk.

“Both I Am Harvey Milkk and Tyler’s Suitee will be given their Seattle premieres at this concert,” Dennis said. I Am Harvey Milkk received its first performance last year at the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus June concert. Coincidentally, that was the same night that the US Supreme Court overturned Prop 8 in CA. “To say that the concert was electric (in no small part because of the powerful music) is an understatement,” Dennis said. “The uplifting nature of these stories and music will demonstrate that we’ve come a long way in society, but still have a long way to go.”

...OUR GAY APPAREL

TICKETS ONLINE:

BENAROYA HALL

OUTREACH PERFORMANCES:

SeattleMensChorus.org

SAT, NOV 29, 2:00PM SUN, NOV 30, 2:00PM FRI, DEC 12, 8:00PM SUN, DEC 14, 2:00PM SUN, DEC 14, 7:30PM SUN, DEC 21, 7:30PM MON, DEC 22, 7:30PM

TACOMA / Pantages Theatre THU, DEC 4, 8:00PM

206.388.1400

GAYEST! And, if you’re going to end a powerful season, end it big – with Queen! Opening on Saturday, June 20th, the men of SMC perform your favorite Queen hits like “We Are the Champions,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “We Will Rock You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The list goes on! “QUEEN with Freddy Mercury defined a certain gay sensibility in rock music,” Dennis said. “It’s also music that works for a choral group... along with a knock-out lead guitarist. Everyone knows and loves the music.”

Get ready to experience the delights of the holidays, the impact of an individual’s life on the world, and the full power of Queen, produced with the magic and flair that you know and expect from Seattle Men’s Chorus. Come join us in 2014/2015… it’s a season you won’t forget!

TICKETS: BROADWAYCENTER.ORG

PHONE:

(Mon-Fri, Noon-7:00 PM)

EVERETT / Everett Civic Auditorium SAT, DEC 20, 8:00PM

Starstruck

Captain Smartypants Goes to the Movies!

THE TRIPLE DOOR SAT, SEP 13, 8:00PM SAT, SEP 20, 8:00PM SUN, SEP 21, 7:00PM

We’re all a little “starstruck” when it comes to our favorite movie stars. But nobody does it better – or more hilariously - than musical funnymen Captain Smartypants. From silent film star Charlie Chaplin to noisy film star Sandra Bullock, Starstruck shines the spotlight on the movies we love the most, and those we love to roast.

A few of the sights you’ll see on the Starstruck red carpet: • A Disney princess duking it out with a Disney villain in song.

• Batman jazzing it up with three of his nemeses.

• Oscar-losing songs strutting their stuff in front of Oscarwinning songs.

• Macho movie hunks proving their sexy mettle to us mere mortals (in song).

Starstruck also includes three very personal “movie song stories” in which movies and their music played a pivotal role in a life-changing event. In one such story, a young gay man decides Beautiful Thing and its Mama Cass soundtrack is the perfect opportunity to dramatically come out to his family.

Another story relates a coming-of-age tale that takes place at a Dustin Hoffman drive-in double-feature (Midnight Cowboy and Tootsie), with a painfully awkward double date and a surprising first kiss from the coolest guy in high school.

Starstruck also features a touching tribute to the beautiful actresses that gay men have fallen in love with through the years, a raft of movie mashups (including “Man of Steel Magnolias” and “Jesus Christ Superstar Trek”) and what theme songs from Gravity, Cabin in the Woods, and Prometheus would have been like.

Starstruck is Captain Smartypants’ first feature-length appearance at The Triple Door. With a state-of-the-art sound system, concert grand piano, and full-sized movie screen (for the many videos that accompany the show), you will imbibe and dine in comfort and style (The Triple Door shares a kitchen with Wild Ginger, housed upstairs.) Come see why artists like Suzanne Vega, Vicci Martinez, Rufus Wainwright, Quincy (and Jack) Jones and Sweet Honey in the Rock have earned The Triple Door the title ‘Seattle’s best live music venue.’

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“Falling in Love Again ” and The following article was written by SMC singer, Bryn Nelson, while on tour through Germany in June, 2014.

A paparazzi scrum. A sea of rainbow umbrellas.

The German premiere of a vital mini-opera about the Holocaust. And an utterly charming song about penguins.

OK, let me explain. On June 19, about 125 of us converged on Berlin for the first leg of our fourcity tour through Germany. In addition to about 75 singing members of Seattle Men’s Chorus and seven members of Heartland Men’s Chorus from Kansas City, we were joined by musicians, staff, significant others and friends. There have been so many unforgettable moments for me in the days since then, but hopefully I can give you at least a taste of what the experience has been like.

June 20 began with moving visits to the Holocaust Memorial, Gay Holocaust Memorial in the Tiergarten and a surviving section of the Berlin Wall transformed into an art gallery. I was particularly gratified to see the U.S. Embassy, right next to Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, prominently flying the Pride flag in its lobby.

We made our first appearance that evening at the Deutsches Theater for the Stonewall Gala. The celebration honored people both in Germany and around the world for their contributions to tolerance and equality. What really had the German media buzzing, though, was the expectation that Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst would be in attendance. As a result, we had the surreal experience of serenading arriving dignitaries in the courtyard - including famous Irish drag queen Panti Bliss - while the gathered paparazzi shouted instructions at them.

The frenzy culminated with the arrival of the famously bearded Conchita, who looked on serenely while being encircled by screaming photographers as we sang, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” At one point, the jostling got so intense that the media pushed our director, Dennis Coleman, off to the side. Undaunted, he raised his arms over his head and directed us from behind the sea of cameras, and Conchita soon appeared in numerous photos with the chorus as her backdrop.

On Saturday, June 21, we marched in Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade with rainbow umbrellas, which came in handy on a cool, occasionally rainy afternoon. Being part of such a big event was an amazing experience, and we were warmly greeted by a long line of onlookers who seemed to love our sea of matching shirts and twirling, bobbing umbrellas. After  | T C P

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the parade, we had an even bigger thrill: singing four songs on the main stage to thousands and thousands of enthusiastic fans - the biggest live audience we’ve ever had. “Happy” soon had the entire crowd clapping along and when we ended with “Tired of the Silence,” which includes the words of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, our final “Come out!” was met with a roar.

At our first full concert, in Berlin’s dramatic Admiralspalast theater, we premiered For a Look or a Touch for a small but appreciative audience that included a Nigerian LGBT activist, a well-known gay rabbi and one of the film makers of Paragraph 175, the documentary on which the mini-opera is based. Before our first entrance, I felt more than a few butterflies: how would a German audience respond to such a deeply personal and emotional story? I soon had my answer: chorus members were thanked again and again after the show by truly touched concert goers.

We also received a glowing review on the queer.de website, which remarked on how important it was to have a gay chorus deliver such a powerful message.

At our next stop in the picturesque city of Leipzig, we were hosted by the very friendly and talented men of the local gay chorus, Tollkirschen. Our concert, at the Theater der Jungen Welt, proved to be another great success. The overwhelming emotion of the first half - particularly when we sang the mournful ballad “100,000 Stars” from balconies above the audience - was balanced by an uplifting second half of new anthems and American classics like Gershwin’s “Little Jazz Bird.” At least for me, however, Tollkirschen’s funny and charming “Penguin Mambo” stole the show.

A German television station devoted a lengthy segment to the concert the following evening. We’ve also been covered by the Jewish press, a classical music news site, and the European News Agency, and we’re so thankful that our message is being heard.

Next up are Dresden, Buchenwald and Cologne, and I’ll be back to give you my impressions of the tour’s second half.

again, and again, and again...

The following article was also written by SMC singer, Bryn Nelson, immediately following the tour through Germany in June, 2014.

Dresden, Germany had always been synonymous in my mind with the senseless devastation of war. I knew that the once-lovely city had been largely rebuilt since WWII but I was wholly unprepared for the breathtaking beauty and grace of the city center, where extensive renovations have restored many of the famous landmarks to their former grandeur.

For the third major concert of our Germany tour, we made a day trip on June 25 from Leipzig to sing in Dresden’s St. Pauli Ruine, a venue that encapsulates the city’s rise from the ashes. Today, the bombed-out and half-ruined church is a fantastic concert and theater venue covered with a glass roof. The visual effect is stunning, and the acoustics are superb.

With such a poignant reminder of the war all around us, our concert there took on added meaning, and many of us agreed that the sound, the emotion and the terrific audience response made this our best performance yet. Baritone Morgan Smith and actor Kip Niven, who have played Manfred Lewin and Gad Beck with such passion, always make my eyes blur near the end of our For a Look or a Touch opera. For this production, Morgan climbed to the top of the church for a solo that sent shivers down my spine. It was mesmerizing.

We ended the evening with our a cappella signature, “Over the Rainbow.” In this unforgettable setting, it was a song of hope and encouragement. It’s also something we sing often at the funerals of chorus members. And so it seemed a fitting tribute when we sang it again the next day at a simple memorial in a large clearing on a wooded hillside above the town of Weimar: the Nazis’ Buchenwald concentration camp.

written by the prisoners themselves. It speaks of hope, of freedom, of saying yes to life. We followed with “Over the Rainbow,” and the Kaddish prayer by several members. There were few dry eyes on our walk back to the buses.

For our final concert, we performed June 27 at the Friedenskirche (or Church of Peace) in Krefeld, about an hour north of Cologne. Like so many others, this church was heavily damaged in WWII and had to be extensively rebuilt. Before the concert, a church member invited several of us to climb up the restored bell tower and take in a sweeping view of the town and its surroundings.

Before a small but energetic audience, we shared the story of Gad and Manfred and then our American repertoire one last time. For one of our encores, the church pastor and cantor had a special request: ABBA. We obliged with “Lay All Your Love on Me.” And after a hearty German-style barbecue with our hosts, the church organist returned the favor with a fantastic ABBA medley.

On the evening of June 28, our entire tour group gathered for a farewell dinner cruise on the Rhine River in Cologne. Aboard the boat, we were no longer Seattle Men’s Chorus or Heartland Men’s Chorus or staff or musicians or allies but one big family that had bonded over 10 remarkable days. We laughed and hugged, sang and danced, and took pictures of each other and the dramatic nighttime skyline.

Liebe gewinn. Love wins.

We had stopped here on our way to Cologne. To sing.

To mourn. To cry. To remember that this is why we’re here. And the reminders at a site where more than 56,000 people died were overwhelming. The crematorium and solitary confinement cells have been preserved, the foundations of the prisoners’ barracks have been carefully demarcated, and there’s a plaque with a pink triangle that memorializes the 650 “homosexual men that suffered here.” Our guide described one particularly cruel form of torture that was right out of For a Look or a Touch.

I knew that the proceeds of our concerts in Germany had been earmarked for the foundation that runs the Buchenwald memorial, but being here in person gave the trip a far deeper resonance. We gathered in a semicircle, in front of the foundations of a barracks that held Jewish prisoners, and sang, “The Buchenwald Song,”

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SMC/SWC SEASON SPONSOR

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2013 was the first year that Wells Fargo Private Bank sponsored Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus.

What drew you to support us?

over the years so as we looked to expand our support of the LGBT community last year, the Choruses quickly jumped to the top of the list. We admire and appreciate the role that Flying House plays as one of the nation’s largest and most impactful cultural institutions promoting acceptance and providing a voice for the LGBT community. It is an honor to be able to support the continued growth of this amazing organization that has positively impacted the lives of our team members and so many others.

The Chorus’s vision is to work towards a world that accepts and values its gay and lesbian citizens. What does that mean to you as a company to be tied to that statement through your sponsorship of SMC and SWC?

That vision of acceptance aligns perfectly with who Wells Fargo is as a firm—we value and promote diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our business and at every level of our organization. We want to build and maintain a culture where our team members feel valued and respected for who they are as well as for the skills and experiences they bring to our company. We want team members to feel comfortable and enjoy being part of our community, knowing they can build a career at Wells Fargo and help the company succeed. That view extends into the community and to valuing other organizations that share that vision of acceptance and inclusion like the Chorus’s.

What is the greatest benefit you receive by sponsoring Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus (tangible or otherwise)?

In addition to supporting the great work of this organization—and indirectly those team members who care deeply about the Chorus’s success—our financial support also allows us the opportunity to entertain hundreds of our very best clients with beautiful music, many of whom are new audience members.

What is one thing our patrons should know about Wells Fargo that they don’t already know?

Wells Fargo was one of the first large companies in the United States to implement policies allowing same sex couples the same benefits as any other employee. We have a long and proud history of leadership, commitment, and support in the LGBT Community. In fact, last year we were recognized by Diversity Inc. as the Top Company in the United States for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Employees. In addition, every year since 2003, we have received a perfect score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index: Rating American Workplaces on LGBT Equality by the Human Rights Campaign.

What sets Wells Fargo Bank Private Bank apart from other financial institutions that should make our patrons want to do business with you?

The Private Bank has local specialists who help wealthy Washingtonians in non-traditional, same sex or unmarried relationships navigate the myriad of life and financial planning issues post R74 and the Supreme Court’s DOMA ruling. We are very good wealth managers and if you aren’t already working with us, we would like to start a conversation. And some of our team members have beautiful voices.

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Don’t miss a single beat!

SEATTLE WOMEN’S CHORUS

OCTOBER 17, 18, 24 & 25, 2014 SAINT MARK’S CATHEDRAL

SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS

NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 22, 2014 BENAROYA HALL

SEATTLE WOMEN’S CHORUS

FEBRUARY 5-8, 2015

CORNISH PLAYHOUSE AT SEATTLE CENTER

SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS

MARCH 28 & 29, 2015 MCAW HALL

SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS

JUNE 20 & 21, 2015 MCAW HALL FH. | 

clef

NOTES

GROUP SALES:

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

RECORDINGS:

CHORUS AUDITIONS:

Groups of 10 or more qualify for special discounts and advance purchase privileges. Group tickets can be purchased any time and are not restricted by on-sale dates. Ten to 49 receive a 10% discount, 50 or more receive a 20% discount. For more information, contact the box office.

Subscribe today and reap exclusive benefits all season long: 10% off single ticket prices, advance purchasing privileges, best seats in the house, free exchanges, and more.

To purchase our CDs please visit FlyingHouse.org or call 206.388.1400. All of our music is now available to buy online as MP3s through iTunes and Amazon.

Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus conduct auditions twice per year. Auditions are by appointment only.

To request an audition, visit FlyingHouse.org.

BOX OFFICE 206.388.1400 (Mon-Fri, Noon–7:00) ONLINE FlyingHouse.org SeattleMensChorus.org SeattleWomensChorus.org

U P COMIN G 201 4- 2015 SM C & SWC CON C E RTS CAPTAIN SMARTYPANTS

SATURDAY

09/13/14

8:00PM

STARSTRUCK

SATURDAY

09/20/14

8:00PM

SUNDAY

09/21/14

7:00PM

THE TRIPLE DOOR

FRIDAY

10/17/14

8:00PM

SEATTLE WOMEN’S CHORUS

SATURDAY

10/18/14

2:00PM

HALLOWS IN THE CATHEDRAL: MOONSHADOW

SATURDAY

10/18/14

8:00PM

FRIDAY

10/24/14

8:00PM

SATURDAY

10/25/14

8:00PM

SAINT MARK’S CATHEDRAL

SEATTLE MENS CHORUS SEATTLE WOMENS CHORUS

@SMC_CHORUS @SWC_CHORUS

U P COMI NG SMC & SWC F UND RA I SI NG E V E N TS INTERLUDE BREAKFAST GATHER & GIVE

SMCSWC

THURSDAY

09/18/14

5:30PM

HERBAN FEAST

SMC–SWC.TUMBLR.COM

Courtesy of Ana Gasteyer

/FLYINGHOUSESEATTLE

with keynote speaker

Ana Gasteyer

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Photo by Conrado Tapado

SMC/SWC EVENT SPONSOR

MISSION Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus entertain, enlighten, unify and heal our audience and members, using the power of words and music to recognize the value of gay and straight people and their relationships.

VISION A world that accepts and values its gay and lesbian citizens.

Flying House Productions 319 12th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122-5504