2022 Celebrate The Holidays

Diversity makes for a better cocktail party.

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS

presented by the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida and Artistic Director, Gabe Salazar Sponsored in part by

Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Rosie’s Bar & Grill and The Bears of South Florida

Holidays at Sunshine Cathedral

Friday, December 16, 2022, at 8:00 pm, Sunshine Cathedral Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Holidays at Hard Rock Live with Shoshana Bean

Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 7:00 pm Hosted by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, FL

Performances by Tropical Wave and The GMCSF Dancers

Anthony Cabrera - Assistant Conductor James Smith – Production Director Edwin Neimann – Principal Accompanist Christopher Toth – Accompanist Tom Michalak – Production Assistant

Scott Hindley – Choreographer Francois Ratzel – Choreographer Joseph Fletcher - Costumes Craig Hinman - Costumes Diablo Sound - Sound Design

Wardrobe and Costumes Sponsored by Goodman Public Relations Orchestra

Flute: Robert Billington Flute: Octavia Cortes Oboe: Frank Molano Clarinet: Christine Pascual-Fernandez F Horn: Amber Dean Trumpet 1: Luis Carlos Pulido Orjuela Trumpet 2: Diego Armando Giraldo Cucalon Trombone: Joel Martinez

Violin 1: Daniela Lemus Castillo Violin 1: Claudia Vega Arias Violin 2: Sergio Carleo Viola: Kenneth Jones Cello: Freddy Renaud Double Bass: Julian Rauh Percussion: Felipe Diaz Drums: Teresa Flores

THANK YOU Audrey LaCatis | David Cook

Our friends at Sunshine Cathedral: Reverend Durrell Watkins, Senior Minister Reverend Robert Griffin, Executive Minister; Kurt Litzenberger, Facilities Manager

Special THANK YOU to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood Susan Renneisen, Vice President of Community Affairs & Special Events Erick Eldridge, Director of Special Events Brett Annis, Director of Ticket Operations

Teresa Shum, Director of Public Relations Giovanna Maniscalco, Public Relations Specialist Anna Villalonga, Public Relations Specialist Sean Miller, Marketing Specialist

Book developed and produced through generous support from:

Thank You to our 2022-2023 Season Sponsors O UTC LIQUE

Note: Audio and video recording of any kind and flash photography are prohibited

A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR GABE SALAZAR We Sing Joy!! I am so honored and excited to take the stage with this incredible ensemble. It is truly an honor to lead this group of talented singers. Each time I step onto the podium, I try to live out the mission of our organization so that we, as a collective group of individuals, can inspire our audiences, open minds, change hearts and affirm our common humanity through quality musical experiences. I want to thank all of the past artistic directors of this organization for paving the way for me to lead this group. Thank you for your work and sacrifice in creating such an amazing space for so many of us to share our gifts and talents through our music.

When working with our Artistic Planning Team to create this magical night, we wanted to create an experience that would give you an overall sense of joy.

Throughout this evening’s performance, I hope that you will take a musical journey with us and feel a sense of nostalgia, a sense of new beginnings, a sense of hope, and a sense of belonging. You will hear classics such as “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” and many more. These and other traditional performances promise to fill your evening with uplifting and joyous holiday music. For other music selections, I have chosen some entertaining, powerful, and meaningful music for this concert. Also, since this time of year has great meaning for people all over the globe, we will be singing in languages such as Ladino, Latin, Spanish, and Swahili.

I am ecstatic to have the one and only Grammy and Tony-nominated artist, Shoshana Bean, for our Hard Rock Live performance. Shoshana is a force like none other, and her vocal power and agility will surely get you into the holiday spirit. In addition to her incredible artistry, she is a huge advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are so delighted to share the stage with a true diva. We are so grateful to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood for welcoming us back. They are indeed a dream to work with.

On behalf of our performers and crew, I thank you again for joining us this evening.

We could not take the stage tonight if it were not for you, our supporters. You mean so much to us and are a vital part of our mission. We hope you will feel the magic of the holidays through our music and that you leave uplifted, changed, and with a new sense of joy, gratitude, and belonging.

We are thankful to you! Happy Holidays!

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

MEET ME IN THE SKY special events with a view

THE SKY TERRACE at

321 N FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH BLVD, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33304 954-245-3085 | WESTINFORTLAUDERDALEBEACHRESORT.COM

THE ARTISTS GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA (GMCSF) Mission: We sing so that LGBTQ+ people can live their truth through quality music experiences that inspire audiences, open minds, change hearts, and affirm our common humanity.

Vision: A diverse world united.

Welcome to Season 13: WE SING GAY!

GMCSF brings live music and entertainment to the community through large-scale, main-stage concerts in high-profile venues, community-based engagements; and volunteer projects. More than 20,000 people are inspired and moved each year by the Chorus’s music, community outreach, and mission. This reach makes GMCSF a significant LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization and cultural asset in the heart of South Florida. With more than 150 singing members, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida is the southeastern United States’ largest gay men’s chorus and one of the country’s ten largest nonprofit LGBTQ+ choruses.

Our members are a community of diverse, intergenerational, and multicultural singers dedicated to our mission and a better future for all people. Being a member of the Chorus is not just about singing. It is also about being good role models for our youth, giving back to the community, and offering a helping hand to those who need one. GMCSF serves communities with live music and entertainment in Broward, Miami Dade, Palm Beach counties and more!

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

THE ARTISTS GABE SALAZAR, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Gabe Salazar is an enthusiastic and experienced conductor, tenor, and music educator skilled in fostering the artistic development of musicians from all backgrounds of life. Gabe brings to GMCSF 15 years of professional experience as a choral conductor and as a performer. Gabe completed his Master of Music degree in Voice at Lee University with further studies at California State University, Fullerton. His professional career has included serving as the Director of Music for United Methodist Church of Thousand Oaks in Thousand Oaks, California; the Director of New Life Singers and a member of the Voice Faculty at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ; performing as a staff singer for the Chicago Symphony Chorus as well as the Pacific Chorale in Costa Mesa, California; and as Choral Director at the Champs Charter High School of the Arts in Los Angeles; and Osceola County School of the Arts in Kissimmee, Florida.

During his last position, the choral program doubled in size in one year and won numerous awards at festivals and competitions.

In March 2019, Gabe made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut with his Chamber Singers. The group won a prestigious competition to headline a concert in the worldrenowned Isaac Stern Auditorium. Gabe is thrilled to be the new artistic director for GMCSF and looks forward to building the ensemble’s future with the members, volunteers, and staff.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

THE ARTISTS ANTHONY CABRERA, ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Anthony Cabrera is the former Artistic Director of the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus, serving them for 14 years.

Under his leadership, the chorus has introduced groundbreaking choral works for men’s voices (Through the Glass Darkly 2010, Alexander’s House 2013, and I Am Harvey Milk 2016), dealing with issues integral to the story and history of the LGBTQ+ community. The chorus also saw the development and expansion of the MGMC South Florida Choral Festival, which, for five years, featured over three hundred singers representing a broad spectrum of communities in South Florida.

Cabrera is the Assistant Director of Music Ministries at Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC), where he is also the Minister of Liturgical Arts. He is a singer with the Chancel Choir and CGCC’s professional vocal ensemble in residence. He is the Choral Director at the Young Women’s Preparatory Academy—Miami Dade County Public Schools’ single-gender public preparatory academy for girls. He also teaches Humanities, AP Music Theory, and AP Human Geography and is the school’s Director of Student Activities.

SHOSHANA BEAN “No matter what song Shoshana Bean is given to sing, she will sing it in a way even the songwriter never dreamed it could be sung, and she will tell the audience a story they never knew they needed so badly. She is one of those people that you watch and say, “I’m glad this person is famous, for the world needs their gifts.”

– Broadway World, August 2019.

Tony and Grammy Award Nominee, Billboard Chart Topping Recording Artist, Shoshana Bean was most recently seen starring opposite Billy Crystal in Broadway’s Mr. Saturday Night. Tony-nominated for her role as Susan Young, she has previously starred on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked and Jenna in Waitress. Her six independent studio albums and EPs have landed her on top of the iTunes and Billboard charts, including the peak position of #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart. She has sold out concerts around the globe and lent her voice to countless films and television shows, a few of which include: Sing, Sing 2, Enchanted, Jersey Boys, Glee, and Galavant.

Shoshana made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Hairspray, appeared OffBroadway in the 2000 revival of Godspell, and in Songs for a New World at City Center Encores. She won an IRNE Award for her performance as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and earned a Jeff Award nomination for her portrayal of CeeCee Bloom in the preBroadway musical production of Beaches. In addition, she has appeared in Bloodline, Bill and Ted Face The Music, and recently filmed a solo concert special for PBS.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

THE ARTISTS TROPICAL WAVE

Under the Direction of Assistant Conductor, Anthony Cabrera Tropical Wave is an outreach ensemble of GMCSF, designed for special service performances, when a venue has limited space for the entire chorus.

They are also frequently showcased in our mainstage concerts.

Tenor 1 Mark Blackburn, David Pfeffer, Jonathan Sanz

Tenor 2 Jose Blanco, Rick Heal, Francois Ratzel, Jason Rawls, Don Thompson

Baritone John Chaffin, Paul Guariglia, Charles Robinson, Eric Strom, Stegar Thompson

Bass Felix Fidelibus (not pictured), Richard Fulks, John Lewis, Rick Vaughan (not pictured)

TONIGHT’S SOLOISTS Bob Beaulieu John Chaffin Jeff Goodman Rafael Gragert

David Gray Sean Gac-Guerrier John Ison A.J. Mendini

Steven Patterson David Pfeffer Andrew Stephens Eric Strom

David R. Littlefield Eric Strom Francois Ratzel Gregory Johnson John Ison

Reynaldo Araque Scott Hindley Stan Bunch Terry Hirsh Tim Yarbrough

GMCSF DANCERS Alan McKnight Andrew Stephens Bert Cohen Carter Poust David Gray

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

10am - 2

pm

Y A D N U S DAY FUN NCH BRU

RESERVATIONS Order PICK-UP & DELIVERY

20

TH

ANNIVERSARY

BEARS OF SOUTH FLORIDA S O C I A L GAT H E R I N G S WITH A C H A R I TA B L E P U R P O S E

To date, BOSFL has proudly donated over $150,000 to other local GLBTQ non-profit organizations Pool Parties•Special Events•Dinners Theater•Movies•Bowling•Excursions Stonewall Pride TH A N KS TO A LL O U R M E M B E RS & S U P PO RTE RS !

Thanks to all our members and supporters”

JOIN US!

BOSFL.ORG

Th e B e a rs O fS o u t h F l o ri d a

December 16, 2022 | Sunshine Cathedral Gloria

Randol Alan Bass

O Come All Ye Faithful

Guest Conductor: Dr. Jack Killen

In memory of Alex Crotts who now sings with choirs of angels. Love, your friends

Noel

Todd Smith Arr. Brad Holmes

Soloists: Andrew Stephens & Eric Strom

Do You Hear What I Hear

Words & Music by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Arr. Craig Courtney

Soloists: David Gray & John Chaffin

Sponsored by the GMCSF Baritone Section

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Traditional Arr. David Maddux

Rest in Peace. I love you my dear brother. Love, Ian

ACT I

John Francis Wade Arr. Dan Forrest

The Hallelujah Chorus

G.F. Handel Arr. F. Heath

Nuns: The GMCSF Dancers

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Phillips Brooks Arr. Dan Forrest Words & Music by Fllory Jagoda Arr. J.A. Kawarsky

Ocho Kandelikas

Soloists: Jeff Goodwin

Sponsored by David Burba and Larry Small

Coventry Carol Tropical Wave

Traditional Christmas Hymn | Words by Robert Croo Arr. Noah Reese

Sponsored by John Chaffin, and dedicated to my fellow members of Tropical Wave

We Need A Little Christmas

Guests: Members of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus

Words & Music by Jerry Herman Arr. Mark Hayes

Sponsored by Gabe Salazar in honor of our the newest members of our chorus family who are joining us from the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus.

Ave Maria

INTERMISSION

Franz Biebl

Soloists: Steven Patterson, David Pfeffer, Bob Beaulieu

For the mothers who nurture, protect, and love us; especially three special ones: Kathia Fernandez, Stephanie Sanz, and Nidia Fernandez. Love, Jonathan Sanz

A World of Joy

Gary Fry

Soloists: A.J. Mendini

Dedicated to our brothers & sisters in Colorado Springs: The GMCSF Bass Section

SparkleJollyTwinkleJingley Soloists: John Ison

ACT II

The Work of Christmas Tropical Wave

Go Where I Send Thee Tropical Wave

Music by Matthew Sklar | Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Arr. Andy Beck Howard Thurman Arr. Dan Forrest Gospel Spiritual Arr. Paul Caldwell & Sean Ivory

Sponsored by the members of Tropical Wave, in honor of Anthony Cabrera and Christopher Toth

What Christmas Means to Me

Words & Music by George Gordy, Anna Gordy Gaye, and Allen Story Merry Christmas to my Tom and Bob in Heaven. Love, Roger Snyder Arr. Tim Sarsany Words & Music by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Soloists: Sean Gac-Guerrier Arr. Mark Hayes Soloists: Rafael Gragert

Sponsored by Tony Minella in loving memory of Harry

Silent Night

In honor of my chorus families in the PGMC and the GMCSF. May your moments of silence always be filled with love. - Marcus Saitschenko

ENCORE: And Suddenly

To Kevin: your love is my gift from God. Mark

Franz Gruber Arr. Dan Forrest Michael Engelhardt

Please be advised that any last-minute changes to the concert program are at the discretion of the Artistic Director.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

December 18, 2022 | Hard Rock Live Gloria

Randol Alan Bass

O Come All Ye Faithful

John Francis Wade Arr. Dan Forrest

Guest Conductor: Dr. Jack Killen

In memory of Alex Crotts who now sings with choirs of angels. Love, your friends

Noel

Todd Smith Arr. Brad Holmes

Soloists: Andrew Stephens & Eric Strom

Do You Hear What I Hear

Words & Music by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Arr. Craig Courtney

Soloists: David Gray & John Chaffin

Sponsored by the GMCSF Baritone Section

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Traditional Arr. David Maddux

ACT I

Rest in Peace. I love you my dear brother. Love, Ian

The Hallelujah Chorus

Nuns: The GMCSF Dancers

All I Want for Christmas is You Shoshana Bean

The Christmas Song Shoshana Bean

Ocho Kandelikas

Soloists: Jeff Goodwin

Sponsored by David Burba and Larry Small

Coventry Carol

G.F. Handel Arr. F. Heath Words and Music by Mariah Carey & Walter Afanasieff Arr. Erin Billings & David Cook Words and Music by Mel Torme & Robert Wells Arr. Erin Billings & David Cook Words & Music by Fllory Jagoda Arr. J.A. Kawarsky Traditional Christmas Hymn | Words by Robert Croo Arr. Noah Reese

Tropical Wave

Sponsored by John Chaffin, and dedicated to my fellow members of Tropical Wave

We Need A Little Christmas

Guests: Members of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus

Words & Music by Jerry Herman Arr. Mark Hayes

Sponsored by Gabe Salazar in honor of our the newest members of our chorus family who are joining us from the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus.

INTERMISSION Ave Maria

Franz Biebl

Soloists: Steven Patterson, David Pfeffer, Bob Beaulieu

For the mothers who nurture, protect, and love us; especially three special ones: Kathia Fernandez, Stephanie Sanz, and Nidia Fernandez. Love, Jonathan Sanz

A World of Joy

Gary Fry

Featuring Shoshana Bean

Dedicated to our brothers & sisters in Colorado Springs: The GMCSF Bass Section

SparkleJollyTwinkleJingley

ACT II

Soloists: John Ison

Go Where I Send Thee

Music by Matthew Sklar | Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Arr. Andy Beck Gospel Spiritual Arr. Paul Caldwell & Sean Ivory

Tropical Wave

Sponsored by the members of Tropical Wave, in honor of Anthony Cabrera and Christopher Toth

What Christmas Means to Me

Words & Music by George Gordy, Anna Gordy Gaye, and Allen Story Merry Christmas to my Tom and Bob in Heaven. Love, Roger Snyder Arr. Tim Sarsany Words & Music by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Soloists: Sean Gac-Guerrier Arr. Mark Hayes Soloists: Rafael Gragert

Sponsored by Tony Minella in loving memory of Harry

Light of The World Shoshana Bean

O Holy Night

Shoshana Bean

Words and Music by Lauren Daigle, Paul Mabury & Paul Duncan Arr. Erin Billings & David Cook Words by John Sullivan Dwight Music by Adolphe Charles Adam Arr. Erin Billings & David Cook Program continued on next page.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

December 18, 2022 | Hard Rock Live

ACT II

Silent Night

In honor of my chorus families in the PGMC and the GMCSF. May your moments of silence always be filled with love. - Marcus Saitschenko

ENCORE: And Suddenly

Franz Gruber Arr. Dan Forrest Michael Engelhardt

Featuring Shoshana Bean

To Kevin: your love is my gift from God. Mark

Please be advised that any last-minute changes to the concert program are at the discretion of the Artistic Director.

PROGRAM NOTES

WRITTEN BY JIM LOPRESTI

ACT ONE GLORIA It has become a tradition for GMCSF to choose a set of liturgical texts that celebrates the Christmas narrative. On some occasions, GMCSF has performed the “Magnificat,” the Virgin Mary’s song to her cousin Elizabeth telling of the announcement from the Angel Gabriel that she is to give birth to the Messiah. Tonight it is Randol Bass’ “Gloria,” a liturgical expansion of the hymn reportedly sung by the angels to announce the birth of Jesus. The composer has achieved an impressive array of performances and commissions by prestigious ensembles throughout the United States: the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. His “Gloria’’ was premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1990 by the New York Pops Orchestra under Skitch Henderson.

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL (Adeste Fideles) Like many other beloved Christmas Carols, the origins of the music and the words of “O Come All Ye Faithful” are shrouded in mystery. Over the years, various musicologists connected the melody to 17th-century English church musician John Reading, G.F. Handel, and others. Most now agree, however, that the music and text are both the work of an 18th-century English Catholic layman, John Francis Wade, who fled from religious persecution in his native England. The current English translation was written by Frederick Oakeley and published in 1852, shortly after the author left the Anglican Church to become a Roman Catholic. Dan Forrest’s arrangements of two classic Christmas Carols were introduced to our audiences last year. This is the first of four pieces he either composed or arranged to perform tonight.

NOEL James Todd Smith’s family home in Detroit burned to the ground when he was five. Subsequently, his father felt a missionary call to move his family from Michigan to Sub-Saharan West Africa. The previous generation of the Smith family had been American missionaries in Africa. Smith’s grandparents built the West African home the new Smith family would occupy for the next eight years. Smith gives credit for his music career to that missionary upbringing. “I’ve been singing in front of people since I was three,” he said. “My parents are missionaries. When we came back to the United States, we had to visit each church that sponsored us. That was a good training ground.” Back in the US, he and his sister formed “Selah,” a Contemporary Christian music group that is now as comfortable singing in West African Kituba as in English, and they are just as at ease in the rhythms of the Congo.

Translation: “Noel, Noel. Jesus has come to live with us. If you want to know the child, you have to come [and] kneel.”

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR In October 1962, at a time of increasing anxiety over the Cuban missile crisis, the singer-songwriter couple Gloria Shayne and Noel Regney wrote Do You Hear What I Hear. Regney had earlier been invited to compose a Christmas song by a recording company but was hesitant to take on the task, given his disdain for the rampant commercialism of the season. Then, inspired by watching couples pushing baby carriages in Central Park that autumn, the couple realized they had something important to convey in a piece written for the Holiday. Conflating the Angels’ announcement to the Shepherds in the nativity story, the song starts from the message spoken by a “little lamb” to a shepherd boy. It climaxes in the message of “the mighty king,” a reference to one of the majestic visitors from the East, who strongly exhorted, “Pray for peace, people everywhere.”

THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS (from THE MESSIAH) Handel composed his towering masterwork of 53 movements in less than one month in the late summer of 1741. Well received at its Dublin premiere the following year, it was not so warmly applauded in London almost exactly one year after. Handel avoided using the name Messiah and referred to the composition as the New Sacred Oratorio, lest he offend the sensibilities of polite London society by bringing such sacred a subject to the secular concert hall. It has become the custom of standing during the performance of the Hallelujah Chorus (movement 44), supposedly because King George II rose to show his delight at the composition. However, there is no evidence that the King ever attended a performance of the Messiah. The first reference to the custom of standing appeared in a letter in 1756.

While modern audiences are used to hearing the great oratorio performed by huge choruses, the premier used a choral force of 16 boys and 16 men. GMCSF has its take on the season’s “must-hear’’ classical work.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

PROGRAM NOTES

WRITTEN BY JIM LOPRESTI

GOD REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMEN

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was first published in 1833 when it appeared in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, a collection of seasonal carols gathered by William B. Sandys. Although the author is unknown, the lyrics are reputed to date back to the 15th century. It is believed that this carol was sung to the gentry by town watchmen seeking to earn additional money during the Christmas season. Good King Wenceslas.

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM Near Christmas Day in 1868, Phillips Brooks, Rector of Philadelphia’s Trinity Episcopal Church, asked organist Lewis Redner to write a melody he had written for the Christmas Sunday school service. In the 1924 text, Studies of Familiar Hymns, Redner reported that the simple music was written in great haste and under tremendous pressure. “We were to practice on the following Sunday. Mr. Brooks came to me on Friday and said, ``Redner, have you ground out that music yet to ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’? I replied, “No,” but he should have it by Sunday. On the Saturday night before, my brain was all confused about the tune. I thought more about my Sunday school lesson than I did about the music. But I was roused from sleep late in the night hearing an angel-strain whispering in my ear, and seizing a piece of music paper, I jotted down the treble of the tune as we now have it, and on Sunday morning before going to church, I filled in the harmony. Neither Mr. Brooks nor I ever thought the carol or the music would live beyond that Christmas of 1868.” Fortunately, their predictions were very wrong.

OCHO KANDELIKAS The history of Jews settling in Spain is long and complex. In 305, a synod of bishops in Toledo passed an edict prohibiting Jews and non-Jews from eating together. That was the recorded beginning of majority rule that made life increasingly difficult for the Jewish Diaspora on the far Western edges of the known world. These Sephardic (Hebrew word for Spain) Jews were forced to depart from Spain and Portugal in the late 15th-century era of the Inquisition. The exiles had a unique culture and rich traditions as they traversed Europe. They spoke Ladino, a language still in use into the 20th century. Flory Papo was a Sephardic Jew born in 1923 in Sarajevo to a musical family steeped in the Ladino language and Jewish tradition. During the German occupation, her stepfather helped Flory escape. After the liberation of Italy, she crossed the Adriatic and eventually met American soldier Harry Jagoda in Bari. They married and made a new life in the States. Nostalgic for home, Flory composed her Hanukkah song “Ocho Kandelikas” in her rooted language, now in danger of extinction. The Song recalls a child’s joy in the winter Festival of Lights, counting the candles and delighting in the pastries made of almonds and honey. In 2002, Jagoda was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts for preserving Sephardic music.

Translation: It’s here, beautiful Hanukkah; eight little candles for me, oh... One little candle, two little candles, three little candles, four little candles, five little candles, six little candles, seven little candles, eight little candles for me.

I’ ll throw plenty of parties, full of joy and pleasure, I’ ll throw plenty of parties, full of joy and pleasure, oh...One little candle, two little candles, three little candles, four little candles, five little candles, six little candles, seven little candles, eight little candles for me.

I’ ll eat little pastries, with almonds and honey, I’ ll eat little pastries, with almonds and honey, oh… One little candle, two little candles, three little candles, four little candles, five little candles, six little candles, seven little candles, eight little candles for me.

COVENTRY CAROL

This carol was performed as part of the 16th century Mystery Play entitled The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors, a reference to the guild of artisans that produced it in the English Midlands community of Coventry. The play depicts the events surrounding the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem, told in the Gospel of Matthew. These worshiping visitors from the East informed King Herod of their quest. Learning that they were seeking a child who would be the future “King of the Jews,” he is determined to kill this potential rival for his power. As a result, the Holy Family flees to Egypt while Herod orders the execution of all boys under two years old in Bethlehem. Early Christians designated December 29 the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Prayers for the Mass on the feast day laud the children as “timeless benefactors in the Faith who proclaimed Christ ‘not in speech, but by death alone.’” The carol is a lullaby sung by the mothers of doomed children. The play’s author and carol are unknown; Robert Croo wrote the oldest text down in 1534, and the most senior known melody setting dates from 1591.

WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS Just two months ago, Dame Angela Lansbury passed, ending an iconic career of remarkable depth and influence in film, television, and on the stages of Broadway and London’s West End. In her Tony Award-winning title role in Jerry Herman’s highly praised Broadway Musical Mame (1966), she faced her loss of fortune in the crash of 1929 in her characteristic “take-charge” way. Seizing the moment, she boldly claimed, “we need a little Christmas now.” Interestingly, in the original lyrics, young Patrick voices his surprise since it is not yet Yuletide: “But, Auntie Mame, it’s one week past Thanksgiving Day now!” That seems quaint to modern shoppers on Amazon.

Her role in Mame lifted her to the rank of Superstardom. In the 1960s, the New York Times referred to Lansbury as the “First Lady of Musical Theatre.” And for his part, Jerry Herman was inducted into The American Theater Hall of Fame not only for Mame and Angela Lansbury but for Hello Dolly and Carol Channing. Two Broadway hits and two Grande Dames.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

PROGRAM NOTES

WRITTEN BY JIM LOPRESTI

ACT 2 AVE MARIA Bavarian church musician and choral music educator Franz Biebl’s best-known work stayed where it was crafted in 1959 until the Cornell University Glee Club brought it to America in 1970. A decade later, San Francisco’s highly acclaimed male vocal ensemble Chanticleer included the work in its standard repertoire. That began its rise to prominence first among male choruses, then in arrangements for mixed choirs, and finally arranged without text for instrumental ensembles. Instead, the motet combines two prayer texts from the long tradition of devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Portions of the Angelus prayer that recall the annunciation to the Virgin that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit are sung in Gregorian Chant as verses. At the same time, sections of the Ave Maria are performed in lush 8-part harmonies as the hymn’s chorus.

A WORLD OF JOY Emmy Award-winning composer Gary Fry has long collaborated with some of America’s most prominent orchestras and choruses. His works have graced the concert stage in Chicago, where he arranged and composed the Chicago Symphony’s annual Holiday Yule concert for nearly 20 years. In addition, he has been an artistic consultant for the Dallas Symphony’s annual Christmas Celebration concerts. He is currently the composer and arranger for the holiday programs of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. These, and many other symphonies and choruses across the country, have commissioned over 100 Holiday Season works by Fry. In 2018, GMCSF joined that prestigious group, commissioning Fry to voice a male choral arrangement of his Song in Our Hearts, initially written for the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS What happens after the twelfth day of Christmas, the Feast of the Epiphany, on January 6? That was a question few have posed save African American theologian, philosopher, mystic, and educator Howard Thurman (1899–1981), who grounded all his work in the deep conviction that “life is alive” with creative intelligence. He played a leading role among the warriors for social justice. And he was one of the principal architects of the modern, nonviolent civil rights movement and a key mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King received his Ph.D. at Boston University, where Thurman served as chaplain. So, what does Thurman say is the “Work of Christmas” in his posthumously published poem? It is “to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.” As you will hear tonight, Dan Forrest challenged that last directive in work commissioned initially by Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC. Today’s faith community pledges: “We will work towards restorative justice so that all people have access to wealth, health, wellbeing, justice, and opportunity.”

GO WHERE I SEND THEE The origins of “Go Where I Send Thee” are difficult to trace. Still, large portions of the music and the lyrics predate the Gospel adaptation by early African American communities. All have contributed to today’s beloved Christmas carol in its distinctive Gospel style. It is likely that the English folk song “The Twelve Apostles” is a direct source, but there are reasons to trace the carol’s origins back to a 16th Century Yiddish Passover song. After extensive research through archives of recordings in the Library of Congress, a PRX-syndicated radio program produced in 2017 concluded: The song’s story “offers insight into the making of American culture, asking: How did an old-world folk song become something distinctly American? And how do we reconcile contemporary notions of American folk music traditions with the legacy of Jim Crow?”

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME Before the Great Depression, Christmas music was mainly about Biblical themes and liturgical texts. But in the 1930s, an ever-increasing amount of American holiday seasonal music no longer explicitly referenced the nativity, or shepherds and angels, featuring secular Western seasonal themes and customs instead. Of course, the newer holiday music genre often conjured Santa and his crew for children. Still, sentimental ballad-type songs by famous crooners also crowded the airwaves and movie theaters. Holiday value-themed music espousing family, kindness to others, generosity, and the like were winning topics to write about. As were Holiday themed love songs. The Gordy and Story version of “What Christmas Means to Me” is among the most covered of those love songs starting with Stevie Wonder and continuing to this day with John Legend and Pentatonix.

SILENT NIGHT The carol was first performed in the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria, on December 24, 1818. Mohr had composed the words two years earlier, but on Christmas Eve, he brought them to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the church service. In his written account regarding the composition of the carols, Gruber does not mention the specific inspiration for creating the song. It is commonly supposed that the church organ was no longer working; hence Mohr and Gruber created music for guitar accompaniment. Some believe that Mohr wanted a new Christmas carol that he could play on his guitar. Austria’s Silent Night Society says that “many romantic stories and legends” add anecdotal details to the known facts.

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin’s famous Christmas song was written to be sung by Esther Smith (Judy Garland) to

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

PROGRAM NOTES

WRITTEN BY JIM LOPRESTI

her daughter Tootie (Margaret O’Brien) in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis. Martin’s original lyrics were a bit more melancholy than the version most hear today on Frank Sinatra’s 1957 album, A Jolly Christmas. In a poignant scene from the film, Esther seeks to comfort Tootie, who is upset by a planned move away from beloved St. Louis to distant New York. Esther was supposed to sing to her daughter: “Have yourself a merry little Christmas/It may be your last…

Faithful friends who are dear to us/Will be near to us no more. We’ll have to muddle through somehow.” Judy Garland protested, and Martin relented. He adjusted the lyrics. In 1957 the phrase “until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow” was replaced at Sinatra’s request with “…hang a shining star upon the highest bow.”

SPARKLEJOLLYTWINKLEJINGLY On one Christmas Eve, a baby boy at a New York orphanage crawls undetected into Santa’s sack. He is unwittingly transported on the globe-trotting sleigh, not to be discovered until everyone returns to the North Pole. The elves name him Buddy after the brand label on his diaper, and Papa Elf adopts and raises him. The film Elf tells the charming story of the madcap adventures that lead to his new life back among his human family, who, up until Buddy’s arrival, has made it on Santa’s naughty list. Buddy helps them, and much of New York, remember the “true meaning of Christmas.” According to critic Roger Ebert, the 2003 film is “wickedly funny” and “it charms the socks right off the mantelpiece.” The 2010 Broadway adaptation of Elf ran for two Holiday seasons and four North American tours, the last in 2016.

Sung by SHOSHANA BEAN ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU Mariah Carey is well known for her infectious delight in all things Christmas. In a 2016 feature article, People Magazine listed “10 Reasons Why Mariah Carey Is – and Always Will Be – the Queen of Christmas.” And All I Want for Christmas Is You, composed in 1994, is one of only two Holiday recordings to reach Billboard’s number one spot over 60+ years of rankings in its weekly “Hot 100” list. However, it took her 25 years to accomplish that feat. It wasn’t until 2019 that the song finally reached that #1 high water mark set in 1958 by, of all “people,” The Chipmunks.

David Seville’s “The Chipmunk Song” ruled the Holiday airwaves for four weeks in 1958-59.

THE CHRISTMAS SONG James Torme, son of Mid-century jazz pianist and crooner Mel Torme, told the story of the origins of this Holiday favorite on a 2017 Christmas Day NPR broadcast. His father was visiting with writing partner Robert Wells on a hot July day in 1945. Their shared desire for respite from the heat occasioned their nostalgia for the pleasures of the much colder Holiday season. They mused about “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and “kids dressed up like Eskimos.” As James tells it, one thing led to another, and less than an hour later, their newly born and titled The Christmas Song got them both excited enough to bring it to a publisher that same day. They were rejected. The publishing company was not ready to invest in a song that “would be popular only one day of the year.” So, later that very same day, the composing duo took the song to Nat King Cole, who instantly fell in love with it. Mel Torme gifted the song to him right on the spot. Nat King Cole recorded The Christmas Song four times between 1946 and 1961, making it his signature Holiday classic. Such was the kind of success that gave Van Heusen Publishing reasons for regretting their July 1945 refusal. The Christmas Song has been covered by dozens of the most famous American recording artists every decade since then.

LIGHT OF THE WORLD Singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle’s Creole-Zydeco music roots in Southwest Louisiana foretold that her most notable contribution to the music world would be faith-based. “Light of the World,” her first single, was included in the 2013 album Christmas: Joy To The World, a collection of holiday songs from various artists on the newly established Centricity label. The song opens with a universal plea: “The world waits for the miracle/The heart longs for a little bit of hope/ Oh come, oh come Emmanuel.” She is the recipient of various awards and accolades, including two American Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, many GMA Awards, and several Grammy nominations. In response to certain Fundamentalist Christian writers who took umbrage at her appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, she said: “I don’t have all the answers in life, and I’m definitely not gonna act like I do, but the one thing that I know for sure is I can’t choose who I’m supposed to be kind to and who I’m supposed to show love to and who I’m not because that’s the mission right? Be who Christ was to everyone.”

O HOLY NIGHT In 1847, the parish priest in Roquemaure, France, asked local wine merchant and poet Placide Cappeau to write a Christmas poem for the church. At the poet’s request, French operatic composer Adolphe Adam set Cappeau’s “Minuit Chretiens” to music, simply titling it “Cantique de Noël.” Adam’s hymn was first performed at Midnight Mass that same year in the Roquemaure parish church. Ecclesiastical authorities were not especially pleased. Perhaps animated by a distaste for anything conjuring operatic musical fare, one French bishop denounced it for its “lack of musical taste and total lack of the spirit of religion.” Fortunately, this churchman’s displeasure had little effect on the rising popularity of the hymn. In 1855, Boston Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, a respected voice in the city’s emerging music scene, created and published “O Holy Night,” his English version of “Cantique de Noël,” thus introducing the hymn to American audiences. This was the same year the translation of another French Carol, “Angels We Have Heard on High,” was first published in English. Both French implants quickly took firm root in America.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

SINGING TONIGHT

As of November 18, 2022

Fidel Aburto

Eric Alayon

Christian Andaya

Bruce Anderson

Reynaldo Araque

Rafael Baez

David Baier

Derek Barbara

Andy Barborak

Bob Beaulieu

Rowan Benenfeld

Miguel Bernard-Rivera

Rex Beyer

Mark Blackburn

Jose Blanco

Fred Boykin

Stan Bunch

John Burch

John Chaffin

Bert Cohen

Tony Corrente

Doug Cureton

Roubik Danelian

Guy D’Arcangelo

Edmound Davis

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

SINGING TONIGHT

As of November 18, 2022

Jerry Day

Chad Edgar

Daniel Elder

Craig Fashbaugh

Doug Ferguson

James Ficke

Felix Fidelibus

Joseph Fletcher

Michael Foley

Susan Foley

Steven Freeman

Richard Fulks

Jarrod Gac

Sean Gac-Guerrier

Walter Gardner

Brian Garrett

Jeff Goodwin

Rafael Gragert

David Gray

Paul Guariglia

Rick Heal

Scott Hindley

Craig Hinman

Terry Hirsh

Dean Hitsos

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

SINGING TONIGHT

As of November 18, 2022

Michael Holtzman

Matthew Hoover

David Hopper

Jim Houser

Shawn Hysell

John Ison

Michael Jacobsen

Victor Jannett

Gregory Johnson

Ronnie Jones Jr.

Donald Kasischke

Herb Knowles

Peter Konrath

Aaron Lauer

John Lewis

David R. Littlefield

Tom Ludwiczak

James Mallon

Alan McKnight

A.J. Mendini

Scott Messenger

Tony Minella

Rodrick Minnis

Terry Moore

Harold Noble

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

SINGING TONIGHT

As of November 18, 2022

Miguelanjel ODell-Perez

Orlando Ojeda

Jorge Ornelas Jr.

Nick Orr

Billy Parjan

Clayton Paterson

Steven Patterson

David Pfeffer

Michael Ping

Eduardo Pinto

Carter Poust

Francois Ratzel

Jason Rawls

Peter Reinoso

Charles Robinson

Raymond Rodriguez

Larry Rosenberg

Jonathan Ruiz

Marcus Saitschenko

Jose Santos

Jonathan Sanz

Steven Shapiro

Neal Sinha

Donald Small

Larry Small

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

SINGING TONIGHT

As of November 18, 2022

Roger Snyder

Bill Spinosa

D. Preston Steele

Jack Stein

Andrew Stephens

Eric Strom

Romulo Sucre

Don Thompson

Robert Thompson

Don Tomasello

Johann Torres

Kely Van Eaton

Rick Vaughan

Omari Walker

Aubrey Williams

Tim Yarbrough

Rob Young

Eric Ziegler

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK B. KENT Good evening! Spending the holidays with you is like catching up with dear friends and family. On behalf of our entire organization, I want you to know that we are excited to see you again and look forward to building great memories together. After all, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida would not be here if it weren’t for you.

I must say that I am overwhelmed at the way you’ve sustained this chorus and enabled it to not only survive a global pandemic but emerge from it with strength.

Your attendance at our concerts, your advertising, your donations, and your words of encouragement have kept us on the move and inspired. Just like any dear friend or family member, you were there for us when we needed you. On behalf of everyone…I thank you so very much.

Great things are happening for this chorus, and we all feel such a sense of excitement.

I hope you do too. Together we are building a powerful force of music and humanity that is spreading hope further and further. In fact, we are reaching more than 20,000 people each season. We feel that everyone needs to see LGBTQ+ people as a vibrant community of individuals who are entitled to the same rights as others.

Rights that are now under threat. We are not backing down. The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida is singing louder, getting stronger, and reaching further. We feel it is an honor to serve as the voice of the LGBTQ+ community.

Please continue to be a part of us. Buy tickets and bring friends. Donate to help us expand and do more. Volunteer and help reinforce our infrastructure. Buy an ad in the program book. You may even wish to audition and lend your voice to our efforts. However you may choose to become a part of this fabulous organization, I commit to you that as you stand behind us, we will continue doing our part. We will put in the many hours every week, hone our artistry, collaborate with the community, and increase our advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals. Together, with you, we can build a better future for all people.

Get Involved! www.gmcsf.org

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

GMCSF LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Fred Boykin Board Chair

Board Vice-Chair

Secretary/Chorus Representative

Bob Beaulieu

Michael Foley

Tony Corrente

Ronni Arden

Adam Barber

Erick Eldridge

Johnnie Mejia

Judy Paul

Bill Spinosa

Rick Vaughan

Edward Otto Zielke Director of Marketing and Sponsorship

Office Manager and Bookkeeper

Chorus President

Director

Kerry Waldee

Director

Director

Director

Director

Treasurer

Director

Director

STAFF

Mark B. Kent

Executive Director

Doug Leib

Howard Yopp

Office Volunteer

HONORARY ADVISORY COUNCIL

Council Chair, Harvey Shapiro, Louis Benvento, Fred Boykin, Don Croxton Mike Dager, Dino Georgiou, Gary Hoffman, Gerry Kennedy, George Kling John Olson, Bob Pagano, Joe Pallant, Doug Pew, Don Tomasello, Rick Vaughan

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

OUR ORGANIZATION Tenor I Reynaldo Araque Derek Barbara Andy Barborak Bob Beaulieu Mark Blackburn Jose Blanco Rodney Bolton Fred Boykin Bruce Chartier Tony Corrente Edmound Davis Chad Edgar Doug Ferguson Andrew Fletcher Susan Foley Michael Gillespie Rafael Gragert Matthew Hoover David Hopper Mel Meléndez A.J. Mendini Nick Orr David Pfeffer Carter Poust Jonathan Sanz Romulo Sucre Ansel Thompson Tenor II Fidel Aburto Bruce Anderson Rafael Baez Rowan Benenfeld Miguel Bernard-Rivera Alvaro Bucheli Stan Bunch Bert Cohen Kevin Combs Doug Cureton Jeff Goodwin Rick Heal John Ison Peter Konrath Wayne Laubscher Aaron Lauer Aaron Lockley Harold Noble Miguelanjel ODell-Perez Jorge Ornelas Jr. Billy Parjan Alan Parshley Michael Ping Eduardo Pinto Geordanys Ramirez Daniel Francois Ratzel Jason Rawls Jonathan Ruiz Brent Simmons Neal Sinha Robert Smith Rogelio Snyder Andrew Stephens Dennis St. Jean William Tedjo Lucas Testin Don Thompson Johann Torres Omari Walker Jason Weston

As of November 18, 2022

Baritone Eric Alayon Christian Andaya John Chaffin Roubik Danelian Guy D’Arcangelo Daniel Elder Frank Ferri Ethan Fletcher Joseph Fletcher Michael Foley Jarrod Gac Sean Gac-Guerrier Walter Gardner Brian Garrett Cary Giacalone David Gray Paul Guariglia Craig Hinman Dean Hitsos Michael Holtzman Shawn Hysell Michael Jacobsen Gregory Johnson Ronnie Jones Jr. John Lewis David R. Littlefield Tom Ludwiczak James Mallon Scott Messenger Tony Minella Orlando Ojeda Peter Reinoso Charles Robinson Raymond Rodriguez Larry Rosenberg Steven Shapiro Larry Small Bill Spinosa Jack Stein Eric Strom Stegar Thompson David Van Cleaf Kely Van Eaton Rick Vaughan Eric Ziegler

Clayton Paterson Steven Patterson Jason Pitt Marcus Saitschenko Jose Santos Donald Small D. Preston Steele Robert Thompson Don Tomasello Michael Valdez Aubrey Williams Tim Yarbrough Rob Young

Judy Paul Bill Spinosa Rick Vaughan

Non-Singing Bob Artale Joe Cannon Philip Morris Brian Prenda Umberto Veltri Charlie Walter

Treasurer Michael Foley

Bass David Baier Rex Beyer John Burch Jerry Day Craig Fashbaugh Richard Ferguson James Ficke Felix Fidelibus Steven Freeman Richard Fulks Scott Hindley Terry Hirsh Jim Houser Victor Jannett Bradley Johnson Donald Kasischke Herb Knowles Jim Lopresti Brian McComak Alan McKnight Rodrick Minnis Terry Moore

Production Assistant Tom Michalak

Volunteer Coordinator Kris Jarmann

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board Chair Fred Boykin

HONORARY ADVISORY COUNCIL Council Chair, Harvey Shapiro Louis Benvento Fred Boykin Don Croxton Mike Dager Dino Georgiou Gary Hoffman Gerry Kennedy George Kling John Olson Bob Pagano Joe Pallant Doug Pew Don Tomasello Rick Vaughan

ARTISTIC TEAM Artistic Director Gabe Salazar Assistant Conductor Anthony Cabrera Production Director James Smith Principal Accompanist Edwin Neimann Accompanists Kevin Combs Christopher Toth Choreographers Scott Hindley Francois Ratzel Costumes Joseph Fletcher Craig Hinman

Board Vice-Chair Kerry Waldee Secretary & Chorus Representative Bob Beaulieu Treasurer Michael Foley Directors Ronni Arden Adam Barber Tony Corrente Erick Eldridge Johnnie Mejia

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

LEADERSHIP TEAM President Tony Corrente Vice President Jonathan Sanz Secretary David Pfeffer

VP of Community Relations Kely Van Eaton VP of Equity, Access & Belonging John Lewis

VP of Membership Bill Spinosa Section Administrators John Chaffin - Tropical Wave Doug Ferguson - Tenor 1 Rick Heal - Tenor 2 Joe Fletcher - Baritone Aubrey Williams - Bass GMCSF STAFF Executive Director Mark B. Kent Director of Marketing & Sponsorship Edward Otto Zielke Office Manager & Bookkeeper Doug Leib Office Volunteer Howard M. Yopp Jr.

DONOR HIGHLIGHTS WELCOME THE MAURER FAMILY FOUNDATION DAVID MAURER CONNECTING In the beginning of 2022, David Maurer with the Maurer Family Foundation reached out to the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, interested to learn more about our work. The Maurer Family Foundation is a really rare and special funder that focuses specifically on funding the arts and culture. We were so honored to be invited to apply for support for our March 2023 co-commissioned work, “Songs of the Phoenix.” Thanks to tremendous guidance and encouragement from David, we submitted our application and ultimately were awarded funding. We are so very proud to welcome The Maurer Family Foundation to the GMCSF family.

MISSION Through its charitable gifts, the Maurer Family Foundation aims to provide financial assistance to those organizations and institutions whose goal is to enrich their communities and the lives of their patrons through programs of cultural value. This includes, but is not limited to, fine art, experimental art, applied and decorative art, film, television, music, literature, poetry, architecture, theater, dance, opera, and folk traditions; in short, the entire realm of creative human endeavor.

HISTORY In the early 1990s Gil and Ann Maurer were thinking deeply about how to engage and unify a large and growing family unit. What meaningful work could connect us as a family? What common endeavor would inspire us, our children and their children?

The idea of creating a foundation dedicated to supporting the arts in America had great appeal to the personal interests of every member of the family. Thus, was born the Maurer Family Foundation, a charitable foundation, which provides grants to local arts organizations that the family believes in.

Now with three generations of family members actively participating, the Maurer Family Foundation continues to bring together a close-knit family dedicated to helping the arts flourish in its community.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

LEVELS OF GIVING GMCSF CHORAL SOCIETY

VIRTUOSI

Our treasured Virtuosi are truly the consummate artists in philanthropy and generosity. Their support substantially sustains the Chorus and helps build our future.

Maestros ($20,000+) All benefits below, PLUS: Photo and biography in program once each season Invitation to sit with the Chorus during a rehearsal Composers ($10,000 - $19,999) All benefits below, PLUS: Private dinner with GMCSF’s Artistic Director and Executive Director Featured donor e-blast at least once each season Customized naming opportunity for the season Divas ($5,000 - $9,999) All benefits below, PLUS: Name announced at concerts Invitations to exclusive Virtuosi events Invitation to the Chorus’s end-of-year dinner Producers ($2,500 - $4,999) All benefits below, PLUS: Concierge ticketing service Invitation to a rehearsal and wine reception VIP parking at Sunshine Cathedral concerts Invitations to exclusive donor receptions and events

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE

The Conductor’s Circle is a passionate community of supporters who generously invest in our season, enabling us to spread our messages of love and inclusion through song.

Benefactors ($1,500 - $2,499) Friends and Supporters benefits, PLUS: Priority access to the best seats for our concerts

Supporters ($300 - $1,499) Friends benefit, PLUS: Patron’s Club membership

Friends ($1 - $299) Listing in concert program books and GMCSF’s website

Introducing THE PATRON’S CLUB The GMCSF Patron’s Club is an annual membership program with an annual fee of $300 ($25 a month). Members of the club get the benefits listed for our “Supporters” level of giving, dedicated e-blasts that give updates on the chorus and our progress, a GMCSF T-shirt, and access to a special event. GMCSF donors of $300 or more who renew for the 2022-2023 season are automatically enrolled in the Patron’s Club.

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

GMCSF CHORALE SOCIETY As of 12 months ending 11/17/2022

*Denotes active singing members

VIRTUOSI MAESTROS ($20,000+) Douglas Pew and Donald Croxton, LGBT Trust Fund at The Our Fund Foundation Dan Chadburn and Tom Nichols COMPOSERS ($10,000 - $19,999) Richard and Emilio Quadracci Cabrera, The Windhover Foundation Fred Boykin* and Jack Killen Joseph Fletcher* and Kerry Waldee Mark Kent and Kevin Daft Marianne Pink Paul Rolli and Bennett Quade,

The William Bennett Quade and Paul Rolli Donor Advised Fund at The Our Fund Foundation

Richard Vaughan* and Walter Sherman DIVAS ($5,000 - $9,999) William Elliott and David Bacher Matthew Gill Michael Kalb

PRODUCERS ($2,500 - $4,999) Ronni and Jonathan Arden Tyler Healis David Jobin and Angel Burgos Gerry Kennedy and Paul Smith Steve Oden and Mike Greer Harvey Shapiro and Michael Dager, Stronger Together Fund at The Our Fund Foundation William Spinosa* and Frank Molano Dennis St. Jean* Donald Tomasello* and Robert Pagano

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE BENEFACTORS ($1,500 - $2,499) Anonymous Bruce Anderson* Brock Boyd and Doug Spellburg Christopher Chouinard and Harold Rodriguez Antonio Corrente* and Douglas K. Leib Ginny Dixon and Gisella Oliveira Michael Foley* and Tommy Zhang Cary Giacalone* and Kris Jarmann Matthew Kent and Brenda Moons John Klomp and Joseph Brannen Steven Lutz Ron MacDonald James Mallon* Murry Stegelmann

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

GMCSF CHORALE SOCIETY SUPPORTERS ($300 - $1,499) B.J. Albright and Philip Morris Frank Alvarez Christopher Ambs and Scott Clearwater,

J. Mark Kasper George Kling Gregg Kurek,

Adam Barber and Bryan Yarchan Willaim Beck and Peter Flyzik Steven and Thomas Begert-Clark Scott Bennett,

Jeffrey Lammers and James A. McLaughlin Jeanine Lombardo Brian McNoldy Edwin Neimann Harold Noble* and Douglas Peachey,

Charitable Fund at The Our Fund Foundation

Charitable Fund at The Our Fund Foundation

Rex Beyer* and Nick Meyer John Bowles Edward Breeden Don Camarda Joseph Cannon* Doug Carl and Sumner Riddick John Chaffin* Philip Cordell Dorothy Correnti and Lance Miller,

In honor of Tony Corrente and GMCSF

Roberta Corrigan Jimmy Cunningham and Jerson Velasquez Broderick Davis Janis DiMonaco Mark Dobosz Douglas Ferguson* Kenneth Flick and D.C. Allen,

No Gay Hate Fund at The Our Fund Foundation

Richard Fulks* and Chris Wilcox Michael Goodman Robert Graziano Marc Grossman Paul Guariglia* Carlos Guerra Fredrick Heal II* Richard Higgins Terry Hirsh* Gary Hoffman John Ison Carl Jennings and Lawrence Gammons Bradley Johnson* and Wayne Laubscher*

In memory of George Brown

In honor and memory of Steve Ratzel

Orlando Ojeda* Dianne Orr James Profino-Bond Francois Ratzel* Dr. Runar Polluson and Robert Pinsky Orlando Santiago and Robert Wilt Larry Scott and Frank Zurek Lois Sider Ronald Sierpien and Willard Jordan Stephen Smith Constance St. Jean Jack B. Stein* and Peter Meccariello Ralph Stivali Don Thompson* and Gene Ramey Fred E. Tokowitz and Gary Hochberg Michael Valdez* and Jeffrey Thomas Kely Van Eaton* Umberto Veltri Dannielle Vizzini, Hair By Dannielle & Co.

Wesley Walker Charlie Walter* Preston Watkins and Philip Cross Dr. K. David Weidner and Dr. William E. Gannon, Jr., In honor of Fred Boykin

Raymond Willey* Howard Yopp Robert Young Eric Ziegler* and Ross Kemp Edward Otto Zielke

MARCH

12 2023 THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

GMCSF CHORALE SOCIETY FRIENDS ($1 - $299) Eric Alayon* David Allen Christian Andaya* Anne Anderson Timothy Annunziata and Dahish Jacques,

In honor of Tony Corrente and Doug Leib

James Antenucci and Jerry Day* Chesley Austin Vance Avinger David Baier* Douglas Bandol Dana Banker Jeff Banning Robert Beaulieu* Charles Beavin Bill Bechman and Tom Garlock,

Celebrating 35 years together

Charles Bell Miguel and Ronald Bernard-Rivera James Berry Jose Blanco* Susan and Jeffrey Bogatin, In honor of Steve Patterson

Bryon Bowlby and Robert Baldwin Richard Brennan and Terrence Brennan Alvaro Buchell* Carla Buonanno and Jack Stein John Burch* George Burger Darin Bush Mark Byrd David Cangelosi and Manuel Garcia Brice Carnahan Anthony Castaldi John Coffin Daniel Cotlowitz Butch Culbertson Robert Cullinane Doug Cureton* Derek Daniels Mary Davenport-Yant Douglas Dempsey Michael DeSarro Felipe Diaz and Teresa Flores Mary Dickens Marc Dickerman Walter Dickey Harold Dioquino and Marty Childers James Easom Chad Edgar* Charles Egan Craig Eicher Yadin Elcon Daniel Elder* Steven Evans Henry Fabian and Jason Rawls*

Michael Fahim Stephen Fallon Jack Faraci Richard Farrar Lance Fein and Lynete VanHeyzen Stephen Ferrante Frank Ferri* Melody Fiore Andy Fischman Ethan* and Andrew* Fletcher Peter Flyzik Steven Freeman* Zachary Freeman, Happy holidays, daddy!

Kathy Friend Jarrod* and Sean* Gac-Guerrier William Garneau Virginia Gascoigne Constantine Georgiou Jack Gerard John Gillen Michael Gillespie* and Tom Gutman Kathleen Gleeson Billie Goldstein Bruce Gottsch Deborah Graham Ruth and Charles Greenfield Peggy Gregorovic Peter Grossman and Lawrence W. Timmins William Haas Cynthia Hall John Hand Patrick Harris Karen Hartnett Steven Herman Keith Hickman Linda Hindley David Hopper* Andrew Horvath Charles Horvath Jim Houser* Joe Hudson Richard Huitema William Hyman Walter Jackson Michael Jacobsen* and Bob Thompson* Victor Jannett* George Johnson Michael Johnson Kevin Jones Hillary Josephs Debra M. and Robert H. Joslin Dwight Joyner Timothy Kandel Kevin Kane and Keith A. Smith Michael Kane Rubin Kaplan Robert Kay Faith Keady James Kelly Mark Kight and

Robert Morrow Patricia and Dean King Stuart Kisselovich and Steven Patterson* Mary Beth Koeth Stacey A. Koltonow, In honor of Ronni and Jon Arden

Peter Konrath* Greg Koslowski William Kramek Greg Kubiak R. M. Kurlander Linda and Douglas Lanou Aaron Lauer* Maurice Lawrence Warren LeBlanc Normand Leclair Robert Lee John Lee and Tim Flenner Charles Leib John Lewis* and Louis Hemmerich Robert Lindsay David R Littlefield* Donald LoCascio and Robert L. Murphy A. Ray Lockley* and Marty Onieal Nicholas Longo George Longobardi James Lopresti Ken Manford Derek Mann Oscar Marin Donna Marshalll James McBride and John Harold Brian McComak* Richard Mcnany and Leonard Herbert Michael McPherrin and Andrew Lopes Maureen and Kenneth Meier Michael Mendillo Arthur Mendini* Melanie Merriman Bob Miller Rudy Molinet and Jeffrey Scott Shearer Terry Moore* Keith Muller and Stephen J. Pescia Claudia and Ray Niles Karen Oliva Patricia Opper Alan Parshley* John Patrick Clayton Patterson* Judy Paul Anthony Petronella and Edmund Gerhardt Roberta Phillips Harrison Pierson Vicki Ploscowe Tim Pyron Patrick Quillen and Bert Cohen*

Daniel Geordanys Ramirez* John Ramos Michael Randich Asa Ratliff Terry Regnier Peter Reinoso* Mary A. and Frank Reiss Lee Rickles The Mark B. Rinder and Dennis R. Ferioli Family Rhonda Ritchie Charles Robinson* Irwin Rosen Kenny Russell Parivash Russell John Russo Susan and Doug Rutherford Richard Sacher Marcus Saitschenko* Gabe Salazar Richard Sanders Thomas Santaniello Jose Santos* Jonathan Sanz* Alan Savada, In honor of Ronni and Jon Arden

Laurie Schecter Paul Schiminsky Paul Schlegel Jerrold Segal Steven Shapiro* David Sherman and Roberto I. Benitez Jason Simon-Kean David Sisson Larry Small* and David Burba Henry Smith and William Sandrik Jonathan Smith Matther Sparks and Scott Hindley* Carrie Spencer Van Stewart John Stull and Michael Bracchi Eric Sullivan and Randy Holland Greg Tefft and Ed Stehle Karl Trappe Lawrence Turk and Stephen Draft Jerry Tvrdik Steve Visano and Vaughn Brison Tony Walsh and Richard Johnson Ric Wanetik Troy Watson Fred and Christopher West Michael White Willford White Pamela Whitman Sharon and Edwin Wigutoff Aubrey Williams* and Christopher Michaels Gwen Williams William Willmitch Bria Winder James Yager Louisa Yanez Tim Yarbrough Sarah Young

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

SUPPORTING GMCSF

THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

let your colors fly with APPi

let your colors fly with APPi

A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise Printing Company

A LegAcy of QuALity And Service

unpArALLeLed in the printing induStry.

APPi AssociAted Printing Productions inc.

13925 nW 60th Avenue • MiAMi LAkeS, fL 33014 teL: 305-623-7600 • WWW.Appi1.coM

Making Every Impression... A Lasting Impression...

tM

PEGASUS SOCIETY WE’VE COME SO FAR IN OUR LIFETIME Let’s Keep the Momentum Going! Many of us still recall the days when television would never show two people of the same gender share a kiss… or even hold hands. Now we live in a time when the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of marriage equality.

We’ve accomplished so much, yet there is so much more to do. Since the late 1970s the LGBTQ+ Choral Movement has been a crucial tool for advocacy, unity, and education.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida is proud to continue this legacy through our music. We are proud to serve as cultural ambassadors for our community and provide a voice for those who do not have one. Help ensure this work continues by joining The Pegasus Society planned giving program. By including GMCSF in your estate planning, you can help sustain our organization and keep our voices carrying long into the future.

We invite you to join the members of The Pegasus Society today. If you would like to amend your current estate, contact Mark Kent at: (954) 763-2266 ext. 109 or mkent@ gmcsf.org. You may also establish a Legacy Fund with our community partner Our Fund Foundation, contact Mark Blaylock at 954-565-1090 or email MBlaylock@Our-Fund.org.

Bob Pagano Charles Nicoll Christopher Chouinard Don Tomasello Donald Croxton Doug Pew

MEMBERS

Fred Boykin George King Gerald Kennedy Jack Killen John Burch Mark Benson Robert Benson

Marty Kaplan Mitchell Grant Paul Smith Peter Kimball Robert Beardsley Ralph Stivali

IN REMEMBRANCE: Al LaMorges George V. Brown Greg Futchi John Hohl

“Being a member of The Pegasus Society is important to us because we believe and support the mission of the Chorus to open hearts and change minds and because music has always been a very important part of our lives.”

—Don Tomasello and Bob Pagano

WITH LEGACY GIVING, WE ENSURE THAT A DONOR’S EXPRESSED VALUES + WISHES ARE ALWAYS MET. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE OUR FUND FOUNDATION CAN HELP YOU ESTABLISH A LEGACY PLAN, EMAIL LEGACY@OUR-FUND.ORG. OUR-FUND.ORG

LIFTING UP SOUTH FLORIDA’S LGBTQ COMMUNITY

"In loving memory of Alex" Love Dean, Bert, Alan and Brian

forever in our hearts

Al LaMorges

Ralph Stivali

Congratulations Dr. Gary E. Keating, D.M.A. Founding Director of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, Gary Keating, is credited for organizing the Fort Lauderdale chorus 36 years ago, in 1986. It was the first gay performing arts organization in the state and one of the first in the nation.

May you have a long, happy, and fulfilling retirement.

OPEN DOOR. OPEN MIND. Real Estate Bankruptcy Wills & Trusts Landlord / Tenant Probate & Estates Foreclosure Defense Business Transactions

Dean J. Trantalis, ESQ Attorney at Law 2301 Wilton Drive, Suite C1-A, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

Fred F. Boykin, LCSW PYSCHOTHERAPIST

ugh

ro

in

ng

th

Br

gi

successful se as

s o n g.

a SF

954.566.2226 Dean@trantalis.com | TrantalisLaw.com

. on

Wishing G MC

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not only be based on advertisements. Before you decide ask the lawyer to send you free written information about their qualifications and experience.

p eace a n d lo

ve

2312 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors, FL, 33305 Fboykinmsw@gmail.com 301-404-3602 (c)

Mayor Judy Paul GMCSF Board Member

SLIDING SCALE FEE

arbor pet hospital 1220 northeast 26th street fort lauderdale•florida•33305

954 • 565 • 1896 info@arborpethospital.com www.arborpethospital.com

Univeristy of Michigan/University of Maryland Trained

The Ohana Team at Elevate Real Estate Brokers

Joyce Bartels Daal Broker Associate (954) 663-2900

Thomas Michalak Broker Associate (954) 684-0981

Se habla Español

FREE HOME INSPECTION, $500 Value (With Listing Agreement)

No Risk Listing Agreement, Hassle Free Cancellation at Anytime Residential & Commercial

Licensed & Insured

Friendly, Fast, Reliable, Professional Service

Jimenez-Law-Offices-PA-AD_2-5.375x8.5-Bleed-5.pdf

1

10/17/22

8:45 PM

Estate Planning & Probate www.JimenezLawOffices.com

(954) 848-3111

205 SE 20th Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 Andrew Louis Jiménez, Esq. Boston College Law School, 2012 Admitted to The Florida Bar, 2012 Admitted to The U.S. Virgin Islands Bar, 2013

Bona Italian REstaurant

Join us before or after the show Reservations 954f-565-7222

From Beethoven to Broadway, Bach to Bernstein, The Chorus performs works by the full range of beloved classical and contemporary composers.

Residential, Commercial, Auto & Boat Insurance

Providing South Florida’s insurance needs for over 15 years.

1881 NE 26th St. Suite 80 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 954-727-9900 954-727-9901 FAX info@jandlinsurance.com

Based out of Wilton Manors. It’s founders have over 25 years of experience in the retail insurance industry and an extensive knowledge of South Florida area. This wealth of expertise, along with the full line of insurance products allows them to provide you with superior cost-effective insurance coverage.

We provide the best in insurance coverage with professional and friendly customer service.

WWW.JANDLINSURANCE.COM

Is Presenting Media Sponsor of

Holiday Concert ABOUT HOTSPOTS! || HAPPENING OUT TELEVISION NETWORK

Hotspots! || Happening Out Television Network was formed with a mission to raise a voice in support of important LGBTQ+ issues. And, We do it with a hint of fun and positivity. We cover a wide range of issues concerning the LGBTQ+ community including healthcare, senior citizens, HIV/AIDS, equality, students & youth, the trans community, communities of color, the lesbian community, prides, conducting queer events, collaborating with other non-profit organizations, planning educational travel, and so much more.

In the model of other community networks like PBS and NPR, Happening Out Television Network is America’s leader in LGBTQ+ media and is a non-profit (501c3) organization to support our community through LGBTQ+ News, Information, Entertainment, Education, and Fundraising HOTSPOTS! || HAPPENING OUT TELEVISION NETWORK SHOWS

The world’s first LIVE daily LGBTQ+ evening news show, daily at 8 pm.

The World’s first weekly lesbian morning show.

Bringing the L & the G together.

The World’s Longest Running Gay Television Talk Show Wednesdays at 9 pm. It’s Happening Out is entering its 4th season with an all-new cast!

Search for App/Channel ‘Happening Out’ on all these platforms!

LEARN MORE

www.HappeningOut.com

PERFORMED BY

DISNEY’S BELOVED SONGS REIMAGINED BY THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA IN A CELEBRATION OF LIFE, LOVE, FAMILY, AND PRIDE

Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 8:00 pm | Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 3:00 pm

in the Lillian S. Well Hall at The Parker, Fort Lauderdale, FL Early Bird Discount Applied through December 31, 2022 © DISNEY

Tickets at GMCSF.ORG

DISCOVER YOUR RHYTHM.

PARADISE MEETS PLAYGROUND. Escape the every day and indulge yourself in a truly extraordinary getaway with limitless possibilities.

1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314 | HardRockHolly.com | #GuitarHotel ©2021. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1-888-ADMIT.IT.