Vancouver Men's Chorus
Encyclopedia
The Vancouver Men's Chorus is a non-profit choir. Composed of gay men and their friends
, the chorus aims to promote community spirit and a positive image of the gay community. The Chorus is a member of the Vancouver Cultural Alliance, the British Columbia Choral Federation and of GALA Choruses
, an association of over one hundred men's, women's, and mixed choruses from the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, dedicated to providing leadership and inspiration to the gay
and lesbian
movement through excellence in the choral arts.
, toured the United States and several men from Vancouver drove the three hours south to Seattle to hear them. On their return, they decided to start a chorus of their own performing their first concert in December of that same year. They officially became the first gay chorus in Canada, a founding member of GALA and the first international gay chorus in that organization.
Under the continuing direction of conductor Willi Zwozdesky, the chorus has achieved national prominence through performances across Canada including visits to Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Victoria, and Montreal, and through radio broadcasts on CBC.
Concert performances in the United States have included San Francisco, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., Denver, San Diego, and San Jose.
In addition, broadcasts of its 1995 recording Making Spirits Bright, the 1992 recording Signature and the 2006 release of Encore have increased national exposure.
In 1991, The Canada Council
recognized the chorus for its artistry, and in 1994, the chorus was selected as one of five national finalists in the CBC
Amateur Choir Competition. In addition to its mainstage concerts that year, the chorus recorded J. Douglas Dodd's Symphony of Sound and Light with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
, Elektra Women's Choir, and the Vancouver Children's Choir for broadcast on Parliament Hill during the summer months.
At the core of the Chorus’ achievements stands its contribution to the creation of new repertoire for men's and mixed voices. Custom-made arrangements, notably by Willi Zwozdesky, Stephen Smith, and other Canadian arrangers are a hallmark of VMC programming. As a result of this and the Chorus' wide-ranging concertizing, VMC arrangements are now heard in concert halls around the world. Original commissions have included Vancouver composers Michael Conway Baker, Ramona Luengen, Anita Perry, Rupert Lang, Stephen Smith, and Willi Zwozdesky, and Toronto composer Eleanor Daley. In 2000, the Chorus was also among the original commissioning choruses of Alan Shorter's setting of the children's story Oliver Button is a Sissy.
The Chorus is a member of the British Columbia Choral Federation and of GALA Choruses (an association of over one hundred men's, women's, and mixed choruses from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia, dedicated to providing leadership and inspiration to the gay and lesbian movement through excellence in the choral arts).
In addition to their regular appearances in VMC mainstage concerts, Synergy has performed at festivals in Chicago (1999), San Jose (2001), Toronto (2002), and Montreal (2004); in self-produced concerts with guests Synchronicity (2000) and Bryant Olender (2005); as guests of Pandora's Vox (2001) and the Rainbow Concert Band (2003); in benefits for local gay and lesbian organizations in Victoria (2004) and Kamloops (2001, 2002, 2005, 2007); at the first annual VoxFest (2003); and at scores of parties, weddings, community events, and fundraisers.
Recent community outreach concerts included the following:
Friend of Dorothy
In gay slang, a "friend of Dorothy" is a term for a gay man. The phrase dates back to at least World War II, when homosexual acts were illegal in the United States. Stating that, or asking if, someone was a "friend of Dorothy" was a euphemism used for discussing sexual orientation without others...
, the chorus aims to promote community spirit and a positive image of the gay community. The Chorus is a member of the Vancouver Cultural Alliance, the British Columbia Choral Federation and of GALA Choruses
GALA Choruses
The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses is an international association of LGBT choruses founded in 1982. Its goal is to foster artistic and organizational development within its member choruses. The association includes almost 10,000 vocalists in over 100 associated choruses singing as...
, an association of over one hundred men's, women's, and mixed choruses from the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, dedicated to providing leadership and inspiration to the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
movement through excellence in the choral arts.
VMC History
In 1981, the first gay choir, the San Francisco Gay Men's ChorusSan Francisco Gay Men's Chorus
The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus is the world's first openly gay chorus, one of its largest and the group most often credited with creating the LGBT choral movement....
, toured the United States and several men from Vancouver drove the three hours south to Seattle to hear them. On their return, they decided to start a chorus of their own performing their first concert in December of that same year. They officially became the first gay chorus in Canada, a founding member of GALA and the first international gay chorus in that organization.
Under the continuing direction of conductor Willi Zwozdesky, the chorus has achieved national prominence through performances across Canada including visits to Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Victoria, and Montreal, and through radio broadcasts on CBC.
Concert performances in the United States have included San Francisco, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., Denver, San Diego, and San Jose.
In addition, broadcasts of its 1995 recording Making Spirits Bright, the 1992 recording Signature and the 2006 release of Encore have increased national exposure.
In 1991, The Canada Council
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
recognized the chorus for its artistry, and in 1994, the chorus was selected as one of five national finalists in the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
Amateur Choir Competition. In addition to its mainstage concerts that year, the chorus recorded J. Douglas Dodd's Symphony of Sound and Light with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...
, Elektra Women's Choir, and the Vancouver Children's Choir for broadcast on Parliament Hill during the summer months.
At the core of the Chorus’ achievements stands its contribution to the creation of new repertoire for men's and mixed voices. Custom-made arrangements, notably by Willi Zwozdesky, Stephen Smith, and other Canadian arrangers are a hallmark of VMC programming. As a result of this and the Chorus' wide-ranging concertizing, VMC arrangements are now heard in concert halls around the world. Original commissions have included Vancouver composers Michael Conway Baker, Ramona Luengen, Anita Perry, Rupert Lang, Stephen Smith, and Willi Zwozdesky, and Toronto composer Eleanor Daley. In 2000, the Chorus was also among the original commissioning choruses of Alan Shorter's setting of the children's story Oliver Button is a Sissy.
The Chorus is a member of the British Columbia Choral Federation and of GALA Choruses (an association of over one hundred men's, women's, and mixed choruses from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia, dedicated to providing leadership and inspiration to the gay and lesbian movement through excellence in the choral arts).
Synergy
Synergy was formed in October 1998 as a small ensemble of the Vancouver Men's Chorus, under the direction of the VMC's resident accompanist, Stephen Smith. Over the last decade, the select 12-voice a cappella group has been singing in a variety of styles ranging from renaissance to jazz, and from motets to Motown. In addition to their regular appearances in VMC mainstage concerts, Synergy has performed at festivals in Vancouver, Chicago, San Jose, Toronto, Montreal, and London, England; in self-produced concerts and as guests of other ensembles; in benefits for gay and lesbian organizations in Vancouver, Victoria, and Kamloops; and at scores of parties, weddings, and community events. In 2008 they released their first CD, entitled Synergy: Songs of Nature, Love, and Celebration.In addition to their regular appearances in VMC mainstage concerts, Synergy has performed at festivals in Chicago (1999), San Jose (2001), Toronto (2002), and Montreal (2004); in self-produced concerts with guests Synchronicity (2000) and Bryant Olender (2005); as guests of Pandora's Vox (2001) and the Rainbow Concert Band (2003); in benefits for local gay and lesbian organizations in Victoria (2004) and Kamloops (2001, 2002, 2005, 2007); at the first annual VoxFest (2003); and at scores of parties, weddings, community events, and fundraisers.
Discography
- Signature (1992)
- Making Spirits Bright (1994)
- Elements (2002)
- Encore (2006)
- Making Spirits Bright Again (2008)
Outreach Concerts
The VMC performs local community outreach concerts regularly at various benefits, conferences, and other occasions that fall within its mandate. The chorus also performs outreach concerts to audiences and communities farther from Vancouver, but still relatively close by.Recent community outreach concerts included the following:
- Nanaimo (2009)
- Port Coquitlam (2008)
- Surrey (2007)
- Saltspring Island (2006)
- Victoria (2005)