The SF Gay Men’s Chorus presents “Passion” April 1 & 2. The group first performed in 1978 after the murders of gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone that morning. Three years later, they toured the USA, inspiring dozens of gay and lesbian choruses to form. These groups provided cultural voice and safe social connections for LGBT people, especially in small towns and away from the coasts.

Today there are hundreds of gay, lesbian, transgender and mixed choruses across the country. With LGBT people largely accepted in most of America – especially in big cities – what purpose do they serve and how have they changed? The SF Gay Men’s Chorus’ innovative 2015 spring concert Passion, April 1 & 2 in Davies Symphony Hall, gives some clues. Passion features a San Francisco premiere and two world premieres: For a Look or a Touch, a choral opera about persecution of gays in the Holocaust; My Friend, My Lover: Five Walt Whitman Songs; and #twitterlieder: 15 Acts in 3 Tweets, chronicling an entire life though songs of 140 characters or less.

The Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus and the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco also have spring concerts, Stage & Screen and Guns and Roses: Songs of War ‘n Peace, respectively, both on April 18 & 19.

With Out in the Bay host Eric Jansen to talk about LGBT choral music today and their spring concerts are San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus conductor and artistic director Timothy Seelig, Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus conductor and artistic director Carl Pantle, and SF Opera Adler Fellow baritone Hadleigh Adams and actor Kip Niven. (Broadcast live Thursday, March 26, 2015)

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus ensemble The Lollipop Guild will perform at Out in the Bay‘s 10th Anniversary Party, Wed., April 29, 5 to 8pm at Oasis Nightclub & Cabaret. Join us!  Click here for more info and here to buy tickets.