Gay Gotham Chorus
June 21^st 2003

That Gay Soothing Sound

By Ruby Lips Jul 5 2003
In its tenth year, the Gay Gotham Chorus has yet again serenaded a full house of gay souls and supporters in the Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew on the Upper West Side. Although they have already done Carnegie Hall, cut a CD, and are very ready for an award winning road tour, these handsome men have not lost that distinctively ethereal sound of sad joy which so sooths the queer soul within me. In the brief speeches between songs there was a bit much about numerological connections which were rather muddled; but, no matter, the essence was that the composer Ned Rorem was there in person at the triumphant age of 80 looking ever so sweet and humpy. Can I help it if I like daddies? Where was I?

This was a lovely full evening with yummy chicken wings at the reception that followed. But, preceding that was the two hour splendor of song. They began in a sensually serious mode (I just love it when men get serious) with Cherubini's Requiem in D minor, their voices resounding in the domed sanctuary like a pipe organ played by a virtuoso. In the pious finale of this first part of the program, Agnus Dei, the glorious baritones gave me goose bumps with their flawless resonance. (Can I help it if I like deep throated men? …wait, that’s not what I meant to say…).

Following the intermission, the Musica Bella Orchestra performed Copland’s Fanfare for the Common man. This is always a nice piece to fill out a CD with a bit of tech-wiz audiophile resolution. But, alas, I’ve been spoilt on this piece by William Trefka’s annual New Year’s Eve midnight finale on the organ at St. Barts.

My favorite of the evening was the world première of No Words, by Paul Moravec, written in memoriam of September 11^th 2001. Brilliantly accompanied by jazz piano (James Lent, for whom the work was commissioned), the chorus harmonized reverently, dramatically portraying tragedy, horror, falling souls, and the ultimate peaceful calm of rising souls.

Of three spirituals sung (Witness –Moses Hogan, Deep River –Marvin Gaspard, and Rejoice in Jerusalem! –Mark Miller), the one that I loved the most was Deep River with muted hints of gospel and gay-lilt lighting my soul.

This was followed by, what are to me, two pieces of gay-religious-experience. Love Alone, Ned Rorem’s composition on Paul Monette’s poem, is presented preceded by Danton Bankay’s breathtaking oratorical rendition of the poem, then sung by the full chorus. Each year, upon hearing this, I must remind myself to breath, so taken am I by the sentimentality; well, I generally quietly burst into tears, to tell the truth. James Mulholland’s Think On Me, sung next, fulfilled my deep nostalgic need to hear that sad-joy gay-lilt sound that so many gay men’s choruses leave behind as they evolve into the mainstream.

There was much more, including some de rigueur Bernstein, and a splendidly crafted ‘I echo you, we are repeated’ (Adam Silverman) which was commissioned by GGC’s Executive Committee’s President, Brian Bumby. Rousing congratulations are in order to Artistic Director Dr. Jonathan Babcock and the entire chorus for an überhaupt ausgezeichnet fabelhaft 10^th Anniversary Concert, with hopefully many more to come.