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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2002)
GROUPS ............. ▼............... esbian Sing. That was the sign, posted at a the audience— so they can share in the life of womens gathering in 1986, that announced the choir behind the scenes.” Because the show is at Hollywood Theatre, the birth of the Portland Lesbian Choir. The group will celebrate 15 years of out and they might have a video during intermission, proud crooning with its spring concert, A Musical Beemer says, “of different concerts through Scrapbook, April 7. the years. Old members can come and see In 1986, long before lesbians were consid themselves, see how the choir looked, remi ered chic, declaring themselves to be singing nisce and laugh.” dykes was a bold political statement. Even now, After five years with the choir— sometimes few choirs in the country sport the word “les as accompanist, sometimes as director— bian" in their titles. Beemer says she definitely is settling in. Oddly, when she joined, she wasn’t looking for a big Sparky Lindsay, one of the founding mem commitment. “I had just moved here from bers, is afraid some people miss the point. “It’s Seattle, and I wanted a group where I didn’t gotten away from what it started out as— we have any responsibility.... In Seattle Women’s were just saying who we were.” She notes the Ensemble, I had played and done lots of [other] group is not exclusive. “We’ve always been stuff, and I was worn out.” open to all women.” Through the years the choir has compiled an impressive list of accom plishments. The ’80s were more political with activities such as touring the state during Oregon Citizens Alliance ballot measure fights and benefit concerts sup porting AIDS organizations. Choir director Teri Beemer says politics is no by K r o n d a A d a ir longer so high on the agenda. “We really need to lixik at what the community needs right now; how do we change the face of how we present ourselves F she muses. “Are we all about political, or are we about living our lives in a gay positive manner.7” Celebrating gay culture— and les bians in particular— is something at which PLC always has excelled. They are fixtures at Inter national Women’s Day (the site of their The Portland Lesbian Choir first performance in looks forward to sharing 1 5 years of 1987) and Portland’s annual Gay Pride cel history with A Musical Scrapbook; ebration as well as performing annual fall Choir director Teri Beemer and spring concerts. feels energized by every rehearsal Numbers such as “I Like Being a Dyke” proclaim their pride, and they try on differ ent styles— everything from Holly Near to Her timing, however, landed Sweet Honey in the Rrx:k. And they’ve always her in PLC during the start of a had a sense of humor. Captain &. Tennille’s hectic transitional periixl. “The Way That I Want to Touch You” gets a Halfway through her first season, whole new spin in the hands of PLC. They’ve director Lynda Gamer resigned, also had works commissioned for them by Port and Beemer stepped up to the land women composers. plate. “That was just an awesome The choir has experimented with different task, because I hardly knew any formats in the past few years, including a body’s names in the group.. .and they had really coffeehouse performance featuring Portland hard music. The choir scheduled extra rehearsals artists and a spring show guest-starring opera and really stepped up to the challenge.” diva Diane Syrcle. In addition to exposing fans After that, Beemer went hack and forth to a little culture, she hammed it up appearing between tickling the keys and directing. Mean as Xena: Warrior Princess in a hilarious Gilbert while, the choir changed, too. “We’re smaller and Sullivan parndy. now, and that’s good and bad,” Beemer says. “People get to know each other well...these LC are women on the move. In 1989 they women care about each other, and we work performed at the Gay and Lesbian Associa hard to accept each other with all the varying tion of Choruses festival, which drew personalities that come and go.. .and we really groups from all over the world. Since then they care about the quality of the music.” have traveled to four GA LA festivals, most Still, she’d like to see the choir a bit big recently in San José, Calif. ger, especially to help the less accomplished The choir also has a CD to its credit, Making members, she notes, “who might need more Light, which was recorded during its 10th anniver experienced singers to lean on until they find sary season and is still available at performances. their voice.” Beemer is excited about this year’s celebra Although directing is a lot more responsi tion. “It’s going to be fun.... There will be sto bility, Beemer enjoys the challenge. “They ries throughout the concert highlighting energize me a lot,” she asserts. “We gain energy moments from the past 15 years. I like record from each other as we go. I like the unity.” ing history and sharing the funnier stuff with Lesbian sing Cindy Zrinyi, also an original member, agrees with Beemer about the emotional joys that singing can provide. “For me, it’s not just about the social aspect but also the whole physical, spiritual and emotional well-being that comes from singing. It’s greater than just making sound with your voice; when you’re making sound with other people, it takes you places!” she exclaims. “It’s a really wonderful experience.” Although the singers express a lot of satis faction with the group, and rehearsals are punctuated with laughter and good-natured flirting, the melodious women still need an audience to complete the journey. Historically, there’s been a noticeable difference in size between PLC audiences and those of their well-known counterpart, the Portland Gay Men’s Choms. The support “is minimal— that’s the struggle," Beemer explains. “The women’s events tend to bring in fewer people than the men’s. I’m not entirely sure why that is.” Andrea Raven, a member with her partner, Sheri, has a theory'. “I don’t think it’s a matter of peo ple not wanting to support us but more about our definition of who we are. We’re more of an informal choir; we don’t have a person whose spe cific job is doing publicity.” Despite the dif ference in audience base, the relation ship between PLC and PG M C is very friendly. Raven adds, “T he men’s chorus has been * very supportive of us...they treat us like a younger sister.” Lindsay points out that Kith styles of chorus are valuable. “We’re very differ ent, and Kith are needed." A couple of performers with whom the choir defi nitely didn’t want to com pete were Chris William son and Holly Near. They moved their original per formance date to avoid conflicting with that con cert. Beemer admits it wasn’t just a fear of losing potential audience members. “Half the choir said, ‘Well, if I have to make a choice....’ ” PLC will be accepting new members in September. Reina AKilofia, who joined this season, can attest you’ll be welcomed with open arms. “When I came on the first day, everyone was so nice, and people really cared aKiut me— that made me want to stay.’ ’ i n The Portland Lesbian Choir takes a walk down memory lane P The P ortland L esbian C hoir performs A Musical Scrapbook 5 p.m . April 7 at Holly- wood Theatre, 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd. Tickets are $14 at the door or $ 12 advance from choir mem bers, It's My Pleasure or In Other Words. The concert uill be followed by a dance with DJ Lauren. Visit the harmonious dykes at www.plchorr.org. K ronda A dair is a retired PLC member who still sings m the shower and while riding her bike. Catch her seven-word solo on the Making Light C D (if you can) or write her at ephany@myexcel.com . 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