5
n> *
9
s
,
f - t
t
*
AUGUST 19, 2011
music
OREGON'S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
*v
* \ « 4
‘ ;
VAT
V1! *
?
*
^
*
‘x* > '¿O'*
" V \
(% »1
fv*> v, - *> xi IV vr
f * * % v \ - f . X ,’ y . ' a 1-- - >
K
^
1
™ V '
,s t
x
Z
/»
t * p
. * >
,..
,*
rv
“The chorus is often labeled ‘ambas
sadors for the gay community.’ We
had long discussed that so much of
--
A
-'V
X .
.9*
TT -
-
• A
*" 1 «
Above: The PGMC shows us their
Motown sound.
B elow : Marching in the 2011 Pride
Parade
the new music that had been com
posed for gay choruses was more
centered at gay-centric themes.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but
we wanted to step out and develop
some new music that spoke to a
wider community and to concerns
that were across all of society.”
-BOB MENSEL, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,
PORTLAND GAY MEN’S.CHORUS
spoke to a wider community and to concerns
that were across all of society.”
Mensel says the aim o f the piece was not
political commentary, but to draw from the
insanity o f war, and those throughout his
tory who have waged it under a banner of
quite the opposite.
“I t’s a horrible irony, and very gruesome,”
says Mensel of the idea. “Almost every sec
tion o f [“BraveSouls and Dreamers”] has
a quotation of one o f these great religious,
civil or political icons that we often go to
war over. They’re quotations o f peace.”
Among the quotations are lines culled
from the Koran, the Ojd Testament, Jesus
Christ and M ahatma Gandhi. The storyline
itself involves a mother who loses her son
during a war, the process involved in her
coming to terms with his death, and her
learning to forgive those responsible for the
death o f her son.
PG M C , now in its 31st year, performed
“BraveSouls and Dreamers” in 2007, 2008,
2009 and earlier in 2011. The chorus will
present the piece during the “Fly Away”
concert Wednesday, August 31 at Lincoln
Hall on the Portland State University
campus. The local concert—the proceeds
o f which will help fund P G M C ’s trip to
NYC— features a chamber version o f the
chorus’ usual orchestral accompaniment.
D uring the Peace Sc Unity concert in New
York, PG M C is scheduled to perform a song
with the New York City Gay M en’s Chorus,
conducted by the famed Bishop Eugene
Robinson, the first openly gay bishop o f the
Episcopal Church.
For Mensel and the rest o f the 130-mem-
ber ensemble, the 10th anniversary journey
provides a unique opportunity, once again,
for cross-country solidarity.
“It’s such a great honor to take part in
the commemoration,” says Mensel, who had
wanted to attend the first Flight for Freedom
trip, but instead tended to PG M C duties
during a concert in Hillsboro. “There are a lot
of choruses here and for various reasons we
were the ones asked to go. That says not only
something nice about the Portland Gay Men’s
Chorus, but it says something really wonderful
about the gay community here and that we’re
respected and held in high esteem.” JM
P G M C presents the "Fly A w a y 9 concert Wednes
day, August 31 at 8 p.m. a t Lincoln H all on the
P S U campus (1620 SW Park Ave.). Tickets,
$30-$ 125, are available a t buy.pdxgmc.org or
by calling 503-226-2588. To contribute to the
P G M C ’s Flight fo r Freedom effort, visit kick-
starter. com/projects/14 9 7 7 1 4 2 0 6 /sen d -p o rt-
land-gay-m ens-chorus-to-nyc-for-9-11 -p e r f
For more information, v is itpdxgmc.org.
27 _ je :