Next week, Philadelphia will get a performance 30 years in the making.
The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus will take to the stage with its 30th-anniversary concert, “Legacy,” June 15-16 at Prince Music Theater.
The show will include a diverse body of works that reflect the range of the chorus over the past three decades.
“This concert showcases the chorus’ past 30 years and its mission of performing different types of music and creating challenging music to entertain, inspire and affirm the audience and chorus members,” said PGMC artistic director Joe Buches.
The chorus reviewed programs from the past 30 years to identify pieces that were of import to the group to resurrect for the “Legacy” concert.
The result is a concert that includes popular hits, choral classics and works with a specific LGBT focus.
“I think there will be something for everybody,” Buches said. “We have our lighter shows and our more serious shows, and I think this brings the two together and gives the audience a nice package of the work that we’ve performed over the years.”
“Legacy” will also feature the world premiere of a piece that was commissioned specifically for PGMC’s 30th anniversary.
“Raise Our Voice” is a libretto written by PGMC member Chip Alfred, tracing the chorus’ storied history, with composition by PGMC collaborative accompanist Michael Djupstrom.
Alfred began working on lyrics for the four-piece song cycle in January of last year, utilizing questionnaires that PGMC members filled out, as well as individual interviews and independent research.
“Raise Our Voice” explores the organizational history of the chorus as a community hub, from its early days raising funds for HIV/AIDS causes, and also brings in the meaning it holds for its individual members, as they learned to embrace the power of song and the strength of the relationships the chorus fosters.
“We sing because we love music, we sing because of the camaraderie, but even more importantly, we sing for the LGBT community as a whole and to present the positive face of the LGBT community to mainstream audiences,” Alfred said. “We’re about music with a message.”
As Alfred developed the words, Djupstrom worked alongside him to put them to music.
“This piece was a little different than most because I was working with a living writer instead of utilizing preexisting poems or prose,” he said. “Being able to talk with Chip and see the text as it developed made it easier for me to start imagining the music before I set pencil to paper.”
This is the first lyricist endeavor for Alfred, a freelance journalist.
He said he was initially nervous about the undertaking when Buches approached him but found the process to be rewarding.
“I thought to myself, Can I really do this? But Mike is such an accomplished composer and I respect Joe so much, so I thought, If he thinks I can do it then I can do it,” Alfred said. “So I learned about what other lyricists were doing, talked to other lyricists and had a lot of help from Mike. And I’m really proud of what we created. It’s a piece that I think people will be moved by, entertained by and it speaks to what the chorus is really all about.”
Djupstrom added that, while “Raise Our Voice” explores the many facets of the chorus and its history, its main message is clear.
“The chorus provides a sense of solidarity and strength for its members, and this sense of belonging and acceptance is communicated outwardly to the greater public through the group’s music,” he said.
Buches credited the commitment of the group’s members and board with PGMC’s longevity in the past three decades.
“They have all worked together to keep the chorus going without a full-time staff person to help, which is a really good testament of their dedication to the organization and to the mission,” he said. “It is to their credit that we have continued to grow and be such a strong organization, and they’re continuing to help move us forward.”
PGMC will perform “Legacy” at 8 p.m. June 15 and 2 and 8 p.m. June 16 at Prince, 1412 Chestnut St. Tickets range from $25-$55. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.pgmc.org.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].