events :: May 11, 2005

Retrospective spans 17 years of pitch-perfect history

By WHITNEY SPOTTS

The Greater Lansing Gay Men’s Chorus really has something to sing about, not that it had trouble finding reasons before. For 17 years the choir has been a source of harmony in the local GLBT community, and this weekend the group will present a retrospective of its tenure with "Through the Years."

The concert will feature songs drawn from previous concerts throughout the choir’s history, as well as new selections chosen by director Peter Morse. He says the songs span the full range of the choir’s capabilities, including Broadway hits and classical compositions.

"The chorus was formed 17 years ago," Morse says. "It was just a group of guys who wanted to get together and form a group that was gay-friendly and gay affirming, where men would have a safe place to come hang out and get together. It kind of evolved over the years."

The choir meets once a week on Tuesday nights throughout the fall, winter and spring, and has grown to about 30 members, including support staff. Typically, the group performs two concerts a year, in the spring and during the winter holidays. This past Christmas concert was presented with the Sistrum Women’s Chorus, a partnership that Morse says is likely to become a holiday tradition.

In a special outreach effort, the chorus has designated its spring concert as a fund-raiser for the Lansing Area AIDS Network. Entry is based on a sliding scale of donations, with a recommended donation price of $10-$25, though Morse assures that no one will be turned away.

It’s not just the music that will reach back to the early days of the chorus. "We do have one of the original founding members, and the first director of the group is now singing in the group," Morse says. "He has a special solo number he’ll be doing."

Morse himself only joined the group in fall of 2002, rising to the position of musical director in January of 2004. "My history with the chorus is not that long," he says, "so I really had to rely on the other members to help me pick the best songs from the past

performances."

Men interested in joining the chorus should visit the groups Web site, www.glgmc.org or send an e-mail to info@glgmc.org.

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