Singing in the Shadow of Pulse
September 12, 2016 9:42 AM   Subscribe

James Croft, a member of the Gateway Men’s Chorus, writes about singing at the GALA Choruses festival, three weeks after the massacre at the Pulse nightclub. Here is their performance.

GALA choruses now boasts 170 member choruses, with 10,000 singers from more than 190 choruses in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Here is their history and their YouTube channel.


NYC Gay Men's Chorus Performs 'Light' on Good Morning America, June 13, 2016
posted by roomthreeseventeen (3 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was fortunate enough to attend GALA this year... My chorus "The Atlanta Women's Chorus" made their debut and our brother choirs, the 36 year old " Atlana Gay Men's chorus" was one of the main performances. It was a glorius week. And thoughts of Pulse and the Love for Orlando was everywhere. If you EVER GET A CHAMCE to go... Singing or just to enjoy... Do it!! Life changing!! Great post!!
posted by pearlybob at 10:43 AM on September 12, 2016 [1 favorite]


I went to San Jose back in 2000 and it is one of my favorite memories.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:04 AM on September 12, 2016


I wasn't prepared for the tears that came while reading this.

I cried so much during the weeks following the Pulse shootings. Events like this usually feel sort of distant, and while I have often felt horrified, I had never before felt like something that happened nearly as far away as possible across the country from me was somehow directed at me, personally. But I felt like that with the Pulse massacre. My brothers and sisters were gunned down doing exactly that thing I love doing nearly more than anything else -- dancing in a place that we've claimed as our own, outside of the horror and abuse that the rest of the world shovels on us so regularly.

I'd stopped crying a while back. There's been some moving things, musical tributes and stuff that have come along, and while they brought an ache to the back of my throat, I hadn't cried over the event since maybe two weeks after it happened. I had cried so much for so many reasons over those two weeks, I wasn't sure I had any tears left to cry about it.

But reading this... really brought a lot of my heartbreak back. The piece is just so raw, and combining it with the power of music (I used to sing in choirs a lot when I was younger)...

I mean, truly, thank you for posting this. I guess I needed to cry a bit more, because I'm happy (?) to have these tears. Truly, thank you.
posted by hippybear at 1:46 AM on September 13, 2016 [1 favorite]


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