Under the direction of Dr. Gary Keating, the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus proudly presents its annual holiday concert, If You Just Believe, on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at the All Saints Episcopal Church. Showtime begins at 8:00PM.

Celebrating the holiday season and sharing gratitude and good cheer, Keating says audiences can expect a fabulous performance that will make them leave with a smile on their face and a song in their heart.

“We performed a couple heavier programs last spring,” he said. “First the tribute to Leonard Bernstein and Matthew Shepard, then the combined concerts with the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida and the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus in honor of the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, so I programmed a lighter concert for this holiday season. If You Just Believe will present lots of favorites that people will appreciate for the holiday season. A stunning new Hanukkah song, favorites like ‘Mary Did You Know’ and ‘Feliz Navidad,’ and a reflective version of ‘Pure Imagination.’ About four years ago, we created an artistic committee that works with me to create what we call Choral Theatre. These bits of dialogue often share personal experiences of members, or new material that tie our program together.”

Because the concert is on December 7, 2019, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, there will be a special tribute to honor those serving in the military.

“It would be inappropriate to not honor the men and women who fought and gave their lives in that battle and those who have or continue to serve all over the world,” Keating said. “We will sing ‘A Grateful Nation’ from our commissioned work, Living Out Loud, that specifically honors LGBTQ soldiers. Then, with our guests, the LGBTQ Veterans Association of South Florida who will present the colors, we will sing a tribute to the Armed Forces, each song representing each of the different branches. It will be our honor to ask anyone who has served to stand when the song from their branch of service is performed. We will finish with the ‘National Anthem.’”

Keating is preparing himself for the concert’s emotional impact. There will be several spots in this concert where I will get emotional,” he said. “I had an uncle who helped raise me who earned both a Silver Star and Purple Heart in WWII and a nephew serving in the United States Army who I am very proud of. That will be special. Additionally, it is always important to see how the music affects my singers. Concerts are what we do, but what we really do is provide a safe space for gay men to come together each week and make music. When that happens, you can see the feeling of success on their faces or the emotional impact. That excitement will never go away for me.”