By Charles Baran  

Something exciting is happening right here in our own backyard.  And it’s something to sing about. On Saturday, June 29th at The Parker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida (GMCSF), will present a pride concert unlike any other that promises to celebrate, embrace and connect the diverse history of our LGBTQ+ community from the early days of Stonewall to the present day. Gabe Salazar, the forward-thinking Artistic Director of GMCSF has aptly titled the program, Pride: Then, Now, and Forever, (A Multigenerational Concert Celebration).

When asked to elaborate further on how he landed on the theme, Gabe shared his thoughts. “We have had a shift in the demographics of our chorus in the last three years. I wanted to share a concert that brings generations together by finding commonalities through our music. Our community has so much history, and we want to honor those who have come before us. We also want to celebrate those who continue to fight for the good fight and change our world for the greater good of humanity.”

Wondering what we will hear on the 29th, Gabe was quick to offer a preview. “We will see fun pride anthems from “I’m Coming Out,” Cher’s iconic song, “Believe,” and some fantastic new commissioned works that intentionally address the theme of this concert.”

Curious about the new commissioned pieces, Gabe was happy to share. “The first one is called “Don’t Say Gay,” written by Los Angeles-based composer David Volpe. This song deals with some of the issues we face in our community, especially in Florida. The second piece, “We’ve Come Through the Storm,” was written by Tom Nichols and Dan Chadburn. They are two outstanding composers and musicians who support our chorus. Tom serves on our Board of Directors, but both have been extremely generous to GMCSF. I asked them to write a song dealing with our multi-generational-themed concert this year, and they wrote a powerful and meaningful piece that will be a standard in our repertoire moving forward.” 

Innovation is key to staying current in a fast-paced social media environment and the GMCSF is staying ahead of the curve. The fourteen-year-old organization has seen tremendous growth in the past several years thanks to Salazar. Now in his third year as Artistic Director, he has brought new energy and an exciting musical vision that has helped the chorus grow artistically and as previously stated, demographically, resulting in an increased interest in the group. Ticket sales are up as can be attested by the recent sold-out performance of their extraordinary Hooray for Hollywood concert in March. Executive Director Mark Kent, now celebrating his 9th year with the GMCSF, agrees. “There have been so many changes on all levels. When I began, the Chorus was five years old and growing rapidly. We’ve developed into a larger group of singers composed of members from a really broad reach in South Florida (North Palm Beach to Homestead to Naples). Our artistic quality has really soared, especially since our current Artistic Director, Gabe Salazar, took the lead. Our donor base has expanded, and our support from foundations and the business community continues to grow. We’ve really become a major cultural asset for South Florida.”