In October 2017, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir traveled through five Southern states for the Lavender Pen Tour. The journey combined concerts with visits to schools, churches, and community organizations, supporting people working for LGBTQ+ equality close to home.
Five concert stops
The tour ran from October 7 to 15, with major concerts in Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; Knoxville, Tennessee; Greenville, South Carolina; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Funds raised at the concerts supported local organizations, including LGBTQ+ choruses, PFLAG chapters, and HIV service providers.
Beyond the stage
In his account for the San Francisco Bay Times, Artistic Director Tim Seelig described nearly 30 appearances and almost 300 travelers. The itinerary included interfaith services, university visits, and conversations with local leaders.
In Selma, participants visited Brown Chapel and walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with people connected to the civil rights movement. At the University of Tennessee, singers exchanged music with students. In Greenville, First Baptist Church welcomed the chorus for a full-house concert.
A shared experience
The partnership with Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, directed by Terrance Kelly, brought different musical and faith traditions together. Seelig’s reflection emphasized how much the visiting singers learned from the communities that received them.
The tour became part of SFGMC’s continuing work to connect music with community life. Read the contemporary coverage of the journey or explore more chorus history.
Watch: The Lavender Pen Tour
The Chorus announced the tour with this trailer in September 2017, just before the 40th Season began.
After the chorus came home, photographer Dave Earl’s pictures from the road were gathered into a photo essay. It follows the singers and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir through the five states they visited.
A preview clip of “Love Can Build a Bridge,” one of the songs the chorus carried from city to city.
