Back from its national tour, the chorus took on its most ambitious classical program yet.
The program
On November 9 and 10, 1981, Golden Gate Performing Arts presented the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus at Davies Symphony Hall with members of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dick Kramer. The Chronicle listed the program: Félicien David’s ode-symphony “Le Désert,” with tenor soloists Dale Richard and Robert Tate and narration by Scott Beach; Bach’s Cantata No. 21 and four chorale preludes; Marius Monnikendam’s “Veni Creator”; and Schubert’s “Gesang der Geister über den Wassern.” Carlos Carvajal created original choreography, and tickets ran from $6 to $16.
That August, the chorus had also released its first album, a live recording from the tour on Golden Gate Records. The ad quoted reviews from every stop, including the Chronicle’s Heuwell Tircuit.
“A sunburst of C major from the gods.”
— Heuwell Tircuit, San Francisco Chronicle, as quoted in a record advertisement
The album went on to win a Cable Car Award in 1982.
From the archives: this post retells reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle. The original articles survive only in newspaper archives, so we have told the story here in our own words. Details attributed to those outlets are their reporting; see the sources below.
Sources
- San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, “Golden Gate Performing Arts presents the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (advertisement)”, November 1, 1981. sfchronicle.com
- San Francisco Chronicle, “Gay Men’s Chorus Concert”, November 3, 1981. sfchronicle.com
- San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, “A New Release From The Chorus That Captivated The Nation! (advertisement)”, August 2, 1981. sfchronicle.com
