PORTLAND GAY MEN'S CHORUS

PERFORMANCES: PGMC HOLDS FOUR MAIN CONCERTS AND A FEW SMALLER EVENTS EACH YEAR. WHILE COVID-19 CONTINUED TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON AUDIENCES AND MEMBERSHIP, PGMC WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO LIVE PERFORMANCES IN FISCAL YEAR 2022-23. THE FIRST CONCERT OF THE SEASON, "MAKE THE YULETIDE GAY," WAS PGMC'S TRADITIONAL WINTER CONCERT, BEGINNING OUR NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR'S FIRST FULLY PLANNED SEASON. THE NEXT SHOW, "GO ON AND LOVE," WAS PGMC'S SOCIAL JUSTICE CONCERT INTRODUCING MUSIC THAT HIGHLIGHTED VIOLENCE AGAINST THE BLACK COMMUNITY, CONCLUDING WITH A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND HOW LOVE CAN CHANGE OUR COMMUNAL LIVES FOR THE BETTER. CASCADE, PGMC'S SMALL ENSEMBLE GROUP, PRESENTED ITS THIRD IN-PERSON SOLO EVENT, "HUMAN/NATURE," REFLECTING ON THE CONCEPT OF WHAT IS THE HUMAN ROLE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE ENVIRONMENT.(CONT'D ON SCH O)THE SEASON ENDED WITH A PRIDE CONCERT, "OUR CORNER OF THE SKY" WHICH WAS A TOP FIVE SELLING CONCERT FOR PGMC.

MEMBERSHIP: HISTORICALLY, MORE THAN 1,700 PEOPLE FROM WITHIN THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THE CHORUS. WHILE THE PANDEMIC GREATLY CURTAILED THE ORGANIZATION'S MEMBERSHIP, THE CHORUS GREW FROM 110 TO OVER 190 ACTIVE MEMBERS. MEMBERS OF THE PORTLAND GAY MEN'S CHORUS DO NOT HAVE TO BE FROM PORTLAND, GAY, MALE, NOR SING IN THE CHORUS. PGMC IS PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT ITS MEMBERSHIP CONTINUES TO REPRESENT A FULL SPECTRUM OF DIVERSITY AND IS FULLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THE BYLAWS, SINCE INCEPTION, HAVE STATED: "ANYONE SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHORUS, REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, MARITAL OR VETERAN'S STATUS, OR DISABILITY." (CONTINUED ON SCH O)PGMC'S MEMBERS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, INCLUDING NATIONALLY, ETHNICALLY, POLITICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, MUSICALLY, AND VOCATIONALLY. MEMBERS HAVE COME FROM MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING CHINA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAPAN, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, VIETNAM, PANAMA, PERU, FRANCE, GERMANY, IRELAND, AND EVEN CANADA. MEMBERS OF THE CHORUS PARTICIPATE IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: MONDAY WEEKLY REHEARSALS, AN ANNUAL RETREAT, AND BETWEEN 4 TO 6 ALL-DAY REHEARSALS EACH YEAR. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS WITH LIMITED MEANS FOR DUES AND RETREAT IS AWARDED ON A NEED BASIS. IN 2024, THE CHORUS WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER 100 SINGERS TO THE QUADRENNIAL GALA CHORUS FESTIVAL, TO PERFORM IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN. OVER 8,000 SINGERS AND 200 CHORUSES WERE PRESENT AND PGMC WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE "GO-TO" CHORUSES OF THE THREE-DAY FESTIVAL.