1992 Inaugural

MGMC's Winter 2011 Virtual Concert

(Hear the entire concert below)

The Maine Gay Men's Chorus is currently on sabbatical and will not be performing live this holiday season.

But we want to share the music of MGMC nonetheless. And so we present a Virtual Winter Concert.

It is our goal to be back singing next holiday season with a wonderful winter program. In the meantime, please enjoy the sounds of MGMC's first performance ever in December 1992. As you listen to the songs, please scroll down to browse through selected pages from the printed program of the inaugural concert.

Play the Entire Concert

Please note: the first verse of the first song is slightly garbled, but the sound gets much better

(the cassette tape was nearly 20 years old after all)

(if you are too young to know what a cassette tape is, go here)

About this Virtual Concert

Every so often a precious gift rises from the past. Thanks to long-time chorus member Roger Wile, a recording of MGMC's premier concert (December 1992) made its way to me. This magnificent performance, directed by founding director Bruce Fithian, has been transferred from cassette tape to digital format and made ready for hearing on this website by MGMC's Associate Director (composer and our recording engineer as well) Tom Wallace.

Among those members singing, you will hear the voice of Matthew Batten as chorister and soloist. Matthew passed away in June 2009 after a long illness. This virtual concert is dedicated to him and those loved ones who are no longer with us. If you know other members who have passed, please send me their names so I can include them here: David Harvey (sang with chorus from 1993-1998).

In the spirit of the title of this inaugural concert, may light and life be yours!

Art Kenne

Artistic Director

Play individual tracks below

Personent Hodie and Fanfare

The Boar's Head, Wassail, I Saw 3 Ships

Steal Away

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Mary's Little Boy Child

Lux Hodie and Hanerot Halalu

Onward Ye People

Light One Candle

Throw the Log On, Uncle John

O Little Town of Hallowell

Good King Kong Looked Out

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Winter Wonderland

White Christmas

The Sleigh

CONCERT SINGERS

As you may know, gay life in 1992, while better than gay life in 1972,

was fraught with considerable personal risk. There were no protections

from job or housing discrimination, and even a careless rumor could

result in loss of job and home. Coming Out held enormous risk.

The members whose names appeared in the printed program (below) took the risk,

and those members whose names did not appear took the same risk as well

by singing on stage with the chorus. The current members, board, and staff of MGMC offer

grateful thanks for the courage and artistry of our founding members.