The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will perform a variety of choral songs interspersed with dialogue by local community members and chorus members at Redding's historic Cascade Theatre on January 30, 2010.
The SFGMC was founded in 1978 by Jon Reed Sims. More than 100 men gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall on November 27, 1978 and sang Felix Mendelssohn’s solemn anthem, Thou Lord Our Refuge, before the assembled crowd. Leaving rehearsal, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) made its first public performance at this impromptu memorial for Mayor George Moscone and gay City Supervisor Harvey Milk who had been assassinated that morning. Since these early years, more than 1,500 SFGMC members have volunteered proudly and served as goodwill ambassadors, promoting awareness and understanding of the LGBT community through music and the shared experience of performance. Our audience and community supporters are with us every step of the way.
Today, under the baton of Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Kathleen McGuire, SFGMC is comprised of 200 men from the greater Bay Area. As a community organization rooted in San Francisco and the Bay Area, SFGMC performs over 50 concerts each year for a diverse array of audiences, including many appearances that directly benefit local social justice and healthcare-related non-profit organizations.
