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 January 2008 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Arts & Letters Singing With Pride By Courtney Pellett
“When the singers left me after the warm-ups to go to the stage, I felt like I was sending my boys off to school for the first time,” says Wagner. “It was the first time an openly gay chorus had ever appeared on the stage of Kleinhans.” Wagner has been with the BGMC since the beginning as the charter artistic director. “I write many notes, e-mails and make at least 100 phone calls a week around chorus business. The responsibilities are endless,” she says. The ultimate payoff comes when the group, now in its seventh season, takes the stage. Wagner is a past recipient of the Buffalo Philharmonic Award for Excellence in Education and Choral Music, and has long been active in local choral music as a teacher at the Nichols School and Buffalo Seminary, and as minister of the music at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Her background helps in the process of determining song choices. “Our upcoming concert is titled The Proud and The Passionate, and all of the choral music reflects that,” says Wagner. The Proud and The Passionate will be performed on two consecutive nights: Friday, January 25 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo on Elmwood Avenue, and Saturday, January 26 at Temple Beth Zion on Delaware Avenue. Doors open at 7 p.m. on both nights and the shows start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, students and the disabled. (Visit www.buffalogaymenschorus.org or call 833-6642 for more information.) Wagner says the growing BGMC is always looking for new talent. “Singers must be able to match pitch, and it helps a lot if he can read music,” she says. While many members are between 30 and 40 years old, a number of those involved are seniors, too. These include Wagner, BGMC president Mike Liska and accompanist Debi Overton. The chorus stays busy doing two self-sponsored shows and numerous benefit concerts each year. Among the organizations they’ve performed benefits for are the Darwin Martin House, the Olmsted Conservancy, and Katrina Relief Funds. They’ve also performed at Nichols School’s Diversity Week and a tree lighting for Women’s & Children’s Hospital. Even with the good the chorus does, there is still the occasional backlash. They recently performed with the Unitarian Universalist Choir at the Trinity Roman Catholic Church to help benefit Habitat for Humanity and for roof repair for the church. Before the Trinity Church show there were threats of riots, picketing and cancellation. However, Wagner says, the show went on: “When the choirs processed down the aisles to a Zulu welcoming chant, and this huge crowd stood on their feet and applauded and wept with gratitude, we knew it was a miracle in the making.” back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |
