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Fall 1995The newsletter of the Gay Men's Chorus of Houston Volume 3, Number 1

Stories of the SeasonGMCH begins season with holiday concerts in Houston and Galveston

The Gay Men's Chorus ofHouston, under the directionof interim artistic directorJames Winslow, presents

"Stories of the Season: Fables, Carols &Holiday Songs" on Friday and Saturday,December 8 and 9, 1995, at 7:30 p.m. atFirst Unitarian Universalist Church,5200 Fannin (at Sourhrnore), Houston.The chorus will repeat the program atthe Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020Postoffice, Galveston, on Saturday,December 16, at 8 p.m.

The chorus will present an excitingvariety of works for this year's festivities.Audience favorites such as "Survivors],""A Season for Lovers," and "Music ofHannukah" will return, along with"White Christmas," "We Need a LittleChristmas," and many other familiarholiday numbers. In addition, GMCHcontinues its tradition of excellence innon-English music with three variedLatin works, "Haec Est Dies," "In Dulci[ubilo," and "Gaudete." To round outthe evening, director Winslow hasselected an eclectic group of works inwhich the traditional meets the modern:Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Nine Carolsfor Male Voices (Unaccompanied)" andKirke Mechem's "Blow Yethe Trumpet"from the opera John Brown. And whatwould a holiday concert be without alittle Handel? If you're sick of the"Hallelujah Chorus" but still need yourdose of majesty, come hear the chorustrumpet "Hallelujah, Amen" from JudasMaccabeus.

The 1995-96 season promises to beone of the busiest and most rewarding inGMCH history. The season started witha brief performance at the HATCHAwards Banquet in October, and we'llround off December with appearances atthe Interfaith Service of Hope andRemembrance, World AIDS Dayceremonies, and at Moody Gardens theafternoon of the Galveston holiday

concert. The chorus gains speed with apossible spring offering, the annual JunePride Week concert, and finally a week-long trip to Tampa for GALA V, aninternational gathering oflesbigaychoruses which promises to be the largestconvention in that city's history.

Tickets for the Houston concertsare $12 (general admission) and may be

purchased by contacting a member ofthe chorus or by calling 713/227-ARTS.Tickets will also be available at the door,but seating is limited, so buy yours early!Tickets for the Galveston concert are$10, $15, and $20; box seats are $25-30.Call 1-800-821-1894 or buy ticketsfrom any chorus member. For moreinformation, call 713/521-SING . .Jj

Gay Men's Chorus of HoustonJames Winslow, Artistic Director

StoriesOF STHE eason

rabIes, Carols& Holiday Songs

Bye (For Now)To David Weber

GMCH acknowledged a debt ofgratitude by preseming departing

presidem David Weber with the first JeffCorhran Memorial Award ar the generalmembership meeting in Seprember.

Weber served the chorus over manyyears as librarian, board member, long-range planning committee chair, and aspresident from July rhrough Sepremberof rhis year. Regrettably, his employertransferred him to San Antonio effectiveOctober 1, so he was forced to resignbefore complering his term as president.

Ar the Seprember meeting, boardmember and former presidem Rex Gillitintroduced a resolution to create theaward and to bestow it upon Weber inrecognition of his years of service andhis peerless comributions to theorganizarion. The membership voted infavor of the resolution and thankedWeber with a standing ovation.

Dave promised to continue to give thechorus his support from afar. He will besorely missed. JJ

GMCH Needs You!

The Gay Men's Chorus of Houston isalways looking for new members-

whether they can sing or not!Singing members participate in all

of GMCH's annual events, which thisseason include a possible spring musicalevent, a Pride Week concert in June, anda week-long trip to Tampa, Florida, inJuly 1996 to attend GALA Festival V.The GALA Festival is the quadrennialgarhering of GALA Choruses (the Gayand Lesbian Association of Choruses),an imernarional alliance of more than140 men's, women's, and mixed chorusesdedicated to providing leadership andinspirarion to the lesbian and gaymovement through excellence in thechoral arts.

Non-singing members can alsoparticipate in all chorus events, providinghelp and support for our musicalendeavors. Do you have backsragerechnical experience? We need helpsetting srages, lighring, and organizinghalls for concert events. Marketing andsales more your thing? Take charge ofticket sales and advertising. Of course,we can always use volunteer fundraisers!We welcome anyone who shares acommitment to our mission.

New members are especially welcome

this season, which is highlighred by therelease of GMCH's first commercialrecording, ToFriends and ToLife, and byour trip to Tampa. These two events giveus the best opportunity ever to showcaseour talents to Houston, to Texas, and tothe international choral communiry. JJ

GMCH WelcomesWinslow as ADA s a six-year member of the Houstont\ Grand Opera, James MarleyWinslow has grown accustomed toexcellence in performance. In September,he joined GMCH to continue thepursuit of excellence as interim artisticdirector through the holiday concerts,Ar the November 12 meering of theboard of directors, rhe board voted toextend Winslow's appointment throughthe end of the 1995-96 season.

Winslow has raken part in more than20 HGO productions, including worldpremieres by Carlisle Floyd and SirMichael Tippett. He has worked witha disringuished list of directors andchoreographers.

Since 1988, Winslow has worked withPalmer Memorial Episcopal Church,serving as a renor soloist and sectionleader and as assistant conductor. He hasperformed with the Cathedral ChurchofSr. Paul in Detroit, and in Houstonar Chrisr Church Carhedral, WheelerAvenue Baptist Church, and Sr. Michael'sand Sr. Cecilia's Carholic Churches.

Winslow received his bachelor's degreein vocal performance from the ShepherdSchool of Music ar Rice Universiry in1988. He has had private conducringstudies under Larry Rachleff conductorof the Shepherd School Symphony.

His rraining includes fencing, classicalguirar, dance, mime, yoga, sragemovement and bartle, and srage crew andsragecraft. Winslow plays guirar, piano,violin, and flute and has studied German,French, Italian, Larin, Spanish, Japanese,and Russian. He is an avid outdoorsrnan.

Winslow's reaching experienceincludes serving as choirmasrer, chairof the vocal department, director of thehandbell program, and direcror of thejazz ensemble at Episcopal High Schoolin Houston; as handbell teacher at Sr.Stephen's Episcopal School; as privatevoice coach at Quail Valley MiddleSchool; and reaching choir and musicrheory ar Sharpsrown High School.

He is married to Lynn Griebling. Wewelcome Lynn and James to the GMCHfamily! JJ

Chorus ElectsNew PresidentA r the Seprember general membershipt\ meeting, members elected RalphSikes to rake over the office of presidemof the Gay Men's Chorus of Houston.Sikes had served since July as the chorus'vice president.

Sikes has ambitious plans for theorganization.

"I would like to strengthen thefinancial base ofGMCH throughincreased ticker and advertising sales,development of corporare underwriringof concerts, development of a chorussupporters' donarion program, andrhrough increased membership," he said.

Orher goals he has set include securingmodest office space before the end ofDecember to facilitate chorus businessand sales of our recording. He would alsolike to upgrade the salary of the artisticdirector, institute a search for anexecutive director, and increase GMCHvisibiliry rhrough a comprehensive,unified markering program for theconcert year, as well as rhroughrecruitment of non-singing communirymembers. Anorher goal is rhe crearion ofproject ream manuals to simplify therransirion after each year's elecrions andto reduce rhe "learning curve" for projecrvolunteers.

Sikes is a Houston native. Hegraduated from Waltrip High School in1972 and from the Universiry of Texas arAustin in 1975 wirh a bachelor's degreein borany and philosophy. He attendedWashington Theological Coalition inSilver Springs, Maryland, while atseminary with the Paulisr Farhers.

He worked as a business manager forthe Church of the Good Shepherd inManhattan before returning to Houston,where today he is owner of Sikes DraperyCorporarion.

Sikes' musical background includeshaving studied violin from age 10 to age16. He played in junior high and highschool orchestras, in the All-City YouthOrchestra for two years, and in rhe pirorchesrras for high school productions ofCarnival Annie Get Your Gun, and Onthe Town.

Sikes studied voice for six months inWashington, D.C., while at seminary,and also in Manhattan, where he sang inthe Church of the Good Shepherd choir.

Ralph says he also soloed on Broadway,bur at the wrong end-208rh Street!

The office of vice president will befilled by appointment or election in thenear furure. JJ

GMCH Announces Release of To Friends and To Life!

The Gay Men's Chorus of Housron ispleased to announce the release of our

first commercial recording, To Friendsand To Life: The Gay Men's Chorus ofHowton Celebrates Its FifteenthAnniversary. This anthology of chorushisrory looks back at the chorus' first 15years through 15 favorite songs.

TF&TL includes former GMCHartistic director John-Michael Albert'saward-winning "A Season for Lovers"and the premiere recording of his movingsuite, Though Much Is Taken, MuchAbides, four songs with one story to tell.

"Though loss has the capaciry roparalyze us with grief, life should be livedby doing," explains Albert. "The past isalways with us in the present, and it isthe combination of the fWOthat carriesus into the future. The true measure ofthe qualiry oflife is not in terms ofloss,but simply in terms of those we live lifewith."

The suite features guest performancesby violinist Alan Austin, who has

performed with the Housron BalletOrchestra and the Housron GrandOpera Orchestra, and cellist Steve Estes,who has performed with the HousronMasterworks Chorus and with theHousron Symphony. The recording alsohighlights the talents of soprano JeanetteMadey, who has performed with theHouston Grand Opera in DerMeistersinger and Madame Butterfly, andrecording engineer John Proffitt, thegeneral manager of radio station KUHF.

Engineering equipment problemsdelayed the release of TF&TL for threemonths. The release is the culminationof more than fWOyears of planning,rehearsing, recording, engineering, andmanufacturing. Communiry suppOrt forthe project has been overwhelming: thechorus' Track Sponsorship drive found14 individuals and groups willing roinvest $1,500 each in the recording:

Tim Baker and Steve Edward,Thomas Chelena and Daniel MalachowskiGayle Goddard and Lynne Weynand

Metropolitan Community Church ofthe Resurrection

David Opheim and Rex GillitRandy R. ReddemannMike SalavarriaMaddie Teller-Kook and Alan KookJeffrey WadeDavid WeberDonald Wilson and Ken HansenThe bass section of GMCHMembers, family, and friends ofGMCH,

in memory of deceased membersThe families and friends of G M CH in

honor of their loved ones in the chorus

To Friends and Ta Life is dedicated, inthe words of the tide song, "to all wehave rouched, both present and gone,"and ro the friends the chorus will enjoyin the next 15 years.

Copies of To Friends and To Life willbe on sale at our holiday concerts and atvarious other venues in the coming months.Call 7131521-S1NG for more information,or we the order form below.

To Friends and To LifeThe Gay Men's Chorus of HoustonCelebrates Its Fifteenth Anniversary

Our debut recording chronicles the history of GMCH in music and includesJohn-Michael Albert's A Season for Lovers, GALA Festival IV Competition Winner (1992).

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To order by phone. call 713/521-SING (credit card orders only).

The Montrose SingersP.O. Box 541004Houston, TX 77254-1004

I

StoriesOFSTHE casonrabIes, Carols& Holiday Songs

Friday, December 8,1995,7:30 p.m.Saturday, December 9, 1995, 7:30 p.m.

First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5200 Fannin, HoustonGeneral admission $12. Limited seating.

Call 7131227-ARTS or 713/S21-SING.

Saturday, December 16,1995,8 p.m.

Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice, GalvestonTickets are $10, $15, $20; boxes $25-$30.

Call 1-800-821-1894.

Bayou Notesis the newsletter of the

Gay Men's Chorus of HoustonJames Winslow, interim artistic director

Ralph Sikes, presidentDavid E. Gebo, secretary

Mike McNamara, treasurer

Edward F.Gumnick, tUsigner and editor

Volume 3, Number 1Fall 1995

P.O. Box 541004Houston, Texas 77254-1004

713/521-SING

Our Mission:

We sing to achieve excellence inmen's choral music. We providea nurturing environment for ourmembers and offer a source ofpride, unity, and support to ourdiverse communities.

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