On June 12th, during Gay Pride Month, the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus will perform a concert entitled UNITY - An Evening of Song and Dance beginning at 8 pm at the First United Methodist Church, 2100 J Street, Sacramento, California. The Men’s Chorus will be joined by The Sacramento Women’s Chorus, Small Difference Women’s Choral Ensemble, Verve, SacDance Sport, and the Capital City Squares. This event will also be the final performance of SGMC’s 25th annual season.

Originally named the Sacramento Men’s Chorus, the group began in the fall of 1984 during Ronald Reagan’s first term as President, when few gays and lesbians came out, and if they dared, were excommunicated by their churches and ostracized by their communities. Though the chorus has always been open to any man who loves to sing, the majority of members is gay. In 2008, the group voted to add the word “Gay” and is now known as the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus, or SGMC.

Since its inception, SGMC has not only dedicated their music to support the GLBT community, but has also sought to foster unity and break down the walls between communities. According to Chris Huber, the current president of SGMC, the men in the group range from 18 to 70 in age and come from all walks of life. They are students, attorneys, activists, businessmen, and sales representatives, as well as a retired principal and dentist, to name a few.

There are currently 43 active members; Paul Jones is the artistic director, and Mark Robinson is the accompanist. Their season begins in August and ends in June, and the eleven months are filled with rehearsals, three major concerts and smaller outreach performances in Sacramento and surrounding counties.

On April 16th through 18th, SGMC performed Sing Out, Louise–A Broadway Celebration at the First United Church on J Street in Sacramento. Just a few of the songs sung were “Bring Him Home” (Les Miserables), a medley from Sunset Boulevard and Lion King, “Dancing Through Life” (Wicked), and “Rhythm of Life” (Sweet Charity). An encore performance took place on April 25th at the Central Methodist Church in Stockton. Audience members who attended the April 17th performance were uniformly complementary. At the conclusion of the show, a gentleman was overheard commenting, “These guys are really good.”

On May 19th, SGMC performed at the Harvey Milk Day Special “Milk and Cookies” Event at the Crest Theater, and the chorus is scheduled to return to the Crest Theater on June 30th at a benefit by Bishop Quinn for cottage housing. Other performances include the Sacramento Pride Festival, Rainbow Festival, Placer PFLAG (Parents and Friends for Lesbians and Gays) dinner, and the Day of Remembrance service in Sacramento for gay and lesbian victims of hate crimes.

After a month hiatus in July, SGMC will return in August to rehearse for their Christmas performance to be held on December 3, 4, and 5, 2010. When asked to describe SGMC, Chris Huber stated, “No matter where you come from or who you are, the common bond is our love of music and singing.” For more information about SGMC and performances, see http://sacgaymenschorus.org.