Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus joins Rufus Wainwright for his one- night- only performance with the Philly POPS Orchestra January 19 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. The 65-piece orchestra and conductor Michael Krajewski and will accompany Wainwright with his repertory of pop, art-rock and opera. A highlight will be PGMC performance of Leonard Cohen’s inspirational hit ‘Hallelujah’ accompanied by Wainwright on piano.
PGMC’s artistic director-conductor Joseph Buches spoke by phone a week before the show and said the event will kick off with a pre-concert performance by the chorus and their soloist group Brotherly Love in Commonwealth Plaza in the Kimmel Center before the Philly Pops concert.
“We’re doing some standard repertoire “Over the Rainbow” and songs from Broadway shows “Seize the Day” from the musical “Newsies” and “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime. And PGMC’s smaller ensemble Brotherly Love with perform ‘Bridge Over Trouble Waters’ and other contemporary standards. During the POPS concert the chorus will also sing Leonard Cohen’s inspirational hit ‘Hallelujah’ accompanied by Wainwright on piano.
Wainwright and PGMC will then convene at the GLBTQ social service organization The William Way Center in Center City, just a block away from the Kimmel Center. Buches noted that proceeds from the concert will benefit The William Way LGBT Community Center, one of Philadelphia’s pro-active GLBTQ social service organizations.
PGMC has not only been very visible in public performances in Philadelphia this past year, they continue to develop their community and educational outreach to area schools. Especially to schools that no longer have choral programs because of budget cuts.
Buches and members of the PGMC board continue to expand the student outreach programs. “Beside going into schools. We get sponsors for tickets that a provided for high school and college students in the area. We also conduct workshops about diversity, GLBTQ acceptance and address issues in schools concerning bullying and peer acceptance,” Buches noted.
Music is the universal language that breaks down barriers and that has been at the core of PGMC mission for decades. Needed now, Buches notes “even with civil rights advances like marriage equality a reality,” the organization’s mission is needed now, “more than ever,” Buches reiterates.
PGMC outreach initiatives have made a difference in gay/straight acceptance in area schools Buches said “When you see the wonderful reaction from the students, gay and straight, and the impact we can have. It speaks to our mission,” Buches said.
PGMC will be doing a Pride Tour in suburban Philly in Suburban Philadelphia this spring and says that he hopes to plan a Pride Tour of Central Pennsylvania “eventually I want to tour Pennsylvania, perform in small communities and schools that could really use our message.”
The orchestra contacted Buches about performing in the concert and said he jumped at the chance to be part of this concert. “We usually don’t get to perform with full orchestra…we sang the national anthem with the Philadelphia Orchestra at an event, but these opportunities are rare for us. Hopefully, PGMC will be doing more collaborations like this.”
Wainwright has a solid GLBTQ and straight fan base in Philly and has regularly over the last decade each time with new repertoire as he keeps branching out into new musical areas. His last concert in Philadelphia featured not only music from his revival of Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy at Carnegie Hall and opera singers performed arias from Wainwrights opera “Prima Donna.”
Wainwright has other artistic ties to Philly. He attended the premiere of Pennsylvania Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence Matt Neenan’s hit ballet “11:11” set to a song cycle of Wainwright’s music. Wainwright’s latest recording featured his compositions scored to Shakespeare’s sonnets performed by stars of stage, screen and opera. In a press release Wainwright has said there’s “no better instrument than an orchestra to help illustrate” his music. For tickets go to http://phillypops.org/rufus
-The Philly POPS is hosting a reception, PGMC and Rufus Wainwright at The William Way LGBT Community Center following the concert. Proceeds from the reception will benefit The William Way LGBT Community Center, a community center that encourages, supports and advocates for the well-being and acceptance of sexual and gender minorities in the Greater Philadelphia region through service, recreational, educational and cultural programming.
To purchase Reception Only VIP Tickets, please call Gilberto Vega, Manager of Education and Engagement, at 215.735.2841.