After a stellar performance at the Tampa Bay Rays’ Pride Night game on June 17, Una Voce: The Florida Men’s Chorale is gearing up for two concerts at the 2016 GALA Festival, July 2-6, in Denver. The GALA Festival, the largest gathering of same-sex choruses in the world, convenes every four years.
Una Voce will perform “I Am Harvey Milk,” words and music by Andrew Lippa, on the evening of July 3. The chorale debuted the Florida premiere last year in Tampa and St. Pete. “I Am Harvey Milk” combines Harvey Milk’s life story with the richness of San Francisco culture.
“Harvey Milk was only 13 years my senior,” Una Voce performer Dennis Garver says. “It took me over a month of singing quietly to myself to stop crying in rehearsal during ‘San Francisco.’ I went through that period when we were damned and put down and had to hide in dark bars.”
Garver says this year will mark his sixth GALA Festival performance. He will be celebrating his 73rd birthday the same day he performs “I Am Harvey Milk” with Una Voce in front of 5,000 people.
“It’s a life changing experience,” Garver says. “You get to hear such amazing music, stuff you’ve never heard coming from groups all over the country that share the same passion for chorale music.”
“I Am Harvey Milk” will stream live on July 3 at 11 p.m. EST. Una Voce will perform the piece alongside other commissioned chorales in the country. To view the performance via live streaming, visit http://www.galachoruses.org/live.
Next, Una Voce will perform “When We No Longer Touch: A Cycle of Songs for Survivors” on July 6 in front of almost 3,000 people. The chorale staged the 25th anniversary performance in May as part of the concert production “Love Hope Passion.” Composer Kristopher Jon Anthony wrote “When We No Longer Touch” along with lyricist Peter McWilliams in response to the AIDS pandemic as a “story of love, life, upheaval, loss, acceptance, and reconciliation.”
“I can’t imagine there will be a dry eye in the house, especially after Orlando,” executive director Tom Barker says. “One of the songs in the song cycles is ‘I Shall Miss Loving You.’ It’s going to be difficult to get through.”
However, Barker says, the final song of the cycle, “I Have Love,” is a triumphant celebration of life, loving, and being loved.
Barker says Una Voce is bringing traditional chorale music to a new generation of LGBT people by introducing professional dancers in “When We No Longer Touch” for the first time. Joseph Caulkins, artistic director, says he thought adding professional dance would make the piece even more compelling.
“It is a rare thing for the GALA Festival to have a professional dance component,” Caulkins says. “They’re going to see the chorus and remember it. The combination of music and dance in this piece is really nothing short of stunning.”
Caulkins says the other component to the GALA Festival is being inspired by performances from some of the best women, transgender, and youth choruses from across the nation.
“Hearing others perform inspires us to want to come back and be even better in the future,” Caulkins says. “And when you get 5,000 gays and lesbians together, it will be a hoot. I imagine there will be a bit of partying [laughing]. The festival will be a nice way to connect in the midst of these shootings. We’re going to celebrate the best life has and not think about the hate that’s out there.”
Harold Harkins, president and longstanding Una Voce performer, says he has seen remarkable changes in men’s chorale since he first joined the Tampa Bay Gay Men’s Chorus in 1993. In the early days, many used to step out of group photos and perform under pseudonyms because they didn’t feel comfortable coming out to the community. Harkins says the men now have more rights and protections.
“The reason we go to an event like this (GALA Festival) is to make sure the guys have a great experience,” Caulkins says. “We have guys who have to scrimp and save to get there, so my goal is to make sure it’s a life changing event for them.”
Once the men of Una Voce return from Denver, they will be gearing up for the rest of their 15th season. The chorale will be featuring a cabaret performance November 4-5 and the “We Three Queens” Christmas show December 9 and 11. Barker says the group will have a 15th anniversary celebration in the spring.
“We used to appeal mostly to the 50+ crowd,” Garver says. “We now appeal more to a younger crowd which brings a new vibe and excitement. Every organization has to keep up with the times. We’ve been going for 15 years, so we must be doing something right.”
