BOSTON—Today, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus issued a Super Bowl challenge to the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus. If the New England Patriots defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Feb. 4 Super Bowl in Minneapolis, the Philadelphia Chorus will perform “Please Come to Boston” by Dave Loggins for the BGMC YouTube Channel. If the Eagles are victorious, BGMC will perform “Philadelphia Freedom” and make it available online.
“This is a friendly wager, but we’re taking it seriously,” said BGMC Executive Director Craig Coogan. “The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus is a talented ensemble, but our football team is better than theirs.”
“We were delighted to accept this challenge from the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus,” said Joseph Buches, Artistic Director of The Philadelphia Men’s Chorus. “Nick Foles is young and healthy, unlike New England’s quarterback, whose name escapes me. We’re confident that we’ll emerge the winner of this contest.”
Super Bowl LII will be held February 4 in Minneapolis which will also be host in 2020 to 130 LGBT choruses and 6000 singers at the quadrennial GALA Choral Festival.
About the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus
Boston Gay Men’s Chorus creates musical experiences to inspire change, build community and celebrate difference. The BGMC is one of New England’s largest and most successful community-based choruses. Founded in 1982, the 200-voice ensemble is celebrated for its outstanding musicianship, creative programming, and groundbreaking community outreach. Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Reuben M. Reynolds III, the BGMC sings a wide spectrum of classical and popular music and creates social change by providing a positive, affirming image of the gay and lesbian community. The Chorus is heard live by more than 10,000 people each season and thousands more through recording, television and internet broadcasts. CBS-WBZ named The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus one of the “top five” choruses in the city of Boston. BGMC are Cultural Ambassadors – being the first LGBT chorus to perform in Poland in 2005, the Middle East in 2015 and in South Africa in June 2018.
About the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus
The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (PGMC) entertains audiences, supports communities, and fosters acceptance through exceptional musical performance. Since its formation in 1981, the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (PGMC) has performed for more than 100,000 audience members. PGMC gave its first formal concert in April 1982, and presently produces three professional quality concert series annually, with a typical concert series reaching 1,300 attendees. The Chorus performs by invitation as Philadelphia’s gay cultural ambassadors, celebrating at events such as the LGBT flag raising at City Hall, the dedication of Dilworth Park, and LGBT night at the Phillies.
The Chorus also shares its message of inspiration and acceptance with students through regular performances at Philadelphia-area schools, as part of its youth outreach program. The Chorus’s select ensemble, Brotherly Love, maintains its own schedule of regular performances in the community. The Chorus also sings at weddings, funerals, and other civic events upon request.
PGMC’s repertoire includes a broad range of styles and eras, including pop music, spirituals, sacred music, love ballads, comic pieces, Broadway and Hollywood tunes, opera, folk songs, and the latest gay empowerment music. In addition to choral song, PGMC performances regularly include instrumental music, dance, lighting and audio-visual accents, and stylized choreography. The Chorus has commissioned multiple works of new music from locally and nationally recognized composers and arrangers, and has performed these works in their world
premieres.
About GALA Choruses
Both the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus are members are GALA Choruses. GALA Choruses leads the North American LGBT choral movement with more than 190 member choruses. GALA is dedicated to helping choruses become more effective, both artistically and administratively. GALA Choruses’ signature event is our quadrennial Festival, which brings together over 130 choruses and 6000 singers for the world’s largest LGBT performing arts event. In July 2020 Festival will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
