Thu May 16, 2024
MEMORY KEEPERS INITIATIVE: THE HISTORY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS
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The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the world's premier queer chorus, continues their exploration into local queer history with "The History of SFGMC", the final program of the Memory Keepers Initiative. Hosted by SFGMC's Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg and featuring Robert Rufo, Jay Davidson, Thomas Kennard and surprise guests, the final Memory Keepers Initiative of the season will be presented at SFGMC's home.
The Memory Keepers Initiative is an oral history project that uplifts and preserves the stories of our community's visionary LGBTQ+ elders in order to foster intergenerational connection among LGBTQ+ communities and allies, as well as inspire a bigger, brighter future by learning and understanding of our collective history.
The evening will be moderated by SFGMC's Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg and will include Robert Rufo, one of the original Chorus members who continues to sing with the group, Jay Davidson, another original member who also served as the Business Manager in the early days, and Thomas Kennard, a long-standing member who joined shortly after his transition more than 25 years ago. The Chorus, whose roster of active singers is nearly 300 people has a storied history, dating back to their first performance, only a month after their formation, at the candlelight march following the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The Chorus was the first in the world to openly proclaim their dignity by using the word "gay" in their title. SFGMC's commitment to music and activism has never changed and they continue to be a beacon of hope to queer people across the world.
"When I first became aware that SFGMC was seeking a new Artistic Director, I immediately began to devour all their rich history, which convinced me that I wanted to take a part in their present and future", stated SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg. "We are lucky to have so many of our long-standing members still active with us and their stories will make our history come alive for new generations. This is what Memory Keepers Initiative is about: keeping history alive, to inform the present and build upon the courage and wisdom of those who came before us."
show less
The Memory Keepers Initiative is an oral history project that uplifts and preserves the stories of our community's visionary LGBTQ+ elders in order to foster intergenerational connection among LGBTQ+ communities and allies, as well as inspire a bigger, brighter future by learning and understanding of our collective history.
The evening will be moderated by SFGMC's Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg and will include Robert Rufo, one of the original Chorus members who continues to sing with the group, Jay Davidson, another original member who also served as the Business Manager in the early days, and Thomas Kennard, a long-standing member who joined shortly after his transition more than 25 years ago. The Chorus, whose roster of active singers is nearly 300 people has a storied history, dating back to their first performance, only a month after their formation, at the candlelight march following the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The Chorus was the first in the world to openly proclaim their dignity by using the word "gay" in their title. SFGMC's commitment to music and activism has never changed and they continue to be a beacon of hope to queer people across the world.
"When I first became aware that SFGMC was seeking a new Artistic Director, I immediately began to devour all their rich history, which convinced me that I wanted to take a part in their present and future", stated SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg. "We are lucky to have so many of our long-standing members still active with us and their stories will make our history come alive for new generations. This is what Memory Keepers Initiative is about: keeping history alive, to inform the present and build upon the courage and wisdom of those who came before us."
The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the world's premier queer chorus, continues their exploration into local queer history with "The History of SFGMC", the final program of the Memory Keepers Initiative. Hosted by SFGMC's Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg and featuring Robert Rufo, Jay Davidson, Thomas Kennard and surprise guests, the final Memory Keepers Initiative of the season will be presented at SFGMC's home.
The Memory Keepers Initiative is an oral history project that uplifts and preserves the stories of our community's visionary LGBTQ+ elders in order to foster intergenerational connection among LGBTQ+ communities and allies, as well as inspire a bigger, brighter future by learning and understanding of our collective history.
The evening will be moderated by SFGMC's Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg and will include Robert Rufo, one of the original Chorus members who continues to sing with the group, Jay Davidson, another original member who also served as the Business Manager in the early days, and Thomas Kennard, a long-standing member who joined shortly after his transition more than 25 years ago. The Chorus, whose roster of active singers is nearly 300 people has a storied history, dating back to their first performance, only a month after their formation, at the candlelight march following the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The Chorus was the first in the world to openly proclaim their dignity by using the word "gay" in their title. SFGMC's commitment to music and activism has never changed and they continue to be a beacon of hope to queer people across the world.
"When I first became aware that SFGMC was seeking a new Artistic Director, I immediately began to devour all their rich history, which convinced me that I wanted to take a part in their present and future", stated SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg. "We are lucky to have so many of our long-standing members still active with us and their stories will make our history come alive for new generations. This is what Memory Keepers Initiative is about: keeping history alive, to inform the present and build upon the courage and wisdom of those who came before us."
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The Memory Keepers Initiative is an oral history project that uplifts and preserves the stories of our community's visionary LGBTQ+ elders in order to foster intergenerational connection among LGBTQ+ communities and allies, as well as inspire a bigger, brighter future by learning and understanding of our collective history.
The evening will be moderated by SFGMC's Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg and will include Robert Rufo, one of the original Chorus members who continues to sing with the group, Jay Davidson, another original member who also served as the Business Manager in the early days, and Thomas Kennard, a long-standing member who joined shortly after his transition more than 25 years ago. The Chorus, whose roster of active singers is nearly 300 people has a storied history, dating back to their first performance, only a month after their formation, at the candlelight march following the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The Chorus was the first in the world to openly proclaim their dignity by using the word "gay" in their title. SFGMC's commitment to music and activism has never changed and they continue to be a beacon of hope to queer people across the world.
"When I first became aware that SFGMC was seeking a new Artistic Director, I immediately began to devour all their rich history, which convinced me that I wanted to take a part in their present and future", stated SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg. "We are lucky to have so many of our long-standing members still active with us and their stories will make our history come alive for new generations. This is what Memory Keepers Initiative is about: keeping history alive, to inform the present and build upon the courage and wisdom of those who came before us."
show less
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The Chan National Queer Arts Center
1 Upcoming Events
170 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
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