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THE DUBLIN GAY Men’s Chorus’ second annual Summer Serenade will be taking place in the capital tomorrow.
The free concert, which will be held in St Stephen’s Church (AKA the Pepper Canister Church) at 3pm, is set to include a mix of modern and classical pieces.
Barry Joyce, the Director of the Chorus, likened the songlist to “tuning in on a radio dial”, adding that everything from opera to the Rat Pack to the Everly Brothers will feature.
“We’ll be performing an eclectic repertoire with something for everyone – from musical classics to movie scores, to popular hits, to Irish traditional airs.
Love is a theme running throughout the musical selection and we have no doubt that people will leave the concert filled with the joys of summer love.
He noted that the choir, which is Ireland’s only all-male gay chorus, has a “lighter” sound, saying: “It’s almost like a barbershop.”
“We have a different kind of sound to other male choirs. Others have a Welsh sound, while we sound lighter.”
Joyce added that the Pepper Canister is the perfect venue for the concert as it’s “so quintessentially Dublin”.
Roy Holmes, the Chorus’ Musical Director, said that the gig will send the audience on a rollercoaster ride.
“By getting to the core of the music – sacred, secular and sometimes even irreverent – the chorus will lead the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
We hope that people will join us for what promises to be an unforgettable event.
The Chorus was formed in 2012 and now has 34 members. Rehearsals for tomorrow’s concert have been ongoing since January.
More information is available on the group’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
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All male gay-chorus, doesn’t sound very inclusive………..
Should the singing priests include lay people, should female choirs include males, should the Beatles have included monkeys!
Why not…….
A gay pub is not just for gay people. You’re obsessed with anything Gay on here. Get over it.
?
Leave the Beatles out of this. I got Abbey rd playing in the background, and you’re ruining my buzz.
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a gay story before I didn’t know it was frowned upon………
It is actually, I play for a gay team but we have straight people who play for us also! :)
Ciaran
These straight who ” play for you” are not equally part of the team or as you say they just ” play for you “
Green monkey, they will delete your access to commenting if you are anti gay, and what’s more they will not reply to direct simple requests for a reason by email and you will not be allowed a response, so be carefull.
” anti gay” what exactly those that mean. That is a bit like saying anti sun. The sun exists so do gay people.
I said they play for US Glen, as in a TEAM. Congrats on the stupidest comment :)
Ciaran
I ask you to clarify something and you turn to insults
Classy guy!!
Glen you didn’t ask to clarify you said they play for ME? When did I say they play for me. Not slagging just saying the truth, read the comment correctly first then respond.
Someone doesn’t understand the difference between majority and minority.
I’m gonna assume the guy who said “anti gay”hadn’t thought it through properly
Really Glen? Do you need a lesson in the use of prepositions and indirect object pronouns in the English language. Well ok then, since you seem to have difficulty.
Examle 1
He plays FOR Manchester United.
In this context, “for” means he is on the team.
Example 2
He likes to nibble the other players now and then, but we’re happy he plays for US.
The job of a pronoun is to replace a noun. Of course, anyone can be obtuse and grasp at a meaning never intended. The indirect object pronoun above refers to the team. I’m sure you’ll get the badly hidden reference to recent events.
I hope this helps in your future reading of the English language. If not, let me know. I can suggest some books to help you.
Are men who are not gay allowed join the Dublin Gay Men’s Chorus?
Why would they need to?
Presumably the same reason a gay man would want to join a choir.
The answer is yes of course.
Ger I think you mean yes. But it is asked that anyone wishing to join have a modicum of singing ability.
It’s a very difficult piece to sing in the clip, they’re very very good for an amateur choir
That sounds beautiful!
Wish I could come to hear their performance, a previous engagement prevents me.
The choir gave a terrific Christmas Concert on St Ann’s on Dawson Street when I was curate there. They were very well received by our congregation who were delighted to welcome them to the church. I’m really pleased to hear that they’re giving another concert at St Ann’s sister church, St Stephen’s (The Pepper Canister church). I wish the choir every continued success
I’m not sure of the significance of the singers’ sexuality here. Are gay men typically excluded from the choir community? O.o
What are you not sure of? If it was an African choir would you say ” are typically excluded from the choir community? Hardly
Wouldn’t an African choir be singing African music? Isn’t that the distinction?
No. I have seen many different choirs and in general they sing choral works, such as the welsh male choir. the common denominator is their nationality just as the Gay’s men’s chorus – their orientation is their common denominator. It’s nothing to do with exclusion.
I see… It was probably a stupid question. Generally we see references to orientation or gender in a community that is dominated by the opposite. But I know jack shit about choir so probably a stupid question on my part.
I remember as a teen I went to Clare to hear The Dublin Male Welsh Voice Choir and I’d swear one of them winked at me ;-) . I think it was a woman. Rmao.
The LBT people will be pissed off if they are not included.
If people want to sing with people they relate to, let hem at it. Regarding inclusiveness etc, i fail to see a problem here.
“The real problem in Ireland is the fúckin choirs!”
Your comment really captured my attention, Paul D. Fascinating!! :)
‘a beautiful sunset that was mistaken for a dawn’
Follow me on Twitter, my love!
Thank you for the invite Monsieur Debussy – I shall decline for I fear I would not find your opinion on anything else apart from choirs, to be of any significant interest.
I have not yet expressed an opinion on choirs, mon ami.
I wonder what Breda O’Brien and David Quinn would think of homosexuals singing so openly in a church? They’re probably be ok with, given that its not a real church, like a catholic church, at least according to their ‘sincerely held beliefs’.
Who cares what they think, they’re better off ignored. It’s better to focus on the positive things in life.
Fantastic singing, I hope to make it along.
To ignore them is to isolate them , I don’t know who they are by the way. the way to deal with bigotry is education and example !
I think it would be one of the funniest things if the “second coming of Christ” were to occur and Jesus came back and told us all he was Gay ; that would set the cats among the pigeons !
Actually what was Jesus’ sexual orientation ; he spent a lot of time hanging around with twelve men , maybe he was gay when you think about it.
And no I do not believe that hanging around with a group of twelve men makes one gay – before you all go picking up the stupid stick and go beating yourself with it by conjecting beliefs that I do not have upon me based on your own bigotry !
As a gay person I don’t get the point in stuff like this, we don’t want to be segregated we want to be part of society as equals.
@ewan, who is “we” are you a spokesperson for the gay community?
€ŵañ, a reason that LGBT people join gay choirs, lesbian sports teams, etc is that making friends with people who share similar experiences can strengthen a person’s self-esteem.
Membership provides a social network in which people don’t need to feel self conscious about important elements of their life.
I spent many years self-censoring and feeling ashamed and embarrassed about my feelings.
I didn’t find a peer-group of LGBT people till my thirties. It was hugely positive for my self-esteem, indeed my mental health.
Choirs, football teams, jogging clubs, political activist groups, alongside being enjoyable and rewarding pastimes, are social support systems.
It is not an expression of exclusivism if any of these clubs are lesbian, gay, bi or trans.
In all of those I know, membership is open to people of all orientations and gender identities.
I think they are trying to raise awareness of the fact that they are first and foremost human beings that are segregated by society and it has to be said by their own fear ;;; a fear that is well founded by the teachings of the Catholic church …thankfully the generation that will be pensioners in a few years time don’t buy that bigotry… so well done lads !
Might I suggest that you now organise a concert that includes a number of choirs , even with an international dimension but one devoid of sexual orientation promotion….
unite in music as it were !
Equality, with gay abandon, lost.
Have a great day.
You too Paddy!
You too paddy, will we see you there? ;-)
@ Brian Madden
Not anywhere near the capital Brian, but would be glad to come otherwise.
There is also the small issue of a Munster final!
Why does it have to be “gay chorus”? What does it matter if these men are gay or not…. is the categorization really necessary
why – what’s the problem with categorization?
Well iv never heard of gay singing, have you??? Its just plain unecessary
Grand so Paddy
I don’t get it. Are they Christians?
Not a great fan of single sex choirs. I prefer mixed choirs. Have heard them before and they’re quite good but not as good as ‘Gloria’, Dublin’s lesbian & gay choir!
have your say