Forced to cancel their concerts for the first time in 38 years, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus is surely feeling the sting of COVID-19 disconnect. And so coming from this place of understanding, who better to reach out and offer support to others struggling to feel connection during the pandemic — with a great big musical message?
That’s what “Born This Way,” their newly released “virtual message of love for LGBTQ people of all ages,” aims to do. (And with some seriously impressive sound mixing and dance moves.)
“This is our message in song to young people who are just starting out on their journey as well as older people who’ve been out for decades. Our message is that we love you just the way you are,” said BGMC Music Director Reuben M. Reynolds III in a press release.
“We hope that you’ll watch, listen, and dance along in your living room, just like the guys did when they were recording this song!” he says.
Explains the release:
Using their smart phones and singing from their homes, BGMC members individually recorded their parts in “Born This Way.” “Born This Way” is the fourth video released by BGMC since the cancellation of BGMC’s spring concert after Massachusetts declared a public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The song was first released in 2011 by Lada Gaga and was inspired by protest songs of the 1990s lifting up women and LGBTQ people. The song was to be the encore for the March show.
“The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus has been sharing stories through song about our community to audiences around the world for over 38 years now,” said BGMC Executive Director Craig Coogan. “We can’t perform for live audiences right now, but we can still sing and share our stories in other ways that inspire change, build community and celebrate difference.”
In May, BGMC launched BGMC Online to showcase BGMC@Home virtual videos, which include “From Our Home to Yours: Everything Possible,” “Pride 2020 Selections by Music Director Reuben Reynolds III,” and “Black Lives Matter.” BGMC Online also features highlights from BGMC’s archive of more than 350 video performances that are viewed more than 1.5 million times annually. Playlists include BGMC’s most popular videos from YouTube, its most recent Pride concert titled “God Save the Queens,” its most recent spring concert, titled “Raise You Up,” and playlists from its tour of the Middle East in 2015 and tour of South Africa in 2018.
Click here for more on the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus.
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