It’s one of the most prestigious performance venues in the world. Located in the heart of New York City, two blocks from Central Park, the 116 year old Carnegie Hall has played host some of the greatest classical performers on earth. On February 19th, 2006, you can add members of the Calgary Men’s Chorus to that list.
“Personally, I’m a little overwhelmed. I’ve never even imagined that I’d be on stage in Carnegie Hall,” Board Member and third year CMC member Thomas McDonald told GayCalgary.com. “I know all 19 of us that are going are really excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s almost like there’s electricity in the air as the date gets closer. Zzzzapp, only a few weeks to go!”
There is a long time joke: “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice, Practice, Practice.” This has been the case for the CMC, whose efforts paid off when they were noticed in Montreal by Dr. Tim Seelig, who is putting together the New York event.
”Dr. Seelig heard the CMC perform at the GALA competition in Montreal back in 2004. From what I’ve heard, as I was unable to attend, Dr. Seelig was very impressed with the performance the CMC gave, so much so that he contacted us when he decided to put together the mass chorale presentation of When We No Longer Touch. At last count there are 15 choruses involved, including one from Paris and one from Gauteng in South Africa!”
The piece When We No Longer Touch: A Cycle of Songs for Survival is a piece of music written by Kris Anthony with poetry by Dr. Peter McWilliams, and is set to text from the Latin Requiem Mass. This haunting piece touches on grief, despair, regret, denial and anger, yet it also incorporates hope, acceptance and salvation.
“When We No Longer Touch undoubtedly touches us all differently. The message that I get from it is that no matter how much you lose, if you have known love there is hope. Through the experience that is When We No Longer Touch, you will be taken through the process of grief from the fear and denial that the loss has happened, to the understanding, and finally to the point where you accept the loss and use it to help get on with life.”
The members going to New York have put a lot of effort into preparing for the trip, for which they have covered their own cost.
”There’s been a lot of heartache with this piece. It has required loads of rehearsing, both on the regular nights as well as at home. The content is extremely moving and at times the Latin can be a bit daunting but, it gets easier as you go along. While the costs of our trip have been paid for by the members themselves, we recently held a successful raffle to help fill the coffers.”
While the focus is on February 19th, you can bet that the members of the chorus will be partying it up in one of the biggest cities in the world. From theatre to a vibrant gay scene, there will be plenty to fill their time while visiting the Big Apple. It certainly won’t be all work and no play!
“We are officially in New York from Thurs February 16th to Monday the 20th with the performance being on Sunday the 19th. There are a few who are going earlier and a few staying longer. The rehearsal schedule takes care of the days, but the nights are ours. A bunch of us are heading off to see Hairspray on the Friday, and some of us have tickets for other shows too. I’d like to check out some of the museums and galleries if I can fit it in, or maybe some of the clubs. There’s also a dinner cruise in the harbor after the concert on Sunday night. It’s going to be a great experience.”
The Calgary Men’s Chorus
www.calgarymenschorus.org
