The Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC) is Connecticut's first and, until 2012, its only performing arts organization composed of openly gay men. It was begun in 1986 by a small group of gay men under the directorship of Robert Read and led by him until 1992. Since 1986 the Chorus has rehearsed in the gymnasium of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church in New Haven.
From 1993 to 2007 the CGMC also performed in September in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a town with a large gay population. The shows, sponsored by the Provincetown Business Guild, were sold out every year since the first year. The CGMC is a member of GALA, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.
History
20th Century
The first concert given by the CGMC was in 1987. After performing for several years in small venues like churches in New Haven and Hartford, the CGMC moved into larger commercial performance spaces like the Shubert Theater in New Haven and the Bushnell Theater in Hartford under the long-time directorship of Winston Clark, who became music director in the fall of 1992. Clark changed the direction of the Chorus from "standing on risers and singing" to fully staged, fully costumed musical revues, and decreased the politically themed content in favor of more general entertainment in a successful effort to attract a larger audience, including the non-gay community. The Chorus became known for humor, as mentioned in a 1999 New York Times article, “As is customary with the Gay Men’s Chorus, parody rules.”
A men's chorus or male voice choir (German: Männerchor), is a choir consisting of men who sing with either a tenor or bass voice, and whose voices are arranged into high and low tenors (1st and 2nd tenor), and high and low basses (1st and 2nd bass; or baritone and bass)—and shortened to the letters TTBB. The term can also refer to a piece of music which is performed by such a choir.
Men have sung together throughout history. In the West, most music lovers will be familiar with monastic chanting such as the Gregorian chant.
In addition men have come together to make music and enjoy the fellowship of others with a similar passion. Glee clubs became popular in America where men would sing in harmony, usually a cappela. Russia has a long tradition of men singing in the Russian Orthodox Church. Elsewhere in the world, such as in Wales parts of the USA and Europe male choirs arose from the latter part of the 19th century through to present times.
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States. Flowing roughly southward for 406.12 miles (653.59km) through four U.S. states, the Connecticut rises at the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island Sound. Its watershed encompasses five U.S. states and one Canadian province – 11,260 square miles (29,200km2) – via 148 tributaries, 38 of which are major rivers. Discharging at 19,600 cubic feet (560m3) per second, the Connecticut produces 70% of Long Island Sound's freshwater.
The Connecticut River Valley is home to some of the northeastern United States' most productive farmland, as well as a metropolitan region of approximately 2 million people surrounding Springfield, Massachusetts, and the state of Connecticut's capital, Hartford.
Etymology
The word "Connecticut" is a French corruption of the Mohegan word quinetucket, which means "beside the long, tidal river". The word "Connecticut" came into existence during the early 1600s, describing the river, which was also called simply "The Great River".
A montage of CTGMC clips and pictures set to "No Turnin' Back" from Out! The Musical
published: 16 Apr 2020
CT Gay Men's Chorus | Put A Little Love In Your Heart
The CT Gay Men's Chorus performs "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" at the opening celebration of New Haven 2017 PRIDE Weekend. Video for The Arts Paper.
published: 16 Sep 2017
Unleash Your Imagination!
Discover a world of dreams, illusion and fantasy when the men of the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus bring their magic to Old Saybrook and Fairfield!
published: 10 Apr 2024
CT Gay Men's Chorus: I Am What I Am - HomeCooked Music Festival
While music has the unmatched ability to feed the soul, there exists a very real need within New Haven to nourish residents who experience food insecurity, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. In response to this need, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Symphony (NHSO) presents the HomeCooked Music Festival, a “pop-up” digital festival featuring musical performances by local celebrities to raise money and awareness for food insecurity in New Haven.
In this video, the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus (ctGMC) performs "I Am What I Am" from "La Cage Aux Folles."
---------
HomeCooked Music Festival: How can I help?
Donate to one of our Food Charity Partners:
The Community Soup Kitchen serves free, nutritious meals and provides social services to all in a safe, respectful, and caring environm...
published: 02 Aug 2020
Arts & Ideas 2021 - I Am What I Am
The Boys of The CTGMC singing “I Am What I Am” at the 2021 New Haven Arts & Ideas
published: 23 Apr 2022
The Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus presents Saving Christmas: A Cautionary Holiday Tale
Act II of our 2019 holiday concert Don We Now, featuring guest artist Joyce Jeffrey.
published: 06 Dec 2020
The CT Gay Men's Chorus presents I'm in Love with a Monster
I'm in Love with a Monster, featured in the 2020 CTGMC Halloween Revue Scary Times.
Words and Music by
Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece,
Sara Mancuso, Edgar Etienne
and Ericka Coulter
Video Editing: James Hampton
Choreography / Sound Mixing / Costume Design / Vocals: Cecil Carter.
For more information about the CTGMC, including schedules, social media and donation info, go to www.ctgmc.org or facebook.com/CtGayMensChorus
published: 30 Oct 2021
CT Gay Mens Chorus @ Legends Drag Show
published: 28 Jun 2021
Ask the CTGMC #1 - Favorite Song to Sing
The boys in the CTGMC share their favorite songs to sing with the chorus.
Follow us on social media through our website - www.ctgmc.org
published: 07 Jul 2020
Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus @ Co-op High School
The Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus sang Tom Lehrer's "(I'm spending) Hanukkah in Santa Monica" at their holiday concert on December 15, 2018.
The CT Gay Men's Chorus performs "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" at the opening celebration of New Haven 2017 PRIDE Weekend. Video for The Arts Paper.
The CT Gay Men's Chorus performs "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" at the opening celebration of New Haven 2017 PRIDE Weekend. Video for The Arts Paper.
The CT Gay Men's Chorus performs "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" at the opening celebration of New Haven 2017 PRIDE Weekend. Video for The Arts Paper.
While music has the unmatched ability to feed the soul, there exists a very real need within New Haven to nourish residents who experience food insecurity, part...
While music has the unmatched ability to feed the soul, there exists a very real need within New Haven to nourish residents who experience food insecurity, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. In response to this need, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Symphony (NHSO) presents the HomeCooked Music Festival, a “pop-up” digital festival featuring musical performances by local celebrities to raise money and awareness for food insecurity in New Haven.
In this video, the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus (ctGMC) performs "I Am What I Am" from "La Cage Aux Folles."
---------
HomeCooked Music Festival: How can I help?
Donate to one of our Food Charity Partners:
The Community Soup Kitchen serves free, nutritious meals and provides social services to all in a safe, respectful, and caring environment.
Donate at: https://givegreater.cfgnh.org/organizations/community-soup-kitchen
ConnCAT’s mission is to inspire, motivate, and prepare youth and adults for educational and career advancement, through after-school arts, and job training programming. ConnCAT’s Culinary Arts Academy is designed to fulfill the market demand for food service professionals.
Donate at https://conncat.org/donate/
Haven’s Harvest offers timely and reliable surplus food pick-up and delivery in the New Haven area, connecting businesses with community sites through the transfer of high quality excess food.
Donate at https://www.havensharvest.org/donate-index-impact
The New Haven Food Policy Council’s mission is to build and maintain a food system that nourishes all people in a just and sustainable manner. Their work is done in collaboration with the City of New Haven, a number of local and regional non-profit organizations, small businesses, and activists.
Learn more http://nhfoodpolicycouncil.org
About the Artist
Founded in 1986, the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus was the first organization of its kind in Connecticut and is a proud to be a part of LGBT history.
The chorus continues to inspire other arts-based community organizations around New England. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Greg McMahan, the CTGMC is proud to maintain its high level of performance standards while maintaining its signature blend of humor and personality.
The HomeCooked Music Festival is sponsored by Yale University Office of New Haven Affairs.
While music has the unmatched ability to feed the soul, there exists a very real need within New Haven to nourish residents who experience food insecurity, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. In response to this need, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Symphony (NHSO) presents the HomeCooked Music Festival, a “pop-up” digital festival featuring musical performances by local celebrities to raise money and awareness for food insecurity in New Haven.
In this video, the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus (ctGMC) performs "I Am What I Am" from "La Cage Aux Folles."
---------
HomeCooked Music Festival: How can I help?
Donate to one of our Food Charity Partners:
The Community Soup Kitchen serves free, nutritious meals and provides social services to all in a safe, respectful, and caring environment.
Donate at: https://givegreater.cfgnh.org/organizations/community-soup-kitchen
ConnCAT’s mission is to inspire, motivate, and prepare youth and adults for educational and career advancement, through after-school arts, and job training programming. ConnCAT’s Culinary Arts Academy is designed to fulfill the market demand for food service professionals.
Donate at https://conncat.org/donate/
Haven’s Harvest offers timely and reliable surplus food pick-up and delivery in the New Haven area, connecting businesses with community sites through the transfer of high quality excess food.
Donate at https://www.havensharvest.org/donate-index-impact
The New Haven Food Policy Council’s mission is to build and maintain a food system that nourishes all people in a just and sustainable manner. Their work is done in collaboration with the City of New Haven, a number of local and regional non-profit organizations, small businesses, and activists.
Learn more http://nhfoodpolicycouncil.org
About the Artist
Founded in 1986, the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus was the first organization of its kind in Connecticut and is a proud to be a part of LGBT history.
The chorus continues to inspire other arts-based community organizations around New England. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Greg McMahan, the CTGMC is proud to maintain its high level of performance standards while maintaining its signature blend of humor and personality.
The HomeCooked Music Festival is sponsored by Yale University Office of New Haven Affairs.
I'm in Love with a Monster, featured in the 2020 CTGMC Halloween Revue Scary Times.
Words and Music by
Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece,
Sara Mancuso, Edgar Eti...
I'm in Love with a Monster, featured in the 2020 CTGMC Halloween Revue Scary Times.
Words and Music by
Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece,
Sara Mancuso, Edgar Etienne
and Ericka Coulter
Video Editing: James Hampton
Choreography / Sound Mixing / Costume Design / Vocals: Cecil Carter.
For more information about the CTGMC, including schedules, social media and donation info, go to www.ctgmc.org or facebook.com/CtGayMensChorus
I'm in Love with a Monster, featured in the 2020 CTGMC Halloween Revue Scary Times.
Words and Music by
Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece,
Sara Mancuso, Edgar Etienne
and Ericka Coulter
Video Editing: James Hampton
Choreography / Sound Mixing / Costume Design / Vocals: Cecil Carter.
For more information about the CTGMC, including schedules, social media and donation info, go to www.ctgmc.org or facebook.com/CtGayMensChorus
The CT Gay Men's Chorus performs "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" at the opening celebration of New Haven 2017 PRIDE Weekend. Video for The Arts Paper.
While music has the unmatched ability to feed the soul, there exists a very real need within New Haven to nourish residents who experience food insecurity, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. In response to this need, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Symphony (NHSO) presents the HomeCooked Music Festival, a “pop-up” digital festival featuring musical performances by local celebrities to raise money and awareness for food insecurity in New Haven.
In this video, the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus (ctGMC) performs "I Am What I Am" from "La Cage Aux Folles."
---------
HomeCooked Music Festival: How can I help?
Donate to one of our Food Charity Partners:
The Community Soup Kitchen serves free, nutritious meals and provides social services to all in a safe, respectful, and caring environment.
Donate at: https://givegreater.cfgnh.org/organizations/community-soup-kitchen
ConnCAT’s mission is to inspire, motivate, and prepare youth and adults for educational and career advancement, through after-school arts, and job training programming. ConnCAT’s Culinary Arts Academy is designed to fulfill the market demand for food service professionals.
Donate at https://conncat.org/donate/
Haven’s Harvest offers timely and reliable surplus food pick-up and delivery in the New Haven area, connecting businesses with community sites through the transfer of high quality excess food.
Donate at https://www.havensharvest.org/donate-index-impact
The New Haven Food Policy Council’s mission is to build and maintain a food system that nourishes all people in a just and sustainable manner. Their work is done in collaboration with the City of New Haven, a number of local and regional non-profit organizations, small businesses, and activists.
Learn more http://nhfoodpolicycouncil.org
About the Artist
Founded in 1986, the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus was the first organization of its kind in Connecticut and is a proud to be a part of LGBT history.
The chorus continues to inspire other arts-based community organizations around New England. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Greg McMahan, the CTGMC is proud to maintain its high level of performance standards while maintaining its signature blend of humor and personality.
The HomeCooked Music Festival is sponsored by Yale University Office of New Haven Affairs.
I'm in Love with a Monster, featured in the 2020 CTGMC Halloween Revue Scary Times.
Words and Music by
Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece,
Sara Mancuso, Edgar Etienne
and Ericka Coulter
Video Editing: James Hampton
Choreography / Sound Mixing / Costume Design / Vocals: Cecil Carter.
For more information about the CTGMC, including schedules, social media and donation info, go to www.ctgmc.org or facebook.com/CtGayMensChorus
The Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC) is Connecticut's first and, until 2012, its only performing arts organization composed of openly gay men. It was begun in 1986 by a small group of gay men under the directorship of Robert Read and led by him until 1992. Since 1986 the Chorus has rehearsed in the gymnasium of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church in New Haven.
From 1993 to 2007 the CGMC also performed in September in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a town with a large gay population. The shows, sponsored by the Provincetown Business Guild, were sold out every year since the first year. The CGMC is a member of GALA, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.
History
20th Century
The first concert given by the CGMC was in 1987. After performing for several years in small venues like churches in New Haven and Hartford, the CGMC moved into larger commercial performance spaces like the Shubert Theater in New Haven and the Bushnell Theater in Hartford under the long-time directorship of Winston Clark, who became music director in the fall of 1992. Clark changed the direction of the Chorus from "standing on risers and singing" to fully staged, fully costumed musical revues, and decreased the politically themed content in favor of more general entertainment in a successful effort to attract a larger audience, including the non-gay community. The Chorus became known for humor, as mentioned in a 1999 New York Times article, “As is customary with the Gay Men’s Chorus, parody rules.”
... dated men — is a common bi experience ... Yes, I was also attracted to men ... I stared at the grass while the ConnecticutGay Men’s Chorus sang on stage ... Whether a bi man has kissed 10 men or zero, he’s bi.
... dancing by some of your favorite Connecticut artists. A highlights this year is the return of the HartfordGay Men’s ChorusHolidayConcert with special performances on Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.
In search of holiday nostalgia? You have choice of country rock, ska, a ‘70s teen idol, jump swing, roots rock and some Connecticut legends, not to mention the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus.