Boston Gay Men’s Chorus to Perform on April 2



On Saturday, April 2, the College of the Holy Cross will host a performance by the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) in the main reading room of Dinand Library. The concert, which will be followed by a Q&A with the chorus, is free and open to the public, but seating is limited; doors will open at 2:30 p.m. for the 3 p.m. concert.

The chorus, led by director Reuben M. Reynolds III, will be performing a program titled “capable of anything,” which features music from Broadway and Imagine Dragons, as well as pieces that were specially commissioned for the BGMC’s 2015 history-making tour through the Middle East.

The performance is being sponsored by more than 20 departments and offices across campus, but the invitation to the chorus grew out of a College Honors Program seminar taught by Daniel DiCenso ’98, assistant professor of music, titled “Music & Gay Rights.” While the role of music in the civil rights era of the 1960s is well known, explains DiCenso, this class explores the role of music in various gay rights movements, from before the Stonewall riots to the present. DiCenso, who himself has performed with the BGMC and the London Gay Men’s Chorus, wanted to bring to life the lessons being studied in his classroom.

“In this concert, students will experience first hand not only how music can reflect the spirit of a movement, but how singing can itself function as an agent of social change,” explains DiCenso. “Choruses such as the BGMC serve an important function in supporting community. They demonstrate to us — in visceral terms — how the arts can play a direct role in social justice, whatever the cause.”

“The purpose of the BGMC,” says Reynolds, director of the chorus, “is to create music, foster community, and change the world through social activism. Music naturally breaks down so many barriers and I hope this concert will spark an open dialogue between the BGMC and the campus community at Holy Cross.”

The performance is sponsored by: Center for Interdisciplinary Studies; Chaplain’s Office; College Honors Program; Department of English; Department of History; Department of Music; Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Department of Theatre; First Unitarian Church of Worcester; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies; Government and Community Relations; Library Services; Montserrat: Divine Cluster; Montserrat: Natural World Cluster; Montserrat: Self Cluster; Multicultural Student Affairs; Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Outfront; Pride; Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College; and Vice President for Student Affairs.