We were excited to have performed with the Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles, this past November 12th for their 45th Anniversary Concert . Our voices were a wonderful addition on “The Promise of Living” (from The Tender Land) by Aaron Copland. A great song to lift the heart at Thanksgiving time but equally compelling any time of the year. This tune is not original to Mr. Copland. It is actually an old hymn tune which he embellished on. This is from Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land. The libretto was by Horace Everett.
West Coast Singers has a special connection with the GFBLA as we actually stemmed from the band 40 years ago on October 31, 1983. A handful of members that had been singing with the Freedom Band officially broke off to start the chorus. Now West Coast Singers is the third oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, mixed-voice chorus in the nation. It is hard nowadays to understand, but in the early 1980s it was a difficult time to be gay, let alone out and gay. The original intent was to provide a safe place for lesbian and gay people to come together and sing. The gay mens chorus (GMCLA) had been around for almost five years but there were no mixed choruses and truthfully, there were not many things that gays and lesbians did together back then, so the West Coast Singers were founded. We enjoyed singing with them 5 years ago, at their 40th anniversary concert and had a wonderful time joining them again to celebrate their 45th year!
