Portland Gay Mens Chorus Inc

EDUCATION THROUGH CHORAL PERFORMANCES -THE PORTLAND GAY MEN'S CHORUS ASPIRES TO EXPAND, REDEFINE, AND PERFECT THE CHORAL ART THROUGH ECLECTIC PERFORMANCES THAT HONOR AND UPLIFT THE GAY COMMUNITY AND AFFIRM THE WORTH OF ALL PEOPLE.

PGMC TYPICALLY HOLDS THREE MAIN CONCERTS AND A NUMBER OF SMALLER EVENTS EACH YEAR. HOWEVER, WITH THE ARRIVAL OF COVID-19 PGMC WAS FORCED TO CANCEL MOST OF ITS 2020 SEASON AS IT LOOKED TOWARDS RESTARTING IN 2021. HOWEVER, CONTINUED PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS MEANT THAT VENUES WERE SHUTTERED AND THERE WAS NOT GOING TO BE LIVE PERFORMANCES FOR THE ENTIRETY OF 2021. PGMC REBOOTED AND CREATED A VIRTUAL SEASON INSTEAD. THE SEASON BEGAN IN OCTOBER WITH A HALLOWEEN EVENT THAT FEATURED GUEST PERFORMERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS FEATURED SINGERS AND DANCERS FROM THE CHORUS. THE MOST WONDERFUL SEASON, PGMC'S HOLIDAY SEASON WAS RENAMED "SNOWED IN AND WENT VIRTUAL IN MID-DECEMBER (STREAMED 5 TIMES IN TOTAL TO AN AUDIENCE IN EXCESS OF 3,500 PEOPLE). SPRING SAW US PUT TOGETHER OUR RETROSPECTIVE CONCERT "REFLECTIONS" WHICH CELEBRATED OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY "BELATEDLY", FOLLOWED BY OUR A CAPPELLA GROUP CASCADE, PRESENTING ITS FIRST EVER CONCERT EVENT AND WE ENDED THE SEASON WITH OUR PRIDE CONCERT THAT WAS VIEWED BY OVER 2,500 PEOPLE. WHILE EARNED INCOME WAS NON-EXISTENT, PGMC DID WELL IN DONATIONS AS ALL OUR STREAMED EVENTS WERE "FREE" BUT DONATIONS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED. WE ANTICIPATE THAT WELL OVER 7,500 PEOPLE VIEWED OUR STREAMED CONCERTS DURING THE SEASON. BECAUSE OUR CONCERTS WERE STREAMED WE HAD AUDIENCES FROM 45 STATES AND 12 COUNTRIES VIEW OUR CONCERTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

MEMBERSHIP: HISTORICALLY, MORE THAN 1,560 PEOPLE FROM WITHIN THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THE CHORUS. THE PANDEMIC HAS GREATLY CURTAILED OUR MEMBERSHIP AND WE ARE CURRENTLY SINGING WITH ABOUT 80 MEMBERS. MEMBERS OF THE PORTLAND GAY MEN'S CHORUS DO NOT HAVE TO BE FROM PORTLAND, GAY, A MAN, NOR SING IN THE CHORUS. WE ARE PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT OUR MEMBERSHIP CONTINUES TO REPRESENT A FULL SPECTRUM OF DIVERSITY AND IS FULLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. OUR BYLAWS SINCE INCEPTION HAVE STATED: "ANYONE SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHORUS, REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, MARITAL OR VETERAN'S STATUS, OR DISABILITY." OUR MEMBERS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, INCLUDING NATIONALLY, ETHNICALLY, POLITICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, MUSICALLY AND VOCATIONALLY. MEMBERS HAVE COME FROM MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING CHINA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAPAN, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, VIETNAM, PANAMA, PERU, FRANCE, GERMANY, IRELAND, AND EVEN CANADA. OUR MOST POPULAR CAREER FIELD IS CURRENTLY HIGH-TECH.MEMBERS OF THE CHORUS PARTICIPATE IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES INCLUDING AN ANNUAL RETREAT AND BETWEEN 2 TO 3 ALL DAY REHEARSALS EACH YEAR. ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS FOR DUES AND RETREAT IS AWARDED ON A NEED BASIS.

THE CHORUS IS DEDICATED TO REACHING THE BROADEST AUDIENCE BY PROVIDING SPEAKERS/PERFORMERS AT SCHOOLS OR NON-PROFIT EVENTS AND, WHEN POSSIBLE, PERFORMING SPECIAL CONCERTS THROUGHOUT OREGON. WE HAVE SPOKEN OR PERFORMED AT SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, AND CIVIC GROUPS, AND IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE PERFORMED OUTREACH CONCERTS IN ASHLAND, BEND, EUGENE, SALEM, MEDFORD, HILLSBORO, FOREST GROVE, GRANTS PASS, PENDLETON, ST. HELENS, ASTORIA, HOOD RIVER, VANCOUVER, AND LINCOLN CITY. OCCASIONALLY THE CHORUS WILL PERFORM IN THE PORTLAND METROPOLITAN AREA FOR LGBT AND LGBT-SUPPORTIVE EVENTS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR MISSION: "THE PORTLAND GAY MEN'S CHORUS ASPIRES TO EXPAND, REDEFINE, AND PERFECT THE CHORAL ART THROUGH ECLECTIC PERFORMANCES THAT HONOR AND UPLIFT THE GAY COMMUNITY AND AFFIRM THE WORTH OF ALL PEOPLE". OUTREACH EVENTS ARE PRODUCED BY LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS; THESE ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE ALL THE PROCEEDS. ALTHOUGH WE RECEIVE MORE OUTREACH REQUESTS THAN WE CAN ACCOMMODATE, THE CHORUS SCHEDULES ON AVERAGE THREE TO FOUR OUTREACH EVENTS IN A SEASON, FROM OCTOBER THROUGH JUNE WHICH THIS YEAR. AS NOTED THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTED OUR ABILITY TO DO OUTREACH AND NO LIVE OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE DURING THE 2021 SEASON.