A paparazzi scrum. A sea of rainbow umbrellas. The German premiere of a vital mini-opera about the Holocaust. And an utterly charming song about penguins.
OK, let me explain. On June 19, about 125 of us converged on Berlin for the first leg of our four-city tour through Germany. In addition to about 75 singing members of the Seattle Men’s Chorus and seven members of the Heartland Men’s Chorus from Kansas City, we were joined by musicians, staff, significant others and friends. There have been so many unforgettable moments for me in the days since then, but hopefully I can give you at least a taste of what the experience has been like.
June 20 began with moving visits to the Holocaust Memorial, Gay Holocaust Memorial in the Tiergarten and a surviving section of the Berlin Wall transformed into an art gallery. I was particularly gratified to see the U.S. Embassy, right next to Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, prominently flying the Pride flag in its lobby.
We made our first appearance that evening at the Deutsches Theater for the Stonewall Gala. The celebration honored people both in Germany and around the world for their contributions to tolerance and equality. What really had the German media buzzing, though, was the expectation that Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst would be in attendance. As a result, we had the surreal experience of serenading arriving dignitaries in the courtyard – including famous Irish drag queen Panti Bliss – while the gathered paparazzi shouted instructions at them.
The frenzy culminated with the arrival of the famously bearded Conchita, who looked on serenely while being encircled by screaming photographers as we sang, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” At one point, the jostling got so intense that the media pushed our director, Dennis Coleman, off to the side. Undaunted, he raised his arms over his head and directed us from behind the sea of cameras, and Conchita soon appeared in numerous photos with the chorus as her backdrop.
On Saturday, June 21, we marched in Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade with rainbow umbrellas, which came in handy on a cool, occasionally rainy afternoon. Being part of such a big event was an amazing experience, and we were warmly greeted by a long line of onlookers who seemed to love our sea of matching shirts and twirling, bobbing umbrellas. After the parade, we had an even bigger thrill: singing four songs on the main stage to thousands and thousands of enthusiastic fans – the biggest live audience we’ve ever had. “Happy” soon had the entire crowd clapping along and when we ended with “Tired of the Silence,” which includes the words of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, our final “Come out!” was met with a roar.
At our first full concert, in Berlin’s dramatic Admiralspalast theater, we premiered “For a Look or a Touch” for a small but appreciative audience that included a Nigerian LGBT activist, a well-known gay rabbi and one of the film makers of “Paragraph 175,” the documentary on which the mini-opera is based. Before our first entrance, I felt more than a few butterflies: how would a German audience respond to such a deeply personal and emotional story? I soon had my answer: chorus members were thanked again and again after the show by truly touched concert goers. We also received a glowing review on the queer.de website, which remarked on how important it was to have a gay chorus deliver such a powerful message.
At our next stop in the picturesque city of Leipzig, we were hosted by the very friendly and talented men of the local gay chorus, Tollkirschen. Our concert, at the Theater der Jungen Welt, proved to be another great success. The overwhelming emotion of the first half – particularly when we sang the mournful ballad “100,000 Stars” from balconies above the audience – was balanced by an uplifting second half of new anthems and American classics like Gershwin’s “Little Jazz Bird.” At least for me, however, Tollkirschen’s funny and charming “Penguin Mambo” stole the show.
A German television station devoted a lengthy segment to the concert the following evening. We’ve also been covered by the Jewish press, a classical music news site, and the European News Agency, and we’re so thankful that our message is being heard.
Next up are Dresden, Buchenwald and Cologne, and I’ll be back to give you my impressions of the tour’s second half.
- Germany Story: Love Wins - July 3, 2014
- Germany Story: The Tour - June 27, 2014
- Germany Story: “For a Look or a Touch” - June 26, 2014
