Harvey Milk Day Performance | May 22, 2021

Once we began Shelter In Place in mid-March, 2020, things simply slowed to a snail’s pace. Even pondering such a thing as singing together was a distant dream. Month after month, we all did everything we could to keep that ember of hope alive. Then, it is as if a veil began to lift. Restrictions were loosening across the country. Suddenly, the possibility of singing outdoors in small groups, distanced and masked began to become a reality. We decided to do something to celebrate Harvey Milk Day on May 22. We didn’t know what that would look like, but we decided to drive that stake in the ground. As the day approached, we found out that the number of singers would not be limited as long as they were distanced and masked. Then, a week before, the mask requirement was lifted.

Hallelujah! So, at 1pm PST on Saturday, May 22, 130 singers gathered on a gloriously sunny day in San Francisco to do the unthinkable – sing together. Our time was short, so we did only the slightest warm up. When 1:00pm hit, we opened up the rusty pipes and let out a most joyful noise! As you will hear, we chose our favorites. We started with the first song the chorus ever sang 43 years ago.

We dedicated one song to those lost to this horrible pandemic. We ended by celebrating its end.

Special thanks to all who made it possible, especially our amazing video/audio producer Marco Solorio.

We hope you will enjoy this mini-concert. And, more than that, we hope you will make plans to come hear us live in December!

Set List:
"Singing For Our Lives"
Words and Music by Holly Near
Arranged by Steve Huffines

"Truly Brave"
"True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper, written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly
"Brave" by Sara Bareilles, written by Sara Bareilles and Jack Antonoff
Arranged by Mac Huff
TTBB scoring by Tim Sarsany

"Grace"
Adapted from John Newton
Early American Melody
Arranged by Mark Hayes

"Never Ever"
From Naked Man
Music by Robert Seeley
Lyrics by Philip Littel

"Irish Blessing"
Traditional
Arranged by Robert Seeley

"Celebrate / Aquarius / Let The Sun Shine In"
Arranged by David Maddux

Special thanks to: Marco S, Vinney L, Joe B, Wil W, Mitch G, Glenn D, Maura D, Erick D, Kevin
H, Don R, Gary R, Ray F, Max R, Gilberto E, Michael T, Sam K, Chris V, Kevin K, Bobby V, and our new accompanists Nick P and Kevin N.

SFGMC on the web:

[feddymacfedderman]

Funny how "we just want to marry" turned into, "we just want to convert your children". What happen to that vid btdubz?

[alesjanosik]

This is religious fanaticism on a brand new level :)

[KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH]

He can’t even breathe with that mask on.

[elaine]

My name is Tyler and I identify as gay. And I'm also a singer and this preformance was amazing. I wish we had a choir like this in South Carolina.

[danielsiller]

This was so beautiful! I love seeing you all back together! Live! So handsome! Love you D-Bear! Jim! Tim! Steve! Miss you guys!! Still singing! Keep singing for our lives!

[stanharry]

This is so cool to see this and I would have been proud to be in the choir but I never heard back from anyone. I enjoyed my time in San Francisco but I left with a broken 💔. Though I had a great time I left not knowing if I could have been in the choir. Thanks for the memories and when I get a chance I watch the videos. ..

[candaceforsythe]

Amazing!! Thank you for this concert!!

[johuff]

Thank you from Germany to let me be part of this - used to listen to you guys often when I was in SF almost every month back in the 90s - let us all hope this will be the end of this pandemic 😷 and thank you for bringing a wonderful piece of SF to me for 26 minutes

[auskinboy]

ok I watched the livestream but you've turned this package around nice and fast and doesn't it look and sound GOOD! Well done folks.

[jimmccloud]

Greetings from Arizona! Can't tell you how moving it is to see you finally singing together live. Thanks for honoring Harvey in the best way possible. All my love.

[automaticpilotsf]

Wonderful performance. Can't wait to be in the next in-person audience. The first song SFGMC ever sang was "One" from A Chorus Line, at the first rehearsal on October 30, 1978. The first song SFGMC sang in public was "Thou Lord, Our Refuge" by Mendelssohn, on the City Hall steps on November 27, 1978.

[salgutierrez]

they are amazing always bring a tear to my eyes when i hear them!