Boston Gay Men's Chorus performs at Prague's Rudolfinum

Boston Gay Men's Chorus, photo: CTK

The 150-member Boston Gay Men's Chorus (BGMC) is one of New England's largest and most successful choirs. It has broken ground in affirming the positive image of the gay community in the United States, and is now on a tour of Europe. In Prague, the BGMC held a gala concert at one of the city's great concert venues last week. Radio Prague's David Vaughan met up with the chorus's executive director, Steven Smith, before the performance.

Steven Smith
"We began in Berlin, where we were for the Christopher Street Day celebration. From there we bussed to Wroclaw, in Poland, which was a very interesting experience for us and we finished the trip here in Prague."

And I gather you had some difficulties in Wroclaw?

Yes, there was a significant demonstration against us performing there. The director of the philharmonic hall that we were to sing in came under great fire for having us. We were called a disgrace and an abomination. We knew that going to Poland would be pushing the envelop a bit but neither of our two tour experts expected that kind of reaction."

So that was the negative reaction. What about the positive reaction in Poland?

"The audience was absolutely terrific. Before we arrived, only two hundred tickets had been sold and by the time the controversy had played itself out it was nearly a sell-out of five hundred. One of the most important things we do as an openly gay chorus is to make people aware of gay and lesbian issues whether or not they hear us. So, certainly with all of the front page news coverage and TV even without singing, we really got out the word about what great folks we are."

So, ironically, the negative publicity in Wroclaw bore out the old adage that any publicity is good publicity in the end...

Boston Gay Men's Chorus,  photo: CTK
"Yes, absolutely. We never like to see negativity and it's not the kind of atmosphere that we would like to create. But really, when you're trying to create social change, part of that is obviously to create conversation and discussion. So, lively and sometimes negative discussion still helps gets the word out."

And here in the Czech Republic there's little chance that you would encounter that kind of negative reaction. How have people responded so far to your presence in Prague?

"Absolutely great. I mean people are so friendly, very positive about our being here. We knew coming to Prague would be a great experience for the chorus. We get dissent in the USA as well, so it's not like it's only Poland or something that we are not used to but we certainly prefer being in a positive atmosphere."

But I gather that it's not pure coincidence that you're here in Prague just as the Czech parliament is discussing - I think for the third or fourth time - the possibility of introducing gay and lesbian marriage or registered partnership. Are you engaging in that debate here in the Czech Republic?

Boston Gay Men's Chorus,  photo: CTK
"Yes, certainly. We'll be singing several songs about that. As you may know, in Massachusetts a year ago this spring, gay and lesbian marriage became legal. More than 23 of our members have already married. Many have been in long-term relationships but finally got married. And we've been very active in the fight in the States. We're working with the group here in the Czech Republic, called Gay Initiative, and we're really glad to lend our voices of support to help people understand why gay and lesbian partnership and marriage is really great for gay and lesbian people and for society as a whole."

And you're going to be singing in one of the great Czech venues. It's the Dvorak Hall of the Rudolfinum, which is really the great concert venue of Prague. Are you nervous?

"I'm not nervous, but really excited. The whole tour began five years ago and the place we knew we wanted to go first was here to Prague to sing in the Rudolfinum. Certainly its reputation is international. So that really got the thing started. So it's the great finale to the trip."

And what are you going to be singing?

"As always, we sing a great variety of music, from classical to popular music. So you'll get that with us. There are Copland 'Old American Songs', we're doing a newly commissioned work about gay and lesbian marriage, called 'A More Perfect Union'. It wouldn't be us without some show tunes, a lot of Gershwin and music about gay and lesbian pride."

Such as the piece called Marry Us. Could you tell us a little bit about it?

"It's a song that was created about seven years ago before gay marriage became a realistic issue in the states. When it was first written and we first sang it, it was really out of hopefulness and wistfulness. Now, it's come true and in Massachusetts, it's become our unofficial theme song. We've sung it at dozens of gay weddings and last year when the legislature tacitly approved gay marriage, all of the radio and news stations played it as the vocal equivalency of talking about the issue."

What are the lyrics about?

"They're about what's in our heart as gay men who have longed to marry. I think the most touching part is at the end when we say 'we live and die like all your sons, marry us today', which mainly means that we are no different from anyone else and we deserve this fundamental right that anyone else would enjoy."

What are your impressions of Prague?

"This morning, we were up at the crack of dawn for a whirlwind five-hour tour that started at the castle and then we worked our way down. So there were 120 of us, who were the most typical American tourists gawking at all of the great architecture and avoiding the panhandlers. It's stunningly gorgeous. I'd only seen Prague through pictures and it really is the storybook that everyone says it is."

Do you know of any other choirs or singers in Europe, who have taken inspiration from you and have established similar gay orchestras or choirs as a kind of a way of increasing gay pride and awareness?

Boston Gay Men's Chorus,  photo: CTK
"In the USA the gay and lesbian movement is huge. There are almost 200 gay and lesbian choruses. There are many here in Europe as well. I think they are centred in France and Germany, to the small extent that I know about them. But I think in every major city, they eventually pop up. It not only creates a great, warm family for the singers, it's really a great extra-curricular activity and a place to find a family for many people who have lost their own natural family. It's a terrible stereotype but so many gay people love the arts, they grow up singing or making music. It's a natural way to express yourself."

And do you also draw attention to the fact that so many great musicians of the past - composers, performers, conductors, have themselves been gay?

"Yes, absolutely. We don't think that there's any such thing as 'gay' music but certainly so many great musicians have been gay. For hundreds of years there has been a way even in repressive times for people to live slightly more Bohemian or free lives. So, in our concert, for example we have the great American composer Aaron Copland, who was only edging out of the closet at the end of his very long life but created an entire generation of new composers who studied with him and are openly gay, including Roger Bowland, who will be singing a piece here in Prague."