Significant Male Voice Repertory Commissioned by American Gay Men’s Choruses

Gay and lesbian choruses in the United States have actively commissioned new works since they first came into existence. From miniatures to major works, the resultant compositions have come from emerging composers, as well those who are world-renowned. This document was written for the purpose of illuminating three significant works commissioned by American Gay Men’s Choruses: Of Rage and Remembrance by John Corigliano, Night Passage by Robert Moran, and Eos by David Conte. Chapter One contains a brief history of the gay choral movement, including the choruses in the United States that banded together to form the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, and a preface to the following chapters. Chapters Two through Four examine the three works. Each of these chapters serves as a guide to the specific composition from the conductor’s perspective, with the intent of providing a resource to conductors considering performing the works. The intent of this document is to assist conductors in their discovery of the salient points of the music: information about the commissioning, performance forces, textual sources, overall structure, compositional techniques and performance issues. Also included is an appendix that includes libretti and transcript of the author’s interview with Robert Moran.