On Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m., The Stonewall Chorale, the nation’s first gay and lesbian choir, will present the New York premiere of Andrea Clearfield’s cantata “Here I Am: I Am Here” at Holy Apostles (28th St. & 9th Ave) in Chelsea. The Chorale was awarded a Creative Engagement Grant by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, which helped fund the premiere of this piece, along with other Stonewall Chorale projects and activities.
“Here I Am: I Am Here” is based on a loving letter from a mother, Mimi, to her transgender son Jacob; and a letter of validation and support from the non-binary adult, Sam, to their younger self. Scored for piano, string quartet, soloists, and narrator, the narratives explore the misconceptions and fears of parents who are initially unable to accept their children, as well as the pain of the children dealing with gender identity, conversion therapy, and suicidal ideation.
Clearfield's understanding of this need for connection and community is profound, and her exploration of the texts formed the basis for building the musical architecture of the piece. The meticulously crafted, concise libretto cuts to the essence of each narrative, continually circling back to every human being's origin story. Clearfield's musical language-comprising biting atonal motifs, painfully beautiful melodies, light-hearted up-tempo pieces, and agitated rhythmic patterns-captures the range of emotion.
“As states continue to introduce harmful, anti-trans legislation, the themes of ‘Here I Am’ will resonate with our audience,” reflected Artistic Director Cynthia Powell. “Andrea Clearfield’s work is a beautiful exploration and an urgent call to allyship, and we are particularly thrilled that composer/librettist Andrea Clearfield will attend our spring concert to offer remarks about the piece.”
In addition to welcoming Clearfield, The Chorale will also welcome Mimi LeMay and Sam Brinton, on whose letters the piece is based, as well as David Hodgkins, Artistic Director of Coro Allegro, the choir that commissioned Clearfield's work.
Based in New York City, The Stonewall Chorale is the first LGBTQ chorus in the nation, founded in 1977 in a Greenwich Village living room by “people who dig each other.” Over the span of its 47 seasons, the Chorale has become an important cultural presence in NYC performing arts, producing three concerts a year in venues that include Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, Church of the Ascension, Riverside Church, the Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Alice Tully Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall.
Hailed by ClassicFM as one of the “12 the best LGBTQ+ classical music ensembles around the world,” the Chorale’s repertoire ranges from great classical works to contemporary pieces by cutting-edge composers like Ricky Ian Gordon, Eric Whitacre, Chris De Blasio, Meredith Monk, Gerald Busby, and Tõnu Kõrvits. In 2016 the Chorale commissioned James Bassi to create “A Certain Slant of Light,” a secular piece for chorus and string orchestra in honor of the group’s 40th anniversary. In 2019, the Chorale performed “Quiet No More: A Choral Celebration of Stonewall 50,” an eight-movement work co-commissioned by The Stonewall Chorale and LGBTQ+ choruses from across the U.S., including project co-founders, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. It was the largest collaboration in the history of LGBTQ choruses.
Tickets for the performance on March 23 at Holy Apostles are available online at www.stonewallchorale.org/tickets. General Admission: $35 in advance, $40 at the door (subject to availability) Student/Senior: $25 in advance only.
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