The new century started off with a bang for the chorus. The summer of 2000 would see the next GALA festival being held in San Jose, California. The chorus commissioned a piece from the noted composer David Conte and lyricist Nicholas Giardini to be performed at GALA. Giardini describes Eos as:
A reflection of who and where we are as a people, a vision of our future as well as a reflection upon time itself. It is filled with hope, dreams, ideals and the joy of simply being gay. It also addresses the devastating consequences of hate. Ultimately, it evokes the strength of our legacy and the universal power of love.
Eos premiered at Jordan Hall at the spring concert on March 25, 2000. Also on the program was an arrangement of Walt Whitman’s The Mystic Trumpeter by assistant accompanist Eric Helmuth, as well as several other pieces. The pieces were well received by both the Boston and GALA audiences. The holiday concert that year, Gloria!, included two pieces with the chorus singing in Russian and more arrangements by Eric. The concert was recorded and released as the chorus’ fourth CD. It went on to win a 2002 Outmusic Award.
The year 2001 was memorable for the chorus in more ways than one. The spring saw us do a special series of concerts. We joined with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D. C., to perform three concerts over two weekends; one in each city. It was a wonderful experience that forged many new friendships between members of the various choruses. For the opening number, the home chorus would be on stage while the other two were in the audience to start. The first weekend we were in Washington to perform in Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. The following weekend, everyone came to Boston to perform on Saturday at Symphony Hall. The large stage was filled to capacity with members of all three choruses for the finale. The next day we packed our cars and busses and journeyed down to New York City for the experience of a lifetime.
On Monday evening we had the distinct honor and pleasure to perform at Carnegie Hall. Each chorus would have their own rehearsal time before coming together to practice our joint songs. Backstage at Carnegie Hall is a labyrinthine maze of corridors and stairways as several buildings have now been combined in the complex. We waited in our green room until they called us. We moved through the maze, then stopped while waiting to enter. As we filed onto the stage, it was in a very jerky, stop-start manner. It wasn’t until you got to the stage door that you understood what was happening. As each person stepped through the door onto the stage, it hit you like a wall. There you were on the same stage where the Beatles, Leonard Bernstein, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, Liza Minelli, Rufus Wainwright, and so many more had performed. This flickered through your mind in an instant; just enough for a slight pause until the person behind you bumped into you, propelling you forward once again.
Those of us who started the concert in the balconies (with no railings) had quite the view. Chad recalled that while we were on lunch break, he just stayed on the stage and played the piano in the quiet, empty house. The house was packed for the concert. And for those who participated, it generated memories of a lifetime. Little did we know what the future held in store for all three cities, and the entire nation, just a few months later.