‘Pride Night @ Fenway Park’ performance marks chorus’s first appearance at Fenway
BOSTON, MA, April 5, 2018―Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) is pleased to announce that it will sing the National Anthem before the Red Sox play the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park on Thursday, June 7 at 7:10 p.m. The performance will be part of the sixth annual Pride Night @ Fenway Park, which is held during Boston Pride Week, the citywide celebration of the LGBT community. It will also mark the first time that the 36-year-old chorus has sung the anthem before a Red Sox game.
“We are beyond thrilled to have been invited to sing before the Red Sox during Boston Pride Week,” said Reuben M. Reynolds III, BGMC music director. “We’re deeply grateful to the Boston Pride Committee for working with the Red Sox organization to make our performance possible.”
“We are thrilled that Pride Night at Fenway Park continues to grow as we welcome the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus to Fenway Park for the first time,” said Red Sox Executive Vice President and CMO Adam Grossman. “We hope our continued participation in the City of Boston’s Pride Week celebrations sends a clear message of acceptance, openness, and inclusion to the LGBT community and all of Red Sox fans.”
“Boston Pride is very excited that Boston Gay Men’s Chorus will join us for Pride Night @ Fenway Park to mark this special night for LBGTQ Red Sox fans,” said Martha Plaza, Boston Pride Board Member and Parade Chair. “We work hard to ensure that our events are inclusive of our community and having Boston Gay Men’s Chorus on the field with us singing the national anthem means a lot.”
BGMC’s Fenway Park debut will come after the Chorus’ annual Pride show “Together” which will premiere at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, and just days before the chorus marks another first by traveling South Africa for a two-week tour. In doing so, BGMC will become the first LGBT chorus to tour the country. Concert proceeds will be donated to South African LGBT and HIV service organizations with whom BGMC is collaborating on the tour.
The June events are the latest in many groundbreaking BGMC performances, including singing at one of the country’s first legal same-sex marriages in 2004, and in 2015 becoming the first gay chorus to perform at a gubernatorial inauguration in New England at the invitation of Gov. Charlie Baker, and the first LGBT chorus to tour the Middle East.
“Singing the National Anthem at Fenway Park will be a true BGMC bucket list moment,” said Craig Coogan, BGMC executive director. “We’re especially pleased that our performance coincides with Boston Pride Week and Pride Night at Fenway Park and for the opportunity to represent the LGBT community in this special way. It’s going to be a memorable night.”
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About the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus
Boston Gay Men’s Chorus creates musical experiences to inspire change, build community and celebrate difference. The BGMC is one of New England’s largest and most successful community-based choruses. Founded in 1982, the 200-voice ensemble is celebrated for its outstanding musicianship, creative programming, and groundbreaking community outreach. Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Reuben M. Reynolds III, the BGMC sings a wide spectrum of classical and popular music and creates social change by providing a positive, affirming image of the gay and lesbian community. The Chorus is heard live by more than 10,000 people each season and thousands more through recording, television and internet broadcasts. CBS-WBZ named The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus one of the “top five” choruses in the city of Boston. BGMC are Cultural Ambassadors – being the first LGBT chorus to perform in Poland in 2005, the Middle East in 2015 and in South Africa in June 2018.
Sponsors
The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus is generously supported by Bank of America, IVF New England, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.