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Speak Out: Taking the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus in a new direction

Speak Out: Taking the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus in a new direction

By Mark Stamper 

Mark Stamper

I have accepted the position of guest artistic director of the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus and am elated to be a part of this organization. In addition to my responsibilities with the men’s chorus, I am the organist/choirmaster at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Littleton.

During my career, I have taught and conducted two professional choirs, a university choir, a community choir and several church choirs. Within my experience, there are many different ages represented, as well as varying levels of talent. In addition to my choral experience, I have conducted in a variety of genres, including ballet, opera, oratorio, choral, orchestral and Broadway musicals.

As I reflect on my first six weeks in the Denver community, I am overwhelmed with emotion, as it appears that the stars are aligning for all of us. I wrote to the singers in an initial letter before I arrived: “This is my time. This is your time. This is OUR time.” We all are chomping at the bit to get this party started. This organization is on the brink of greatness. Since its inception in 1982 under the leadership of Bob “Melba” Moore, The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus has sung for thousands of people in concerts, outreach programs and other social events.

The season has begun, and we have already sung for the Celebration Service of David Misner, Patrick Steadman’s partner. We just performed for the Out Front Power Party held on Oct. 6 and will be performing for the Live Telecast of the “Lighting of the City and County Buildings” sponsored and hosted by Channel 9 on Nov. 23. These are exciting times for the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, and we are looking forward to fulfilling our mission, “Building Community through Music,” with an even stronger conviction than before.

Our season, “Many Voices, One Song,” will consist of three concerts. The holiday concert, “Sing We Merry, Gentlemen,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 20. We are excited about presenting this concert at the aesthetically and acoustically beautiful Gates Concert Hall, located on the Denver University campus. Our March concert, “Music Down in Our Souls,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m., March 15 and 16 at the historic downtown Central Presbyterian Church. The season will close with our June 13 Pride concert, “Dance the Night Away.” We are thrilled to be closing our season at the stunning Gates Concert Hall.

Working for the Rocky Mountain Arts Association and the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus is a milestone in my career. I am committed to making this season one of success. My goal is to bring DGMC to new levels of artistic development, as well as developing a more vibrant presence in Denver. I think the combination of the membership’s talents and commitment, coupled with my energy, motivational skills and talents, leads to an exciting future for all of us.

More info on and tickets for upcoming concerts at http://rmarts.org.


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