Photo: Our Voice Milwaukee
Our Voice Milwaukee singing at Brewers game
Our Voice Milwaukee singing at a Brewers game
Our Voice, Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ chorus, presents its spring concert on May 21 at Plymouth Church. It will be the group’s first live performance since February 2020. In keeping with concert’s theme of renewal after the pandemic, the program will present songs of love and resilience. It will be the first concert under the baton of Our Voice’s new artistic director David Heim. Veteran Joshua Parman will provide piano accompaniment.
The group’s return to the concert stage represents not only resilience in the face of COIVD-19 but a continuation of a near half century of LGBTQ choral history. Over the decades, choral groups provided both entertainment for the broader community as well as an artistic and social outlet for their members. Over the years the LGBTQ choral scene has gone through stages of growth and decline, of name and leadership changes, and most recently, a pandemic. But, throughout all those years, the motivation of the need to sing has persisted.
It all began in 1985 with the founding of Festival City Gay Chorus, an all-inclusive group of singers who embraced the cabaret as its medium. Changing its name a year later to Fest City Singers, and now 40 voices strong, it became known for its AIDS benefits and other concerts. Its mission statement declared its purpose to promote unity and understanding in the gay and lesbian community as well as to give that community a voice.
They Kept Singing
In 1987 artistic differences would lead to a schism resulting in the formation of another choral group, Cream City Chorus. It, too, would dedicate its mission to diversity and tolerance, extending its outreach beyond the LGBT community. Fest City Singers would disband a decade later. However, Cream City Chorus continued performing until 2012 when, in its 25th silver anniversary year, the organization announced its final concert, entitled “Schlemiel, Schlimazel! Celebrating the Cream City,” in June of that year.
Meanwhile, in 2001 a new choral group, Men’s Voices Milwaukee appeared on the concert scene. It would foster the formation in 2006 of Women’s Voices Milwaukee. Each would perform separately. Women’s Voices last concert was in December 2019. It has been on hiatus since due to the pandemic.
Mark Roeker’s personal story as a long-term member reflects the greater tale of Milwaukee’s choruses. “We have to go way back. I was new to Milwaukee and needed another outlet to meet people outside of the bars. I sang in high school and was missing it and my boyfriend said I needed a hobby. Instead of the bars, I had the chorus. In a way it saved my life,” Roeker said.
The Names Change
He joined Fest City Singers in the mid-to late 90s and was its last president. Then, a search for a new director was unsuccessful and the group faded away. In 2001, Men’s Voices Milwaukee was founded and held auditions. “At the time were 19 singers for the first concert. I helped sell 110 tickets for a full house at the Milwaukee Library’s Centennial Hall. Our MC was a voice over personality on PBS and that helped publicity. We also held a fund raising silent auction at the concert that raised $8000. We then moved to the Zelazo Center at UWM. We had 40 members and that grew rapidly to 50,” Roeker said.
Later, an internal issue forced a restructuring. That led to another name change to City of Festivals Men’s Chorus. The reconstituted chorus now consisted of 20 very dedicated singers. According to Roeker,” the name was an issue. It didn’t identify us as a gay chorus” Roeker joked. Still, under that name, the chorus performed in concerts with a Madison group, Perfect Harmony. Combined they totaled 60 singers. “We had summer retreats with Madison and that increased the social connections as well as the musical challenges. Together we sang in 1992 at the international GALA (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses) Festival in Denver, CO,” Roeker said.
The next name change also reflected a change in the chorus membership. Now called Our Voice, and like its earliest predecessor, it was all-inclusive open to all genders and identities. “It’s stronger when you cross pollinate,” Roeker said and went on to describe the group’s last concert. “It was a Broadway cabaret themed concert, a sold-out powerful night, with Karen Valentine as MC. It was on Feb. 21, 2020. By March the country was shutting down. The concert created momentum. Ten audience members asked to join the group, but then COVID killed us.”
Today, having weathered the storm, Our Voice is active again, continuing the LGBTQ community’s tradition of presenting the vocal arts. Current president, Carl Wagner, like many members over the years, sought out the chorus as a social outlet as well as a musical one. “I joined in 2018 after my boyfriend passed away. The group is great to sing with and we have social outings together. During the pandemic we had weekly social meeting on ZOOM and I’ve made many friendships within the group,” Wagner said. Now, with the pandemic subsiding, Our Voice is hoping to return to its annual schedule of concerts. That involves a renewed effort to recruit new members. According to Wagner, they are currently looking for a diverse range of singers.
Concert and other information may be found at the Our Voice social media page and on its website Ourvoicemke.org.
