Glenn O’ Keefe is a self-proclaimed lover of the holidays, but he is aware that not everyone feels the same way as him.
O’Keefe, a member of the Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus since 2022, said that the mission of the choir is to provide love and light during what can be a dark time of year.
“The energy created between the choir and the audience during the performances is one of unity, and shows that no matter who you are and where you come from, love prevails.”
This holiday season, the Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus and the Tone Cluster choir are two music ensembles made up of people from the LGBTQ community that are putting on events to bring people together and provide a safe space to celebrate the holidays, which can be a particularly lonely time of year.
“For those who have had negative holiday experiences before, it’s a moment of joy and celebration.”
– Guy Delorme, president of the Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus
While some people view the holiday season as the most wonderful time of year, others, especially some people within the LGBTQ community, may feel displaced and alone. The celebrations around the holidays are also distinctly organized around togetherness, but such joyous unity is not the reality for all people.
“We all have our unique hang ups around the holidays. That is especially true for LGBTQ+ people,” said Alexandra Mintha, a masters of anthropology student at the University of British Columbia, whose research involves queer theory and lesbian asylum seekers in Vancouver.
Mintha, who identifies as queer, emphasizes that notions of family gatherings are not viable for some people as they are not always safe or accepting spaces during the holidays.
“I think on top of that, you look at the iconography of Christmas, holiday movies, holiday music,” she added. “It’s all kind of heteronormative, heterosexist and that’s what you see displayed and idealized.”
“You wonder, as a queer person, where you fit into all of it.”
Promoting inclusion
Both the Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus and Tone Cluster are hosting holiday-themed concerts at the Gladstone Theatre in December. Organizers say the concerts are a chance to gather and feel included, as well as enjoy the unique choral arrangements from these local groups.
The ethos of these concerts is to connect to as many people and emotions as possible, said Deirdre Kellerman, the artistic director and conductor of Tone Cluster. Kellerman added the choir is a diverse group of members from different generations and different cultural and religious backgrounds.
“It’s a really varied group of people and life experiences, and the thing that kind of holds it together is the fact that most members of the choir identify as queer and everyone loves to sing.”
“It’s a real community.”
Tone Cluster, which turns 30 next year, is putting on a Holiday Extravaganza concert, with performances by local drag artists along with the choir.
“Hopefully we’ve prepared a program that is really inclusive in music and tone, not just for the performers but also for the prospective audience,” Kellerman said.
Guy Delorme, the president of the Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus, said that since it was founded, the choir has always been about building community – and, of course, music. The non-audition choir currently consists of about 40 choristers, most of whom identify as gay or transgender.
The choir has performed a holiday concert every year since its start in 1986.
“It began during the AIDS crisis, with people still being in the closet and scared,” Delorme said. “There was a gay men’s choir that had been started in Vancouver, and a man here [in Ottawa] named Gordon Johnson took the idea and started to gather a couple of people to learn some songs and perform around the holiday season.”
A more secular approach
While the choir originally would rehearse and perform in churches, it has moved out of churches to the Gladstone Theatre. Delorme explained this was to remove barriers that might prevent people from joining the choir or coming to its shows.
“A lot of people did not feel comfortable being around religion, and there were choristers who were not necessarily happy or OK with singing in a church.”
Kellerman echoed this sentiment about performing in a more secular space.
“People come to a show at a church and I think sometimes they’re a little distracted by the venue that they’re in, especially if it’s not a venue they’re comfortable in,” she said. “But you come to a theatre and the energy is really high and there’s a bar. I think it’s a great space for us.”
Kellerman added that the Tone Cluster show, which takes place Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m., will not exclude traditional or religious tunes, as religion is important for many of the members. Instead, the choir will interpret and sing these pieces through a more inclusive lens.
Also included in the choir’s arrangement are crowd favourites such as “Deck the Halls” and “Let it Snow.” Overall, Kellerman said the show will be “campy and fun,” and added concertgoers can expect to see some festive attire like colourful ugly Christmas sweaters.
The Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus holiday show this year will take place at the Gladstone Theatre on Dec 10, with a matinee show at 3 p.m. and an evening concert at 7:30 p.m. In terms of what to expect, Delorme said with a twinkle in his eye: “a lot of fun.”
The group will perform a mixture of more earnest holiday songs and some funny songs that will give the audience a good laugh. Delorme said even the show’s name, “Nut Cracker,” is a playful double entendre.
“Whatever you want it to mean, it’s open for interpretation,” Delorme said with a laugh.
Still, he reiterated that events like this mean a lot to the LGBTQ community, especially during the holiday season. “I don’t know the percentage, but many people in the community are alone around the holiday season, so the concert is a chance to gather. It’s a time to get together and see friends,” he said.
“And for those who have had negative holiday experiences before, it’s a moment of joy and celebration.”
Mintha said the idea of safe spaces and chosen family is a large part of the LGBTQ community. She added that being able to access and attend events during isolating times, such as the holidays, that promote acceptance is a special thing for a lot of people.
“When we do think of the holidays, it’s often thought of as joyful, and I think any way to celebrate and come together and just experience queer joy is something that is really important.”
Tickets for both events are available on the Gladstone Theatre website.
