Rebooted St. Pete Men's Chorus reforms

The St. Pete Men's Chorus is undergoing a reforming process, according to managing artistic director Thomas Guthrie.

The group, which had a brief run back in 2006, has about a half dozen members currently and holds weekly rehearsals. The SPMC is currently seeking singers who would enjoy being part of a performance group. Guthrie said he hopes to have at least 12 regular members before the group does any public performances and he had hoped to perform an informal concert at St. Pete Pride.

However, realizing that may be optimistic, he has set his sights on holiday performances later this year and throughout 2012.

â┚¬Å”You don't have to be an experienced singer,â┚¬Â said Gutherie. â┚¬Å”The auditions aren't that rigorous. As someone with 33 years of music education experience, I'm a lot more open to people with less experience. Of course, I want to make sure a candidate can carry a tune, but you don't even have to be experienced at reading music. In fact, we plan to help those who can't [read music] with some classes.â┚¬Â

Guthrie recently retired after many years of singing experience and choral direction in the school system. He was discussing the â┚¬Å”why'sâ┚¬Â and â┚¬Å”why not'sâ┚¬Â with some of St. Petersburg's community movers and shakers, and was directed to Mark Ebenhoch, one of the original founders. The two got together and exchanged backgrounds and stories.

Guthries says that first they got excited. Then they got the other two original founders in on the action and the chorus was reborn.

Male choral groups are not exactly a new concept to the area. In 1996, there were four choruses in the Tampa Bay area, two female and two male, each unique in that the voices raised were, largely, those of the LGBT
community. Enthusiastic singers quickly spread word of a new proposed chorus as an alternative to choruses â┚¬Å”across the bay.â┚¬Â

Serious organization began in July 2006, with Daniel Kiermaier as SPMC's first Business Manager.

With Ebenhoch as President, Clayton Hogue as Treasurer and Sue Johansen, a realtor in the Pinellas area offering to take minutes, the chorus started gaining steam. The group asked a talented local musician who taught music, to join the board as Music Director. Mele`, a noted local pianist and choral director of one of the women's groups, became the accompanist. The Metropolitan Community Church at 5th Street North in St. Petersburg offered rehearsal space. After nine months of hard work trying to accumulate a repertoire, SPMC participated in its first â┚¬Å”community concertâ┚¬Â and performed at the Palladium to a standing ovation. The group was successful in holding several fundraisers with astonishing results and offers of support. Then, the three founders found it necessary to step away and allow the chorus members an opportunity to â┚¬Å”run the show the way they wanted to run the show.â┚¬Â

Unfortunately, the chorus imploded and faded away in a couple of months. The â┚¬Å”rebootedâ┚¬Â SPMC was helped along financially with donations from a holiday party held by Brian Longstreth, a founding member of St. Pete Pride. With a donation to the group, start up money was made available.

According to Guthrie, the mission of the St. Petersburg Men's Chorus is to entertain, educate, unite and uplift audiences and members through music that is distinguished for its innovation, diversity and artistic excellence. While Guthrie anticipates that most of the singers will be gay, the group is open to anyone regardless of sexual orientation.

Guthrie said the newly reformed chorus will perform a wide variety of music, from show tunes, to popular music. He hopes the group can perform an important community outreach for the entire gay community.

â┚¬Å”Music can really bring people together,â┚¬Â said Guthrie. â┚¬Å”It is my sincere hope that we can use the chorus and the music it performs to change the hearts and minds of those who may not have a good impression of the gay community.â┚¬Â

For more information, visit StPeteMensChorus.com.