YourHub.com grant contest entry
17 October 2006
Megan Hawthorn
Soprano 1 and Member - Board of Directors
The Denver Women's Chorus
The best thing about the Denver Women's Chorus is, though we rehearse in Edgewater, we take our love of music and our pride in diversity everywhere we go.
The DWC is a GALA (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses) community chorus. Currently we boast more than 70 singers, a diverse combination of lesbians and straight allies. Breaking free from the framework of traditional choral music, twice a year we perform a broad spectrum of musical offerings ranging from popular favorites, commissioned works and challenging classical arrangements. Area including Highlands Ranch, the Historic Oriental Theatre, and on October 28th we will even perform on the steps of the Colorado State capital.
The Denver Women's Chorus has been promoting choral music and diversity for over 20 years. At the beginning of our history, we were one of a handful of safe places for lesbian women to find community. Many of our members have felt the devastation of an unwelcoming society, perhaps having lost jobs or family relationships. Through it all, the members of the DWC continue to sing, making music in the face of societal adversity. Over the years both our organization and society has grown. Now, gay issues of all kinds, and most recently gay marriage, is widely discussed, to include controversial legislation. In response to the growth and importance of this issue, the DWC commissioned a choral work on the constitutionality of gay marriage which was premiered in June of this year. We are committed to identifying and performing music which speaks to our lives and experiences as women, encourage women composers as well as working continually to increase awareness of the legislation surrounding the gay marriage issue.
As a non-profit arts organization, DWC receives funding from various sources: member dues, ticket sales, some concerts include a silent auction or a raffle and specific fundraising events throughout the year. Most of our funding, however, comes from grants and donations, including the Denver Foundation and the SCFD. This $1,000.00 grant would benefit us in many ways! For example, it could pay our accompanist salary for one season; it could pay for the performance space for our next concert (which is on January 27th 2007). Or, it could pay for the sound system for our performance on October 28th on The Capitol steps, as we work to encourage educated debate about gay marriage.
Every penny we earn or are granted supports our commitment to joyful living through song, which we craft at our home base in the neighborhood of Edgewater. The community and fellowship the Denver Women's Chorus creates shines through our music, and it has for 20 years. We take our message of diversity and the joy of song to each neighborhood in which we perform.