It was 1983, and the AIDS epidemic was still in its relatively early stages: hundreds of lives had been claimed in the US, those of gay men disproportionately so. Queer communities in cities around the world were filled with anxiety and fear around the virus and the lack of political action to take it on as their friends, families, and loved ones were suffering. With such pain and loss becoming an everyday reality, members of these communities began searching for outlets to offer hope. In this difficult climate, the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus was formed. (Originally called the Liedermann Gay Men’s Chorus of San Jose—the German word liedermann translates to “men of song.”) “Though the chorus was created with the purpose of gathering in song, it also became an important way for the queer community to come together and grieve, lift each other up, and overcome homophobia,” says Wilson Alexander Aguilar, a performing member, and the organization’s current marketing director.
Founded as a nonprofit 10-person chorus, the group held its first performance in 1984 under the artistic direction of Robert Welton. They updated their name from the obscure German to its current incarnation the following year, and a South Bay institution was born. Through the years, the SVGMC has performed at San Jose Gay Pride celebrations, at Silicon Valley Pride flag-raisings, at sporting events, and more, while also showcasing seasonal performances at venues around the Bay.
Today, the group is helmed by Artistic Director Corey Liggans Miller, a longtime musician who grew up in Vacaville and studied music at CSU Fresno before getting a master of arts in music at San Jose State. He has performed in numerous musical theater productions, honing his performance chops and setting himself up for success with the chorus. He also works as the choir director at Raymond J. Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos, where he is able to pass along his passion for music to the next generation.
“I was looking for a musical outlet outside of work and found a new family in the chorus,” Miller recalls of his reason for joining. He began 2017 as a singer in the group’s performance of Oh the Places You’ll Go before taking on an assistant director role the following year and becoming artistic director in 2020.
Miller’s story mirrors that of many members who bring a variety of musical backgrounds, having settled in the South Bay, working in many different industries, and whose desire to sing and perform brought them into the fold of the chorus. The organization has no full-time employees, only dedicated members with a passion for music and community. “I love the connection I have with my SVGMC family,” Miller says, “like in rehearsal or during a performance when I experience the way in which a singer is moved beyond words and channels that emotion through singing, or when we have an opportunity to connect with the queer community at Silicon Valley Pride and with the greater South Bay Area community through our concerts.”
As part of their Rubyversary (40th Anniversary) Season, the group will host a drag show fundraiser in March; a spring concert, Bloom, in April that features music by some of Broadway’s LGBTQIA2S+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, and others) composers and lyricists; and conclude in June with Forty, a collection of favorite songs from over the years.
Last year saw a rebranding for the organization, with a new logo that is meant to open up the inclusiveness of the organization in several ways. “It’s fluid, by design, like our community and singers,” Aguilar explains. “Gone are the days of adhering to just the original colors of the rainbow pride flag. The letters in our logo meld into each other, weaving and sometimes morphing into the next. It visually represents how our organization and community are stronger together. The most significant design element is that the M in SVGMC’s logo is less whole. This purposeful hint is a nod at how SVGMC is no longer made up of just cisgender men. “[We are] proud to welcome anyone who can sing as a tenor, baritone, or bass, regardless of gender, sexuality, abledness, or ethnicity.”
With that thoughtful nod to the changing times and the promise of the future, the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus is continuing to do what the group has done for the past 40 years: uplift the community through joy, hope, and a sense that we’re all in this together—which we are, so why not sing some songs along the way?
The article originally appeared in 15.2 Sight and Sound (Spring 2023).
