“The Portland Gay Men’s Chorus aspires to expand, redefine, and perfect the choral art through eclectic performances that honor and uplift our community and affirm the worth of all people.”
-(PGMC Mission)
PGMC, as we call ourselves, is an arts group — an avocational choir whose repertoire runs the gamut of choral expression. We sing to entertain and uplift, and, especially, we sing to bring a positive light upon the LGBTQ+ community. Membership in PGMC is open to anyone who upholds our mission: Singers, dancers, support and board members. Those who sing are asked to honor our commitment to “perfect the choral art,” and the following are guidelines related to the expectations of those members who sing:
The Audition
PGMC is an auditioned chorus, and all prospective members go through an assessment to determine if you have the skill set to be successful in the Chorus. The audition is done with our Artistic Director & Conductor and may include our Associate Artistic Director and Principal Accompanist.
Your audition will include:
- Sing a short excerpt of a song of your choosing
- Vocalize to determine range
- Demonstrate aural recall through a short series of ear exercises
- Demonstrate the ability to follow/read a musical score (optional)
NOTES: All other instructions and directions will be communicated through an email which will include a link to schedule your timeslot. PGMC is not able to reimburse for any travel or parking costs to the audition. We always strive to find a location near major transportation routes and encourage everyone interested to participate.
Auditions for new or returning members will occur in Fall 2025 (Aug/Sept).
Please fill out the form below and you will be contacted by our Chorus Vice President to set up an audition.
Audition Registration Form
Time Commitment
PGMC maintains an efficient rehearsal schedule that maximizes our success on stage. Here’s what is expected in terms of a singer’s time commitment:
- All rehearsals, performances, and recording sessions are required of singing members
- Rehearsals and performances are generally contained from mid-September through mid-June, with breaks in December and March
- All rehearsals for the season are planned to be in person on Mondays from 6:30pm-9:30pm (Further details to come in regards to location)
- Catch-up rehearsals are offered to mitigate the occasions when a singer’s schedule takes them away from a Monday rehearsal
- The rehearsals two weeks prior to a mainstage performance are considered “mandatory” (as are the performances and recording sessions)
- Typical schedule will include 2 All Day Rehearsals on Saturdays during each Concert Term
- Whenever possible, PGMC will schedule an overnight & out of town retreat in the spring.
NOTE: PGMC publishes a calendar of all rehearsals and performances in advance of each season. While rehearsals are “required,” we understand that other obligations will occasionally take a singer away. 80% Attendance is required to be guaranteed a spot on the risers. Members are encouraged to transfer or subscribe to this calendar in order to avoid conflicts with PGMC events.
Membership Dues
PGMC member contributions create a community of stakeholders in our beloved organization. They bestow the rights to vote in elections, hold office, participate in committees & teams, utilize Chorus Connection (our internal communication tool), to be listed in programs and to perform.
Here are initial & potential ongoing expenses associated with singing membership in PGMC:
- Membership dues: $225 per season; or $75 per term; or $18.75 per month; or pay as you can
- Transportation & lodging in conjunction with outreach performances
Musical Preparation
Singing members of PGMC come from a wide variety of performing backgrounds, and our “eclectic” concerts capitalize on this expanse of talent. While each PGMC concert is designed to be its own, original presentation, there are similarities in the way in which we prepare each concert. Mainstage concerts are generally prepared over the course of 10-12 weeks, and we almost always sing these mainstage concerts from memory. Here is what is expected of singers over the preparation period:
- Be on time for each rehearsal and performance
- Have music loaded and accessible on an e-reader using a program that allows them to make annotations (you will also have access to print pdf documents of the music on your own if you choose)
- While PGMC rehearsals are typically quite lively, we focus our energy on perfecting the music. Cell phones should not be used during rehearsal. Socializing can be done before and after rehearsal, or when there is a break in the middle
- As a guideline, we use the first several weeks of each term learning notes and the last weeks creating the magic. The memorization process starts on the third rehearsal, and all notes are expected to be learned by the midway point. Singers are expected to practice outside of rehearsal if they fall behind the learning or memorization curve. Catch-up rehearsals are offered to bolster the learning process. They are encouraged, but not mandatory
- Movement and staging are integral to some, but not all, PGMC concerts. Nobody is expected to be a professional dancer, but singers are expected to put forth an effort to learn the movement. Our choreographer always keeps it easy to learn for movers of all shapes, sizes, and aerobic conditions! We post videos online to assist in this process
ATTIRE
Current standard Attire is “Concert Black.”
- Sleeves must be to the elbow or longer, pants, skirt/dress with solid black tights and black shoes with no heels. The Chorus Pin will be on a lapel or upper left chest. No “bling” without approval by Production/Artistic Teams
- It is possible for concert attire to vary from performance to performance. This will be determined and managed by the Production/Artistic Teams
