The Parish of the Holy Trinity, affiliated with the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil (IEAB), began rehearsals of the São Paulo Gay Men's Choir on August 21st. Around the world, gay choirs are a reality in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and London.
The choir's headquarters is located in the center of the capital of São Paulo. The group will be led by maestro Walter Fajardo (photo), graduated in Composition and Conducting, who previously led the Coral do Carmo in Recife, one of the most traditional male voice choirs in the country. According to the rector of the Parish of the Holy Trinity, Reverend Arthur Cavalcante, 36, the repertoire intends to cover "Brazilian popular music, Latin American music, including sacred and gospel music, without neglecting the traditional erudite universe of choral music ". "The work will bring together performances, choreography and collective creation that express the journey and advances of the LGBT movement", explains the parish priest.
Participation in the group is open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, religion, race or social class. The choir's agenda is already being planned and one of the objectives is for it to perform at events linked to the LGBT public. "We are also organizing a concert for the end of the year festivities and for the International Day to Fight HIV/Aids, on December 1st, an event that is already part of the social commitment agenda of the Holy Trinity", says Cavalcante.
For the reverend, the creation of the choir is an exercise in citizenship and expands dialogue with society in the fight against homophobia. "The choir aims to be a space of resistance and welcome for people who seek to break prejudices. Through music, the group, in a playful way, will enable voice and time, giving visibility to gays in various sectors of society such as the cultural and the religious", says Cavalcante.
At the beginning of the month, the Anglican parish received from the Government of the State of São Paulo the São Paulo Diversity Seal, an unprecedented certification in the country that aims to promote the practice of diversity in the job market. It was the first time that a religious entity received this type of recognition.
Those interested in participating in the São Paulo Gay Men's Choir should contact the secretary of the Parish of the Holy Trinity by phone (11) 3667-8161 or email trindade@trindade.org.
Gay choir in Rio
In Rio de Janeiro, the North American James Paul Telles launched the idea of bringing together gays to form a similar choir in the city.
