San Diego Women’s Chorus

I was a member of this chorus for several years. This is the friendliest, most open bunch of ladies you’ll ever meet. Although they are «lesbian-​identified», you don’t have to be gay to join — there are plenty of straight members. I’m straight, and I always felt comfortable and welcome. You don’t have to audition for the chorus, and the dues are really reasonable, so if you love to sing and have your Sunday afternoons free, this is the place to be.
The conductor Chris Allen is an all-​round nice and funny guy. He plays the piano and conducts at the same time — pretty amazing talent. The music you sing varies quite a bit from modern to classical to folk. There’s usually a theme each season. But there are always a couple feel-​good female anthem songs, which is good for your self-​esteem (straight or gay). There’s extra activities and opportunities for singing — always great if you can, but if you can’t because of your schedule, no worries either.
Their motto is «come for the music, and stay for the heart» and it’s true. I have a lot of fond memories with these girls.

These ladies are AWESOME!
I attended their concert this past Saturday, called «Cause They Were Here: 20 Years of Harmony», and it was a fantastic night! A friend of mine is a member of this chorus and I’m so glad she invited me to come hear their music.
This chorus has been around — you guessed it — for 20 years! It is an all-​inclusive chorus of women, although the majority of its members are lesbian. At the beginning of this performance, they «chanted» some facts about themselves which were astonishing: The number of members who were strait, lesbian, or bi-​sexual; how many members had been victims of abuse, whether physical, sexual, or emotional; how many children, grand-​children, great-​grand children — and yes, even GREAT-​GREAT Grand-​children they all had!; how many of them were married or single; how many had been victims of violent crimes or rape; how many had bachelors, graduate, and doctoral degrees; from what countries each of their families hailed, how many were immigrants, how many languages they spoke … etc, etc. This was really powerful because it set this feeling of unity and togetherness between the chorus and the audience. Immediately, you found reasons to feel connected to these women, to feel proud of them, to be in awe of their accomplishments or the struggles they overcame. It was a great start.
From there, it just got better. The song choice, the harmonies, and the piano and guitar were amazing. It was obvious these women have been working together to create a special group for a very long time.
They ended the evening with a special song everyone could sing together in a circle, holding hands. Aww… it was very sweet!
I recommend seeing the San Diego Women’s Chorus anytime you have the opportunity. They are a worthy arts group to support!