The DWC celebrated their 40th anniversary with the concert series HerStory, Our Future.
Two performances were held on Saturday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, and the third performance was held on Sunday, February 18, at 3:00 p.m. at Broomfield Auditorium.
The Denver Woman’s Chorus roots go back to 1984 when founder Carol White approached the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus with an idea. Carol, a former church choral director with two master’s degrees in music, was fired in 1968 when she was outed as gay. After losing her job, was forced to hide her identity and became a court reporter to support herself.
When the DGMC welcomed her idea, the journey towards safety and acceptance within her identity was ignited with the help of her passion for music. White recruited 70 woman to perform at the gay and lesbian festival alongside the DGMC. Fueled by their desire to sing and have a safe space for musical expression, the Denver Women’s Chorus was born leaving the rest as “herstory.”
That is not to say there were not obstacles. Given the societal pressure and intolerance at the time, many singers did not want their name printed in the program with the fear of losing their jobs and facing discrimination. Despite these hardships, the DWC preformed in New York and Washington D.C., united in the aim of social justice. The DWC became the first treble chorus to preform at the GALA Choruses festival.
Forty years and seven artistic directors later, the Denver Women’s Chorus continues to elevate its community and cement the legacy the first members tirelessly fought for. They are a proud trans- and nonbinary-inclusive chorus composed of 130 united LGBTQ+ singers and dedicated allies. The DWC strives to promote social change through their music by embracing diversity, equity, and intersectional feminism.
It was a weekend of new classics by Brandi Carlile, the Indigo Girls, and more, along with some of DWC‘s greatest hits. Memorabilia from the chorus’s four decades were featured, and the DWC acknowledged several of its past artistic directors at specific performances.
More information can be found here.
