SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS   
CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH 

HOLIGAYS ARE HERE: RING THEM BELLS  

ANNUAL HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA TO FEATURE  
SPECIAL GUESTS, VELOCITY HANDBELL ENSEMBLE  

DECEMBER 6–7, 2019 

SYDNEY GOLDSTEIN THEATER  

SAN FRANCISCO (October 23, 2019)—Today, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig and Executive Director Chris Verdugo announced Holigays Are Here: Ring Them Bells—a holiday extravaganza featuring the 300 men of the chorus—performing at San Francisco’s Sydney Goldstein Theater (formerly the Nourse Theater) on Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 7 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Holigays Are Here: Ring Them Bells ($25–$110) are on-sale now by visiting www.SFGMC.org or by calling 415-392-4400. 

Ringing in the holiday season, this concert is SFGMC’S signature romp through festive favorites new and old, along with unexpected surprises and unique interpretations. The holiday program will run the gamut from Liza Minnelli’s outrageous “Ring Them Bells” to a new arrangement of SFGMC’s beloved tradition of “Silent Night.” The Chorus will be joined by special guests the Velocity Handbell Ensemble, San Francisco’s premier professional bell ensemble. 

“No one presents holidays ‘with a twist’ quite like the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. The 275 men sing — and dance — their hearts out in order to bring the holiday spirit to stages around the Bay Area,” says Seelig. “This season, it's all about bells. From the clang of the trolley to the carillon at Grace Cathedral, we are surrounded by bells, especially during the holidays. Our very special guests will be the 12-member professional Velocity Handbell Ensemble. There's nothing like the rumble of men's voices with the brilliance of bells accompanying them.”  

Adds Verdugo: “The holidays are an important time for San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus to bring communities together, embrace our similarities and differences, and build lasting memories. Our 30-year history of singing at the Castro Theatre in December has become a tradition in the immediate community and we look forward to celebrating the season and spreading joy throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.” 

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will bring Holigays Are Here* to audiences at three other venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 7 p.m., the Chorus will perform at Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse (2020 Addison St.) in Berkeley. Tickets for the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse concert are on-sale now at www.thefreight.org. On Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 5 p.m., the Chorus and Velocity Handbell Ensemble will perform at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park (1801 E. Cotati Ave.). Tickets for the Green Music Center concert are on-sale now at www.gmc.sonoma.edu. On Tuesday, December 24, 2019, the Chorus will give three performances at the iconic Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Tickets for this Christmas Eve engagement are on-sale now at www.SFGMC.org or by calling 415-392-4400. 

*Note to calendar editors: Only performances at The Sydney Goldstein Theater are titled Holigays Are Here: Ring Them Bells. Performances at all other venues are titled Holigays Are Here.

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About SFGMC 

Founded in 1978, SFGMC sparked a nationwide LGBTQ choral movement after its first public performance at a vigil on the steps of City Hall following the assassinations of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Since then SFGMC has been embedded in the fabric of San Francisco. It has soothed souls in pain, lifted spirits in triumph, and has remained a steadfast beacon of hope.  

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig, SFGMC has established a heightened level of performance standards bringing renewed audience and choral industry acclaim. Recent touring schedules, recordings, and outreach programs have broadened its impact and reputation in the community while maintaining its signature blend of humor, personality and ground-breaking performances. In 2019, SFGMC acquired a historic facility that has become its permanent home for rehearsals and offices. The building also serves as the first-ever National LGBTQ Center for the Arts, a community space for LGBTQ artists and arts organizations.   

For more information on SFGMC, visit www.sfgmc.org  

SFGMC Archive contact: archive@sfgmc.org  

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