“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 and may include our Associate Conductor and Principal Accompanist.

Your audition will include:

  1. Vocalizing with our Artistic Director or Associate Conductor to determine range and voice part.

  2. Singing a short excerpt of a song of your choosing (about 30-60 seconds, or a verse and a chorus) to be performed a cappella (without accompaniment).

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 are Saturday, Apr. 6, 2024 | 10am – 3pm

Fill out the Audition Registration Form below to receive further details regarding a time slot. Our Chorus VP will contact you to setup an audition time & date.

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 2022-2023 season are planned to be in person on Mondays from 6:30pm-9:30pm (Further details to come in regards to location, mask wearing & distancing requirements, etc)
  • 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)

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. But singers should plan on missing no more than 2 Monday rehearsals per term. 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
  • Wardrobe requirements (varied, includes tuxedo, t-shirts, etc. – Tuxedo Lending Library available)
  • 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