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View Winners → Los Angeles Gay Freedom Band celebrate’s LGBT composers – March 16
Arcadia Weekly Mar 05, 2014
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Band continues its 35th anniversary season with a free concert in in Los Angeles
Families come in all forms–some are made up of relatives, some are families of choice and many are a mixture of the two. And for many LGBT people, the word “family” has long been the code for “one of us.” This spring the L.A. Gay Freedom Band celebrates the artistic heritage of the LGBT family with music by gay composers at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles’ Shatto Chapel.
Led by Artistic Director Justin Raines, the Freedom Band continues its 35th Anniversary Season with music by LGBT composers including Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Herman and more. The program will range in scope covering music from 3 centuries, including music from Tchaikovsky’sNutcracker, the musicals Hairspray and La Cage Aux Folles, Pulitzer Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Sir Elton John’s Candle In The Wind and Bernstein’s political overture Slava!
“As part of our 35th Anniversary Season, it’s really important to play the music of our community. LGBT composers have always been in the forefront of musical endeavor, but their visibility as gay people is almost always secondary to their identity as composers. “Family” Album is a way to share this unique part of musical history.”
L.A. Gay Freedom Band’s Artistic Director, Justin Raines, is not just a conductor, but also a composer and a tuba player. The band will be performing his concert march Down The Horseshoe on the concert as well. Raines’ music has been performed all over the world. Tokyo’s noted Tad Wind Symphony has premiered several of his works, releasing commercial recordings of them as well.
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (FCCLA) is located at 540 S. Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles 90020. The concert will be held in FCCLA’s Shatto Chapel and will begin at 3:00 pm.
Donations to the Freedom Band Foundation, the 501c3 nonprofit community benefit organization which supports the L.A. Gay Freedom Band, are encouraged and tax-deductible.
LA Gay Freedom Band Artistic Director Justin Raines. -Courtesy Photo
