‘CLOCKED’ Brings Past, Present, and Pride to the Stage

On a recent Monday evening, as the sun settled over the horizon, cars parked in front of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church as the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus assembled for rehearsal. While waiting for the practice to begin, 40 friendly faces stood around the perimeter of the room and conversed with one another in an amiable chatter.

Artistic Director Timothy Accurso assembled the members in rows and practice began. Around 40 individuals took their places and warmed up their voices, filling the room with melody. They then began practicing their program with a tuneful rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” 

This was just one of the rehearsals in preparation for the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus Spring Show, which is approaching on Tuesday, May 19.

This year marks a decade of performances for the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus, which has brought joy and connection to the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. The spring concert theme is CLOCKED, a vibrant and moving musical journey through time. The concert repertoire consists of 17 songs spanning generations with apt wordplay.

Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” a medley of Britney Spears songs, “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret, and Dolly Parton’s “Nine to Five” are just a few of the setlist highlights for the upcoming show. For a community that has long fought for the right to exist, thrive, and grow older, CLOCKED offers both reflection and joy. With ensemble members ranging from 25 to 75 years old, there is truly a song for everyone in this concert program.

Along with a riveting tracklist, the concert also holds resonant significance for the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s chorus has taken an even larger step towards inclusivity within the community. Previously, the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus only sang tenor and bass music. This year, they added a Queer & Ally (Q & A) ensemble, now expanding to include soprano and alto as well.

“I think it’s just really showing our mission of just being really inclusive and being a space for more people to join us, not just people who identify as gay men,” said Accurso.

Having led the chorus for eight years, Accurso has seen the progress of singers who have remained in the chorus and grown as singers and people. Choreographer and choir member James Folsom has enjoyed being a part of the chorus over the past two and a half years and has seen his community greatly expand as a result.

“I think it’s definitely become such a fixture of my life here. I met my partner through the chorus, and I’ve expanded my queer community. Meeting people here has expanded to outside of just the chorus,” said Folsom. “I really just think it’s a safe space for queer people and allies to come together and do a joyous thing.”

Accurso gushed about the potential for joy that music-making has on the Santa Barbara community. “It gives people an artistic outlet. The joy that it brings to the community is important,” he said.

They plan to bring joy — and movement — to the stage. Under Folsom’s direction, the chorus is bringing another dimension to the music with dancing. “It’s a little bit more of a modern twist on like the classical chorus group. We’re not standing there with our binders all proper. We get to move and groove,” said Folsom.

With 17 songs over the course of two hours, the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus is gearing up for their highly anticipated spring concert. It will take place on May 19, at 7 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre. Tickets are available for purchase here and will likely sell out before the show.