EVERETT — Sure there’s campy fun in any performance by the Seattle Men’s Chorus.
The promotional line is that the singers have “pulled out every tux, gown and tacky holiday sweater from the back of their closets” for the current holiday concert, titled “… Our Gay Apparel.”
But this year’s Christmas show, here in Everett on Dec. 20, also includes a tribute to those who perished in World War I. An estimated 16 million people — soldiers and civilians on both sides — died in this “war to end all wars,” which began 100 years ago.
The Christmas Truce of 1914 is now the stuff of legend. Many British and German soldiers met in the “no man’s land” between the trenches on the Western Front in Belgium to celebrate Christmas, exchange food, trade prisoners and sing “Silent Night.”
Chorus spokesman Matthew Arnold said the concert’s second act, which begins with the tribute is especially moving.
“The concert is an eclectic mix of music, with a lot of fun and ugly Christmas sweaters,” Arnold said. “But we have fantastic renditions of beloved carols. It’s a great mix of music and emotion.”
While the chorus performs primarily in Benaroya Hall in Seattle, it also does “outreach” concerts in other cities in the region, including Everett.
“People can’t always get to Benaroya,” Arnold said. “So we take the music to the outlying communities.”
Seattle Men’s Chorus also has a youth ticket program which invites lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender teens to see the Benaroya shows free of charge.
“A big part of our mission is to show young people who may feel they are the only ones that there are hundreds of people who are out and proud,” Arnold said.
Audience members are encouraged to wear their favorite Christmas sweaters to the concert.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun, and a wonderful holiday celebration,” Arnold said.
Seattle Men’s Chorus, founded in 1979, is the largest gay men’s chorus in the world, with more than 350 singing members in this volunteer community group.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.
If you go
Seattle Men’s Chorus concert, 8 p.m. Dec. 20 at Evergreen Civic Auditorium, 2415 Colby Ave., Everett. For tickets, call 206-388-1400 or go to tickets.flyinghouse.org.
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