Quiet No More

The New York City Gay Men's Chorus, the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, and 16 other GALA choruses from across the country commissioned Quiet No More, composed by 6 of today's most influential LGBTQ composers and an amazing librettist to tell the story of the Stonewall Uprising and the Gay Rights Movement through the 5 decades since that fateful night.

Composers: Ann Hampton Callaway, Julian Hornik, Our Lady J, Michael McElroy, Jane Ramseyer Miller, and Michael Shaieb. Librettist: Jason Cannon

The piece is presented in 8 movements and includes both sung and spoken parts.

GMC of Los Angeles recordingOne Voice Mixed Chorus recordingDenver Men & Women's Chorus recording

1. 1. 1. PROLOGUE: IT WAS THE DAYMusic and lyrics by Michael ShaiebStonewall? What do you know about it? Well…It was the day…
       
      2. THE ONLY PLACE THAT YOU CAN DANCEMusic and lyrics by Michael ShaiebThe age of the patrons at the Stonewall Inn ranged from upper teens to early thirties and the racial mix was evenly distributed among white, black and Hispanic patrons. Stonewall was one of just two bars where "queens" could expect to get in. Police raids on gay bars were frequent—occurring on average once a month for each bar. Alternatives were limited so if you wanted any sort of social life, the bars were it. Raids were part of the risk, and part of the routine.
       
      3. GLORIOUS BEAUTIESMusic and lyrics by Our Lady JThe Cooper Do-Nuts Riot of 1959: Queens fighting back. The Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit-In of 1965: Queens fighting back. The Compton's Cafeteria Riot of 1966: Queens. Fighting. Back. Stonewall Inn Riots, 1969 the pattern is clear … in the 60s homophile organizations were marching for the right to a normal existence, but the Queens? They had to fight just for the right to exist at all.
       
      4. GOTTA GET DOWN TO DOWNTOWNMusic and lyrics by Michael ShaiebMichael Fader: It was … the last straw. It was time to reclaim something that had always been taken from us… All kinds of people, all different reasons, but mostly it was total outrage, anger, sorrow, everything combined, and everything just kind of ran its course.
       
      5. AND WE WALKEDMusic and lyrics by Julian HornikDuring the year after Stonewall, organizations like the Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activists Alliance and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Umbrella Committee rose from the ashes. During the 1970s this mobilization turned into political clout. Then came the 1980s when the AIDS crisis nearly broke us, but we had learned–ACT-UP held die-ins and even invaded St. Patrick's Cathedral. So much visibility that it all seems nearly normal now–families with same sex parents, trans kids in schools, gay marriage…we keep walking and marching forward.
       
      6. WE ARE A CELEBRATIONMusic by Michael McElroyLyrics by Jason Cannon & Michael McElroyFrank Kameny: At the time of the Stonewall uprising there were 50 to 60 LGBT groups in the country. One year later there were at least 1,500. Two years after that, to the extent that a count could be made, it was 2,500. Today, Pride events occur throughout the year and around the world. Parades range in size from 100+ participants in tiny Sligo, Ireland to over 3.5 million participants in São Paulo, Brazil.
       
      7. WHAT IF TRUTH IS ALL WE HAVEMusic and lyrics by Ann Hampton CallawayBarbara Gittings: If you don't make those changes in people's hearts and minds, where it really counts, you're going to have to go to the courts each time you want it. And then go back to the courts and go back to the courts, because they will not grant you these rights in their hearts.
       
      8. SPEAK OUT!Music and lyrics by Jane Ramseyer MillerDelores Huerta: Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.