About Us
History of the Richmond Men’s Chorus
Tim Gillham gathered a group of men in April of 2001 to discuss the organizational aspects of a men’s chorus. The chorus had auditions over the summer months and had 30 men at the first rehearsal on September 10, 2001. After an extremely successful debut concert, the group joined the Hampton Roads Men’s Chorus for a statewide tour in the spring, followed by a solo concert in the summer and a guest appearance with the Richmond Pops Band.
The chorus has performed a wide variety of choral music: classical programs including Grieg, Vivaldi, Bach, Tallis, Brahms, Purcell, Saint-Saens, Handel and Mussorgsky; concerts of modern music featuring Bernstein, Gershwin, Shaw and Vaughan Williams, entire programs devoted to opera, the Swing Era, the 1960s, children’s music, American, British and other world influences; and Broadway music concerts featuring Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, and Stephen Schwartz (including the first authorized men’s arrangements of songs from his Tony-Award winning show Wicked). The chorus presented Randall Thompson’s Testament of Freedom on its 60th Anniversary in Charlottesville, VA, its debut city, and has performed at Hampton’s American Theater, Richmond’s Grand Illumination, Norfolk’s Roper Performing Arts Center, the touring Vietnam Memorial Wall, and for America’s 400th Anniversary at Jamestown, Virginia.
In addition to 4 major concerts/events each year, the chorus gives numerous public and private concert performances. The chorus continues to develop its program of musical outreach to senior living facilities in the central Virginia area.
In this, our 8th season, the chorus is excited about reaching audiences old and new by presenting a wide variety of musical experiences. Be sure to join us...you won’t want to miss a single note!