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Sounds of the season

Gay-friendly D.C.-area churches prepping Christmas musical offerings

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MCC's Shirli Hughes at a rehearsal Monday night for this weekend's Christmas concerts. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

One of the nice aspects of Washington living is the chance for full LGBT participation in the region’s Christian churches.

And practically all the region’s parishes — from mostly gay gathering spots like Metropolitan Community Church of Washington to welcoming and inclusive worship spaces like National City Christian Church in Thomas Circle — have holiday concerts planned throughout the month.

This weekend’s annual Christmas concert at MCC-DC has become a tradition. This year’s offerings, dubbed “Season of Joy!” are tonight at 7:30 and Saturday at 7. There’s no cost to attend.

“I think so many people really look forward to this particular concert because it really brings so many different people together at one time,” says Shirli Hughes, MCC’s music minister and choir director. “So it’s kind of like sitting down with friends and family for a special meal and it brings a lot of people into the church who might not otherwise come.”

The church’s choirs have a stirring and eclectic set list planned that will dart around from secular to sacred, gospel to contemporary, classical and traditional.

“We’re really covering everything this year,” Hughes, a lesbian, says. “From some old-school R&B with Donny Hathaway’s ‘This Christmas,’ to traditional carols and even an arrangement of the old Three Dog Night song ‘Joy to the World’ that we’ve re-arranged and it just sounds awesome. Plus we’ve got some extra voices this year so it’s an even bigger, more seasoned sound.”

The church’s two choirs — praise and gospel — will feature about 40 singers. A string ensemble will play while attendees arrive and two cellists will accompany the choir along with Hughes, pianist Julio Fonseca, drummer Jonas Baubrun and long-time MCC bassist Wardell Howell. It’s free but an offering will be taken. Last year about 700 attended over two nights.

Charles Miller, organist and minister of music at National City, has a busy month planned as his church will be used for several recitals, concerts and worship services.

“What I think is so magical about this time of year is that there’s something about Christmas music that seems to touch the hearts of everybody whether they’re regular church goers or not,” Miller, who’s gay, says. “These are pieces of music, carols that almost everybody seems to know by heart. You hear people humming them. Everybody knows the words to ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Joy to the World.’ And yeah, there are a lot of high-brow arrangements of Christmas Carols and some very elaborate Christmas music, but the thing is, it’s really about these simple carols. They span generations and church goers versus non-church goers, they span countries and nationalities, so it allows everybody literally to be touched in some way whether they’re Christian or what not.”

Miller plays an organ recital today at 12:15 — a free weekly event his church hosts. He’s planning settings of carols by Bach, Virgil Fox, Richard Purvis and Sigfrid Karg-Elert.

During an interview Tuesday Miller — just returning from an out-of-town family trip for Thanksgiving — joked about his preparation efforts.

“I may try a Virgil Fox arrangement of ‘Hallelujah Chorus,’ but don’t count on it,” he said. “It’s a pretty big piece and takes some work to make it sound half-way decent on a pipe organ. We’ll see if I can get my ass in gear and practice.”

On Saturday, the Fairfax Choral Society has an “around the world” Christmas concert planned at National City. It’s at 7 p.m. and tickets are $25.

On Dec. 8, the Fessenden Ensemble, a chamber group of local top-level players, will give a $30 concert at 7:30 at the church. On Dec. 10, organist Eric Bowman plays the noon recital. The church has its annual “lessons and carols” service on the 12th at 11 a.m. At 3 that afternoon the Washington Sinfonietta and the National Cathedral School Guild Choir has a concert. Tickets are $20. On Dec. 17, organist Steven Kalnoske plays the Friday recital and will play his improvisations of Christmas carols. And on the 18th an 19th at 4 p.m., the Children’s Chorus of Washington has its concert. Miller will be playing and conducting at the church’s 7:30 p.m. Christmas Eve service.

Why so many outside groups?

“They really love to perform here because of the beauty of the acoustics,” Miller says. “It’s such a wonderful atmosphere in which to make music and it gives some of the outside groups a chance to play in the city.”

Hundreds of other church recitals will be offered throughout the region. Too many for this list to be all-inclusive, but here are some of the highlights.

On Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. Alexandria’s Christ Church Episcopal has its fifth annual “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” that will feature adult and children’s choir under the direction of gay organist and choirmaster Jason Abel. Community leaders from Alexandria will read the lessons. The concert is free but an offering will be collected to support the music program at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School, a special needs school in Fairfax County that Abel says has a great program.

“Every fifth and sixth grader there participates in choral and instrumental music and that’s a rarity in this time,” Abel says. “The teachers at this school do amazing work on a shoestring budget so the offering will go to help purchase instruments, uniforms or other things the music department might need.”

A brass quintet will also play. One of the hymn arrangements is from openly gay composer Richard Webster. Bruce Neswick, also gay, composed one of the anthems. Doors open at 4:30 and a capacity crowd is expected. A reception will follow. Christmas Eve services are planned at noon, 3 p.m., 5:30, 8 and 10:30. There’s also a 10 a.m. service on Christmas. A children’s pageant will be presented on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. The church is at 118 North Washington Street in Alexandria and is open and affirming to gays.

“A Renaissance Christmas” is Dec. 10-12 at Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall by the Folger Consort with the Tallis Scholars. Visit www.folger.edu/consort for more information.

Handel’s “Messiah” is today, Saturday and Sunday at the National Cathedral with the Cathedral Choir, Baroque Orchestra, soloists and under the direction of conductor Michal McCarthy. Tickets range from $25 to $85. Visit www.nationalcathedral for details.

Church of the Holy City, another gay-welcoming congregation, has its “Christmas Art Concert” on Dec. 12 at 3:30 p.m. Admission is free. The church is at 1611 16th Street, N.W. Go to www.swedenborgcenter.org for details.

Washington has many gay-welcoming churches — too many to name, but a couple that also have music planned include Augustana Lutheran Church at 2100 New Hampshire Ave., N.W. and Foundry United Methodist Church at 1500 16th Street, N.W. Visit the churches online for details.

“Every denomination has their sort of extremes and there are some religious communities that are very ultra conservative no matter what, but Washington is remarkably open and very accepting of people from all walks of life,” Miller says. “There are so many people here from so many different parts of the world, that there’s really an overriding sense of openness and that’s certainly the case at National City.”

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Music & Concerts

Musical icons and newer stars to rock D.C. this spring

Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, and more headed our way

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Brandi Carlile plays the Anthem this month.

Bands and solo artists of all different genres are visiting D.C. this spring. Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will team up to perform at the Wolf Trap in June, and girl in red will play at the Anthem in April. Some artists and bands aren’t paying a visit until the summer, like Janet Jackson and Usher, but there are still plenty of acts to see as the weather warms up. 

MARCH 

Brandi Carlile plays at the Anthem on March 21; Arlo Parks will perform at 9:30 Club on March 23; Girlschool will take the stage at Blackcat on March 28.

APRIL 

Nicki Minaj stops in D.C. at Capital One Arena as part of her North American tour on April 1; Bad Bunny plays at Capital One Arena on April 9 as part of his Most Wanted tour; girl in red performs at the Anthem on April 20 and 21; Brandy Clark plays at the Birchmere on April 25; Laufey comes to town to play at the Anthem on April 25 and 26. 

MAY 

Belle and Sebastian play at the Anthem on May 2; Chastity Belt performs at Blackcat on May 4; Madeleine Peyroux stops at the Birchmere on May 5; The Decemberists play at the Anthem on May 10; the rock band Mannequin Pussy performs at the Atlantis on May 17 and 18; Hozier plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 17 as part of the Unreal Unearth tour. 

JUNE 

Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will sing soulful melodies at Wolf Trap on June 8; Joe Jackson performs at the Lincoln Theatre on June 10; the Pixies and Modest Mouse are teaming up to play at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 14; Maggie Rogers plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 16 as part of The Don’t Forget Me tour; Brittany Howard headlines the Out & About Festival at Wolf Trap on June 22; Sarah McLachlan plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 27; Alanis Morissette performs at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 29 and 30

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Music & Concerts

Grammys: Queer women and their sisters took down the house

Taylor Swift won Album of the Year

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When the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg was asked when there will be enough women on the Supreme Court, her answer was simple: Nine. She stated: “I say when there are nine, people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” RBG did not attend the Grammy’s last night, but her spirit sure did. Women, at long last, dominated, ruled and killed the night.

Cher, in song a decade ago, declared that “this is a woman’s world,” but there was little evidence that was true, Grammy, and entertainment awards, speaking. In 2018, the Grammys were heavily criticized for lack of female representation across all categories and organizers’ response was for women to “step up.”

Be careful what you wish for boys.

The biggest star of the 2024 Grammys was the collective power of women. They made history, they claimed legacy and they danced and lip sang to each other’s work. Standing victorious was Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, SZA (the most nominated person of the year), Lainey Wilson, Karol G, boygenius, Kylie Minogue and Victoria Monét. Oh, yes, and powerhouse Taylor Swift, the superstar from whom Fox News cowers in fear, made history to become the first performer of any gender to win four Best Album of the Year trophies.

In the throng of these powerful women stand a number of both LGBTQ advocates and queer identifying artists. Cyrus has identified as pansexual, SZA has said lesbian rumors “ain’t wrong,” Phoebe Bridgers (winner of four trophies during the night, most of any artist) is lesbian, Monét is bi and Eilish likes women but doesn’t want to talk about it. Plus, ask any queer person about Swift or Minogue and you are likely to get a love-gush.

Women power was not just owned by the lady award winners. There were the ladies and then there were the Legends. The first Legend to appear was a surprise. Country singer Luke Combs has a cross-generational hit this year with a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” When originally released, the song was embraced as a lesbian anthem. When performing “Fast Car,” surprise, there was Chapman herself, singing the duet with Combs. The rendition was stunning, sentimental and historic.

Chapman, like many of the night’s female dignitaries, has not been public with her sexuality. Author Alice Walker has spoken of the two of them being lovers, however.

The legend among legends of the night, however, was the one and only Joni Mitchell. Not gay herself, she embodies the concept of an LGBTQ icon, and was accompanied by the very out Brandi Carlile on stage. On her website, Mitchell’s statement to the LGBTQ community reads, “The trick is if you listen to that music and you see me, you’re not getting anything out of it. If you listen to that music and you see yourself, it will probably make you cry and you’ll learn something about yourself and now you’re getting something out of it.”

Mitchell performed her longtime classic “Both Sides Now.” The emotion, insight and delivery from the now 80-year old artist, survivor of an aneurism, was nothing short of profound. (To fully appreciate the nuance time can bring, check out the YouTube video of a Swift lookalike Mitchell singing the same song to Mama Cass and Mary Travers in 1969.) In this latest rendition, Mitchell clearly had an impact on Meryl Streep who was sitting in the audience. Talk about the arc of female talent and power.

That arc extended from a today’s lady, Cyrus, to legend Celine Dion as well. Cyrus declared Dion as one of her icons and inspirations early in the evening. Dion appeared, graceful and looking healthy, to present the final, and historic, award of the night at the end of the show.

Legends did not even need to be living to have had an effect on the night. Tributes to Tina Turner and Sinead O’Conner by Oprah, Fantasia Barrino-Taylor and Annie Lennox respectively, proved that not even death could stop these women. As Lennox has musically and famously put it, “Sisters are doing it for themselves.”

Even the content of performances by today’s legends-in-the-making spoke to feminine power. Eilish was honored for, and performed “What Was I Made For?,” a haunting and searching song that speaks to the soul of womanhood and redefinition in today’s fight for gender rights and expression, while Dua Lipa laid down the gauntlet for mind blowing performance with her rendition of “Houdini” at the top of the show, Cyrus asserted the power of her anthem “Flowers” and pretty much stole the show.

Cyrus had not performed the song on television before, and only three times publicly. She declared in her intro that she was thrilled over the business numbers the song garnered, but she refused to let them define her. As she sang the hit, she scolded the audience, “you guys act like you don’t know the words to this song.” Soon the woman power of the room was singing along with her, from Swift to Oprah.

They can buy themselves flowers from now on. They don’t need anyone else. Cyrus made that point with the mic drop to cap all mic drops, “And I just won my first Grammy!” she declared as she danced off stage.

Even the squirmiest moment of the night still did not diminish the light of women power, and in fact, underscored it. During his acceptance of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z had a bone to pick with the Grammy voters. He called out the irony that his wife Beyoncé had won more Grammys than any other human, but had never won the Best Album of the Year. Yeah, what’s with that?

But then, it brought additional context ultimately to the fact that the winner of the most Grammys individually … is a woman. And to the fact that the winner of the most Best Album of the Year awards … is a woman.

Hopefully this was the night that the Grammys “got it.” Women are the epicenter of The Creative Force.

Will the other entertainment awards get it soon as well? We can hope.

Most importantly, in a political world where women’s healthcare is under siege. Will the American voters get it?

A little known band named Little Mix put it this way in their 2019 song “A Woman’s World.”

“If you can’t see that it’s gotta change
Only want the body but not the brains
If you really think that’s the way it works
You ain’t lived in a woman’s world

Just look at how far that we’ve got
And don’t think that we’ll ever stop…”

From Grammy’s mouth to the world’s ear.

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Music & Concerts

Janet Jackson returning to D.C, Baltimore

‘Together Again Tour’ comes to Capital One Arena, CFG Bank Arena

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Janet Jackson is coming back to D.C. this summer.

Pop icon Janet Jackson announced this week an extension of her 2023 “Together Again Tour.” A new leg of the tour will bring Jackson back to the area for two shows, one at D.C.’s Capital One Arena on Friday, July 12 and another at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena on Saturday, July 13.  

Tickets are on sale now via TicketMaster. LiveNation announced the 2023 leg of the tour consisted of 36 shows, each of which was sold out. The 2024 leg has 35 stops planned so far; R&B star Nelly will open for Jackson on the new leg. 

Jackson made the tour announcement Tuesday on social media: “Hey u guys! By popular demand, we’re bringing the Together Again Tour back to North America this summer with special guest Nelly! It’ll be so much fun!”

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