How SF Gay Men's Chorus is keeping Christmas Eve tradition alive amid pandemic

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Thursday, December 10, 2020
SF Gay Men's Chorus goes virtual for holiday performances
Here's how the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus is keeping their beloved Christmas Eve tradition alive, despite difficult restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Tim Seelig is the artistic director for the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.

He joined ABC7 News Wednesday, explaining how the choir has been "rehearsing" for their big Christmas Eve performance.

"Rehearsals have been terrible," Seelig says, in that they have so far been "nonexistent."

That's because, Seelig explains, it isn't possible for everyone to sing at once together on Zoom.

In fact, he says there is actually "no platform that allows for people to sing, and me to hear it."

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The art of movement has a way of keeping people going in the literal sense and beyond. Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been dedicated to dance since 1982 and it doesn't plan to stop during the pandemic.

So the solution, he explains, is quite complex.

"They've never been together or sung together," Seelig said.

Each member of the choir records just their part separately and sends it in. Each part is blended together to create a virtual chorus.

This is how they're preparing their Christmas Eve performance, which you can purchase tickets for on their website here.

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It's a rich tradition, that has become a popular must-see event in San Francisco for decades.

The choir has been around for 43 years, but this year marks a special milestone, their 30th year since they began performing in the Castro theater.

Watch the video posted at the top of the article to watch the full interview.

Take a look at all of ABC7's Building a Better Bay Area stories and videos here.