DC Gay Men's Chorus To Perform At Inauguration Event

The Washington DC Gay Men's Chorus has been invited to perform at an inaugural event at the Lincoln Memorial, the same event at which Bishop Gene Robinson will give the invocation.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington will perform during a pre-inauguration event Sunday that will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial. Among the 800,000 attendees expected at the concert are Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, the statement says. Taunee Grant, a chorus spokesperson, said HBO, which will broadcast the performance live, tapped the group to sing at the concert. About 100 members of the chorus, which consists of 225 singing members, will perform with “featured celebrity entertainers” that have yet to be announced, the statement says.

Grant said she was not yet in a position to confirm which pieces the group will sing at the concert. Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church, is slated to give the invocation at the Sunday celebration. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington had earlier applied to be part of the festivities on Inauguration Day, but was informed last month that it had not been selected to take part in the celebrations on that day.

(Via - Washington Blade)

UPDATE: The DC Gay Men's Chorus sends us a correction the HBO showtime, as well as a list of their fellow performers.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington (GMCW) will perform at WE ARE ONE: THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, the Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural, on Sunday, January 18, 2009. The event will take place from 2:00-4:00 pm with an exclusive broadcast on HBO the same day (7:00-9:00 pm ET/PT). The event is free and open to the public, kicking off the most open and accessible Inauguration in history. This is the first time in American history that the GLTB Choral Movement will be represented at an inaugural ceremony. 100 GMCW members from the larger chorus of more than 225 singing members will perform. Both President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be in attendance. An audience of 800,000 is expected at the Lincoln Memorial.

Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington. The Rt. Reverend V. Gene Robinson will give the invocation. Rob Mathes will be the music director and arranger for the backing band, which will support all of the artists.