What is GALA?
GALA is an association of LGBTQ choruses across the globe with over 180 members. CGMC is one of the founding members of GALA. Read more about GALA’s mission and history.
Why belong to GALA?
In addition to being a resource for choruses new and old, GALA organizes a festival once every four years where choruses come together and perform for each other.
So when is the next festival?
The next festival is July 2-6, 2016 in Denver, CO.
So what happens at a festival?
You will get to sing when CGMC performs and there are other performance opportunities. And you can hear many other choruses perform. At the last festival, there were over 100 chorus performances and over 6,000 singers. It’s a great way to see and hear other choruses and meet other singers. Plus Denver is a great city to visit with world class museums, a variety of outdoor activities and the Rocky Mountains.
If I go, where will I stay?
GALA secured blocks of hotel rooms at hotels that are within walking distance of the Denver Performing Arts Center where all the Festival activities take place. Rooms are available at all price levels to accommodate most any budget. See the entry on Housing Registration for more information.
Do you have to be a singer to go?
No, non-singers are invited to join in the festival. So, for example, if your spouse wanted to go but doesn’t sing, he is welcome to attend and attend chorus performances and other festival activities. Depending on how many performance blocks a non-singer plans to attend, it may be cheaper to register for the Festival versus buying individual concert block tickets. Only a limited number of tickets will be sold to give registrants an opportunity to attend the concert blocks of their choice.
What do I need to do if I want to go?
Anyone who wants to go (singers and non-singers alike) need to register. You can click here or go to the GALA Festival 2016 website and click on the registration link. There is a fee to register. If you are unsure if you can go, you can still purchase a registration now and if at a later date you determine you can’t attend, your registration can be transferred to someone else or you can request a refund.
How much can I expect this to cost me?
The total cost depends on things like:
- How will you get to Denver? Private jet or Megabus?
- Where will you stay? In a single at the Four Seasons or share a room at the Quality Inn?
- What will you eat? Only at Michelin-rated restaurants or at lower priced establishments?
- In what activities will you take part? Go out to the bars every night? Road trip into the Rocky Mountains?
The GALA committee is working to come up with costs to help you plan…as a starting point, expect the trip to cost somewhere between $800-1,000, assuming you fly coach, buy your ticket in advance, stay at a moderately priced hotel with one or more roommate, and you don’t eat at the most expensive restaurants.
What will we perform? And when is our performance?
It is a tradition from the very first GALA for CGMC to open the Festival. We perform at 12:00 Noon on July 3rd. See the Performance Set post for more details about the set we will sing.
Where can I go to get more information?
You can speak with a member of the GALA Committee or go to the GALA Festival website. And look for more updates in the CGMC newsletter and here on the CGMC GALA site. You can also stay up-to-date with the latest posts and information from members of the GALA Committee by subscribing to this blog under ‘SUBSCRIBE’ in the right column.