December First in San Francisco. What an amazing evening!

I have barely caught my breath let alone caught up since I got home on Tuesday night from my visit to see my family in California and to see and hear “New World Waking!” in San Francisco on Monday, World AIDS Day and the 30th anniversary of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

Thank you, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. All of you were and are fabulous!

All the Chorus’ soloists were amazing. I do want to especially thank Stephen Camarota for singing “Gabi’s Song, Will It Always Be Like This” so beautifully. Wow!

Thank you, Jennifer Holliday! You rocked the house with both of the songs you sang, “My Rising Up” and “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” (from Dreamgirls).

Thank you, Kim Kuzuma for “Guardian Angels”.

Thank you, Piper Laurie for your narration about violence. I didn’t get to meet you at the reception but Carolyn did, and she said you are amazing.

Thank you to everyone in The Women’s Community Orchestra.

Thank you, Teddy Witherington – Executive Director of the Chorus.

Thank you, Dr. Kathleen McGuire – Artistic Director & Conductor of the Chorus.

Thank you to anyone I am not mentioning – to the others who played and worked so hard; to all the staff of the chorus, the orchestra, and Davies Symphony Hall!

Alec and I and Carolyn and Bill Wagner had a fabulous evening, as did my sister Mimi and our friend Crystal.

Our friend Bev Sykes who was there with us wrote:

My friend Steve Schalchlin’s cantata, “New World Waking” premiered last night, at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, sung by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Kathleen McGuire. It was a night none of us will soon forget. This video only catches a bit of the flavor of the evening.