Twenty years ago, when Jane Ramseyer Miller took over One Voice Mixed Chorus — Minnesota's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and straight allies community chorus — being "out" was unimaginable for many people who risked losing their jobs or worse. Chorus members would ask that their names not be listed in the program or that they not participate in group photos. Gay marriage was unimaginable.
As the saying goes, we've come a long way, baby. And so has Jane, growing along with the ensemble to become the largest of its kind in the continent.
Jane says, looking back, the communities of gays and lesbian were separated and it would take the AIDS crisis to bring the two together, raising their voices in songs of sorrow and loss, but also in the sheer joy of living and making music as one. It's an auditioned group of 125 and ranges in age from 17 to 75. Everyone has a voice, but not everyone can read music, so the repertoire is memorized, and Jane says some of it is pretty difficult.
Not difficult is the message of inclusion and celebration. This Saturday, Jane celebrates her 20th anniversary as Artistic Director leading the group in typical fashion in a concert that questions our most basic identity, "Gender Unchecked," with story-telling and interactive activities.
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