Leader of L.A. Gay Men’s Chorus bows out after 14 seasons

Jon Bailey, formative leader of the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus for the past 14 years, is leaving to pursue composing and other interests, the Los Angeles Times reports. Under Bailey’s guidance the chorus has tripled in size, self-produced eight CDs, and become a major choral player on the national stage. In spite of the inescapable social aspect of the group, Bailey still insists that “what this chorus has to be about is music. If the music-making is honest, then the political and social dimensions will fall into line.” So closely has he hewn to this tenet that when the first straight applicant was asked why he would want to join a gay men’s chorus, he replied that the group was the best men’s chorus he could be in. Bailey will continue to teach at Pomona [Calif.] College, an institution from which he has officially retired, while working on his new careers as composer, narrator, and voice-over artist.