Bloomington's Quarryland Gay, Bisexual, and Ally Men's Chorus

The Quarryland Men’s Chorus is a Bloomington-area affiliate of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). GALA is part of a national musical movement taking its stylistic and organizational cues from lesbian and gay music of the past.

Early History

The Quarryland Chorus was founded in 2002, at the prompting of Sam Troxal, a Bloomington resident. Early in its existence, the chorus engaged in Christmas caroling as a way to maintain group momentum. On May 10th of 2003, the chorus performed as guests at a Blommington Feminist Chorus concert. The members of the chorus decided in June of 2003 that the experience they were having was positive, and through the summer provided music for services at the Unitarian Universalist congregation in town as well as local cultural events. On January 24th, 2004, performed its first full concert with ten members.

Development

As the chorus aged, it attracted more members and larger audiences. Following an April 2005 appearance on the BloomingOUT radio show, the chorus performed for an audience of around 100, with 15 members on stage, at the Bloomington Unitarian Universalist Church. The chorus also began offering its services to activist groups, performing for World AIDS Day and the Bloomington Pride Picnic in 2005. More recently, the chorus has performed at the Bloomington Pride Film Festival,