{"id":82889,"date":"2025-12-05T15:59:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T15:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/82889\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T15:59:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T15:59:11","slug":"ernest-h-harrison-has-a-song-in-his-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/82889\/","title":{"rendered":"Ernest H. Harrison has a song in his heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ernest
\nPhotograph: Jesse Hsu for Time OutErnest H. Harrison <\/p>\n

Dr. Ernest H. Harrison is a busy man. Not only has he led the Gay Men\u2019s Chorus of Los Angeles as its music director, conductor and head of education and outreach since 2019, but he\u2019s also a poet and musician\u2014with a doctorate in choral music\u2014who regularly makes time to teach about music and social justice at universities including Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California.<\/p>\n

The Gay Men\u2019s Chorus has been a fixture in Los Angeles\u2019s cultural scene since 1979, combining artistic excellence with a message of love and acceptance. Today, the over 300 members continue to further GMCLA\u2019s purpose of \u201cchanging hearts and minds\u201d by raising their voices together as one. And Harrison is the perfect steward\u00a0to lead that legacy into the future.<\/p>\n

When I caught up with Harrison, it was the week before the chorus was scheduled to perform at the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade<\/a>. The group was also in the midst of rehearsals for its upcoming holiday concert, an annual Los Angeles tradition that features a changing setlist of carols, showtunes and pop songs, complete with innovative arrangements and fun choreography. This month, the members will again take the stage\u00a0at Beverly Hills\u2019 Saban Theatre<\/a> for \u201cHoliday Legends<\/a>,\u201d with performances on December 13 and 14. (RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race Season 15 finalist Salina EsTitties, who joined the chorus a decade ago, will be appearing as a guest artist.) And next year, the group is embarking on a European tour to perform in London and at World Pride Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0our inspirational chat, Harrison talked about what audiences can expect from this year\u2019s holiday show, the\u00a0central role music plays in progress and the\u00a0importance\u00a0of joy\u00a0to\u00a0GMCLA\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

\"Ernest
\nPhotograph: Jesse Hsu for Time OutErnest H. Harrison <\/p>\n

What role has music played throughout your life?<\/p>\n

Well, I mean, it\u2019s been my lifeline. Music has done more for me than I can really put into words. I think the simplest thing is that it has saved my life, and I am dedicated to music-making because I know it has the power to save the lives of others. So that\u2019s really why I do what I do.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your earliest musical memory?<\/p>\n

My earliest musical memory is singing in my uncle\u2019s bathroom, at my mom\u2019s hip. I was about three years old. We were singing Kirk Franklin songs together, and she was teaching me how to harmonize.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery social justice movement\u2026 has music at its center because music speaks to us culturally.\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019re also a poet and professor specializing in the intersection of music and social justice. How does the Gay Men\u2019s Chorus work toward that goal?<\/p>\n

Well, you know, the Gay Men\u2019s Chorus is first and foremost an organization of social justice inherent in our identities. We were formed in 1979 as a backlash to what was going on culturally and politically at the time, namely the assassination of Harvey Milk, the gay liberation movement that had come out of the movements that were happening in Stonewall and before Stonewall\u2014all of those things came out of, you know, a need to be heard, to be seen, to be validated and to protest, but also to find a safe space for a community. And that is what music does.<\/p>\n

Every social justice movement that you can look into for the last 250 years has music at its center because music speaks to us culturally. It speaks to us economically, no matter where we are, it speaks to everyone on a level that really just unites us. And you know, when you\u2019re looking to do something like protest or make a movement socially, the best place to start off is with a song.<\/p>\n

This is the chorus\u2019s 47th season. How does it feel to be carrying on such a long legacy?<\/p>\n

It feels incredibly special. Just this last weekend, we had the privilege to sing at the unveiling of the AIDS Monument here in West Hollywood<\/a>. And oftentimes I get the privilege to teach on the gay liberation movement when I\u2019m teaching a social justice class. And I can\u2019t explain the reaction my students have when I disclose to them, because of the AIDS epidemic, we lost almost an entire generation of elders. So to get to hear the survivors speak about their fight, fighting for AIDS, fighting for health care, fighting to be seen, and then to see that those survivors are among us in GMCLA\u2014we have members who have been with us 30, 35 and 40 years who were there. That\u2019s the legacy that I don\u2019t just get to carry with me. I get to sing alongside that legacy every day. So it\u2019s a privilege.<\/p>\n

The chorus\u2019s performances are very joyful. Would you say that, in addition to music, joy can also be used as a tool for social justice?<\/p>\n

Oh, it\u2019s the main tool for social justice. You know, historically, when we look at all the songs that come out of these movements, most of them were not written or did not originate to be protest songs. They came out of weddings. They came out of churches. They came out of joy, dance music. So too with GMCLA, although at the heart of us is protest and social justice, our presentation is love, joy, acceptance. So that\u2019s why, you know, when you hear some of the popular things, the modern songs, the Broadway music, all of the things that speak to the heart of people? We can always provide a message after that, but first and foremost, we want to bring that lighthearted message so people come and they open themselves to what we\u2019re bringing. So, yeah, there\u2019s so much joy in that music-making process.<\/p>\n

Your annual holiday performance is coming up. How do you pick each year\u2019s theme?<\/p>\n

Well, you know, it\u2019s a mixture of trying to figure out what it is that people are needing at that time of year. Every year is a little bit different. But at the same time, holiday season, people are always looking for something a little bit nostalgic. So finding something that\u2019s both modern and relevant but also nostalgic and familiar is usually what we\u2019re going for. So this year, with Holiday Legends, we\u2019re programming music that all of the legendary singers from our holiday season were singing. You know, your Nat King Coles, your Bing Crosbys. You know, some of the legendary songs that go with movies that we relate to this time of the year, like the Grinch and Nightmare Before Christmas, these types of songs that take us to a place immediately when we hear them.<\/p>\n

Do you try to pick a new set list of songs every year, or are there some classics that audiences can always expect to hear?<\/p>\n

Well, the fun thing about this particular concert, Holiday Legends\u2014this is gonna be a concert of music that we\u2019ve done over the last 10 years. So we\u2019re bringing back a lot of our holiday favorites, just because we love to sing them. But also, again, for that nostalgic feel, for that familiar feel. For some of the songs that we had become widely known for, like \u201cHanukkah in Santa Monica,\u201d our audience recognizes that one. So we want them to participate. They\u2019re going to sing right along with those. So that was kind of the slant of this particular concert.<\/p>\n

Do you personally have a favorite Christmas carol?<\/p>\n

\u201cHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,\u201d specifically sung by Luther Vandross.<\/p>\n

\"Ernest
\nPhotograph: Jesse Hsu for Time OutErnest H. Harrison <\/p>\n

What do you hope audiences take away from your performances?<\/p>\n

I hope that they take away hope. I think we are in such a time where hope is overlooked. We are so ever-present in the now, and we have forgotten how to dream, and hope invites us to dream. So I hope that people can come in for a little while, lay their worries and cares down, and just spend some time reacquainting themselves with hope for a better future.<\/p>\n

What advice do you have for people who either don\u2019t like their singing voice or are too shy to sing?<\/p>\n

Everybody who has the opportunity to sing, should sing. It does not matter how well you can sing. One of my favourite quotes is from this very famous singer [Florence Foster Jenkins]: \u201cThey may say that I couldn\u2019t sing, but they\u2019ll never say I didn\u2019t sing.\u201d And I think that\u2019s a way to live your life. Whether it\u2019s singing or dancing or painting\u2014who cares how well you do it? Just do it. Life is too short and too long not to express yourself in lending your truth. Get out there and sing.<\/p>\n

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions?<\/p>\n

Food. (Laughs) What are the holidays without food? Yeah, I love to cook. I love to cook for people. I love the way good food makes people feel. I love the way people act and the way they speak and commune with one another after they\u2019ve eaten well. Yeah, just food.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am committed to singing more than I cry\u2026 And that\u2019s giving me joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lastly, for a lot of reasons, it\u2019s been a difficult year, especially in L.A. What are some things that have brought you joy this year?<\/p>\n

Something that has brought me joy this year\u2026 It\u2019s a tough one. It\u2019s been a tough year. The people I get to work with who continue to inspire me. I think, in times like these, coming to the understanding that no matter what\u2019s happening in the world, no matter the turmoil, no matter the political situation, the work doesn\u2019t change. That\u2019s encouraging. You know, we get into the place where things start to get on fire and we think, \u201cOh, no, no, we have to hurry up and do something different.\u201d No, no, no. Now we double down on the diligent work that we\u2019ve been doing. And that\u2019s encouraging. I don\u2019t have to do something different or be anybody different. I just have to stand 10 toes down on the work that I\u2019m doing. So I am committed to singing more than I cry. That\u2019s my commitment right now. And that\u2019s giving me joy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photograph: Jesse Hsu for Time OutErnest H. Harrison Dr. Ernest H. Harrison is a busy man. Not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82890,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[7579,48,52,51,47,50,49,420],"class_list":{"0":"post-82889","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-categories-things-to-do","9":"tag-la","10":"tag-la-headlines","11":"tag-la-news","12":"tag-los-angeles","13":"tag-los-angeles-headlines","14":"tag-los-angeles-news","15":"tag-things-to-do"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}