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About the Dublin Gay Music Group

The Dublin Gay Music Group is a gathering of gay men who meet each Saturday afternoon (between 1.00 and 3.30) to listen to recordings of classical music. The group was established in 1995 as an outlet for enthusiasts of classical and operatic music. Whereas a strong social dimension has grown up among members, its primary focus is on musical appreciation - it is not a contact group.

The format was casual to begin with, but has gradually evolved to the present system where each visitor makes a selection (typically 10-15 minutes, depending on the numbers present) from their own CDs which they bring along. The host of the day acts as DJ and decides the order of play. Each session concludes with a longer extended musical selection of up to 30 minutes duration, chosen and presented each week by a different member of the Group. Members get to hear a great deal of music, have their musical horizons broadened, and perhaps even reach an "acceptance" of composers they had hitherto avoided!
The atmosphere varies from week to week, sometimes veering towards serious, appreciative listening and at other times towards animated discussion on the merits of the music, recordings and interpretations - with now and then a sprinkling of gossip about the gay scene, politics, news of the day and so on. The venue rotates each week and the host on the day provides refreshments.

A basic principle from the outset was that there is no pressure on group members to attend every week. An advance schedule is always available so, as the time of the gathering is constant, it is a simple matter to know which is the appropriate venue for which Saturday.

The social dimension has meant that contact frequently goes beyond the weekly music sessions and has become an important part of Group membership. Apart from moving on to a local pub when a session concludes, the occasional party has also been known to happen at special times of the year and Group members often join together in twos or threes to attend concert or operatic performances. This extension of sharing musical experiences has really taken off in more recent years. The Group visited Paris in 2001, Berlin in 2002 and Vienna in 2003 to attend concert and operatic performances in these cities. Preparations are currently under way to decide a destination for 2004.

 		Joining the Dublin Gay Music Group

1. The Group caters for all age ranges and also varies widely in terms of musical interests and taste. Some people have a preference for vocal music, others for orchestral, chamber or opera; some lean more towards early music, others towards contemporary; some prefer one composer, others another - indeed this very variety is one of the strong points of the Dublin Gay Music Group. Every session is a total surprise in terms of what music is listened to and, of course, there is always the novelty element of what music will fill the final thirty minutes.

2. Another aspect that varies from member to member is the extent of musical knowledge and experience. Anyone thinking of joining the Group should not be put off in any way by a feeling of not knowing enough about music. Enthusiasm is of much greater importance in the scheme of things, while obviously it is an advantage to have at least a small classical CD collection to start you off.

3. If what you have read here has whetted your appetite and you want to know more, then we invite you to go to the next page and provide some contact details. We'll get back in touch promptly to arrange a personal meeting with a Group member or members. We'll have a friendly chat over a coffee or maybe even a glass of wine, during which we'll provide any further details we may have overlooked and answer any further queries you may have.