Farewell Event Planned for Linus Lerner, June 5

TUCSON (Observer Update) - Reveille Men's Chorus would like you to join them at Woody's on June 5th starting at 8:00 p.m. as they say good-bye to their conductor of 7 years, Linus Lerner. Linus will be traveling extensively this summer to Brazil and Mexico before assuming his new post as Artistic Director of The Bayou City Performing Arts in Houston, Texas in August. There will be a no-host-bar and a 50/50 raffle to benefit Reveille.

It was announced at Reveille’s Spring concert “Make ‘Em Laugh: Comedy in Music” that after 7 years as artistic director and 2 as executive director this would be Lerner’s last concert with the group. Under his leadership Reveille recorded 4 CDs, traveled 5 times to Mexico to raise money for HIV/AIDS and GLBT groups in Hermosillo, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City (first openly gay chorus to perform in that country). In 2005 he took the chorus to his native Brazil to be the first openly gay chorus to perform in that country. In Sao Paulo Reveille opened the 2005 Gay Pride celebration and marched in the nation’s pride parade there that numbered 2.5 million people. In addition, he elevated the musical sound of the chorus and increased attendance at the chorus’s concerts so much so that an extra performance day had to be added to each concert.

“It has been an amazing ride with Linus, that’s for sure,” said Reveille Board President Jeffrey Bracker. “I had no illusions that we would have Linus with us forever. In fact, we have been fortunate to have had him for as long as we have. In his 7 years with Reveille Linus radically changed the nature of this organization,” Bracker went on. “He taught us how to sing, raising the bar of musicality for this group. Twice under his guidance we traveled to the GALA choral conferences in Montreal and Miami and twice we held our own against the larger big city choruses, wowing them with that Reveille sound we’ve become famous for. All thanks to Linus.”

Mistress of Ceremonies Ajia Simone will also be on hand so don't miss it. For more information you can call Reveille at (520) 304-1758.