The Rainbow Chorale of Delaware

In a world that often asks us to dim our light, standing in the spotlight as our most authentic self is the ultimate victory. "We Are Champions!" is an electrifying cabaret celebration of resilience, identity, and the unbreakable human spirit.

Through a powerful repertoire ranging from the defiant anthems of The Color Purple and The Greatest Showman to the soaring, transformative harmonies of Ragtime and Les Misérables, this program explores what it means to be a champion in today's world. It is a journey from the "Underdog's Grit"—the quiet resolve to keep going when the odds are stacked against you—to the "Arena of the Self," where we claim our space with pride and joy.

"Turn The World Around" is more than just a concert; it is a sonic intervention designed to pull the listener out of the "spiral" of modern chaos and into a space of radical empathy. The repertoire moves through a narrative arc that explores our internal struggles, our connection to the environment, and our shared responsibility to one another.

The concert recording can be accessed here.

*Please Note: There were some technical issues with this recording; the audio is unavailable for the first 45 minutes of the recording.

The final concert of our 25th Anniversary season was "Phoenix Rising". We journey bravely through the fire, forging a new path – one of determination and hope with the promise of a bright future. The repertoire included music from Rollo Dilworth, Susan LaBarr, Jacob Narverud, Elton John, Bob Dylan, May Erlewine, Jonathan Larson, and Dan Forrest. We rose together!

We held our Annual Showcase "Flipping the Script: A Cross-Cast Cabaret" at the Wilmington Drama League! Our showcase concert featured many small and solo acts conceived and produced by members of the chorale as well as full chorale numbers. It was a transformative evening of song as we took our audience on a musical journey of twists and turns celebrating the diversity, creativity, and power of music. The program transcended boundaries and highlighted how music can both resonate with each of us differently and bring us together in community. Featured genres included pop, classical, folk, and musical theater as we shared flipped interpretations of new and familiar tunes and be inspired by voices that speak from every corner of the LGBTQ+ community.

We celebrated 25th anniversary with this scintillating concert! This Christmastide, Chanukah in Santa Monica, Sleigh Ride, Betelehemu, Amid the Falling Snow, The Twelve Days After Christmas – from the beautiful and sublime to the just plain silly and fun, we presented a selection of favorites from throughout the years as well as short reminiscences by members of key events over the Chorale’s history. The Rainbow Chorale was accompanied by a small instrumental ensemble for this special concert.

You can also download a PDF of the speakers remarks .

The Rainbow Chorale of Delaware concluded its 2023-2024 season with a dynamic and powerful concert: Shining Our Light: Songs of Strength, Hope, & Justice. The program including works by Rollo Dilworth, Dan Forrest, Karen Marrolli, and Kyle Pederson struck a chord with listeners; additional music from ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘Newsies’, Pink, The Highwomen, and Carly Simon rounded out the repertoire.

The Rainbow Chorale rejoiced in the Power of Pride to a sold-out crowd! Pride can take many forms. LGBTQ+ Pride is, of course, a very important one for us, but in this concert we also celebrated other kinds of pride including pride in yourself, the pride parents feel for their children, and the pride that comes from being a member of a community where you truly feel that you belong. This cabaret style show featured small groups and solos as well as the full Rainbow Chorale.

The concert video can be viewed on our YouTube channel here.

The debut concert of our Artistic Director Jon M. Timmons, and Collaborative Pianist Kevin Mucchetti, was a filled with gorgeous repertoire sung with passion and style. The ethereal Winter Song, the energetic Eneza Upendo, the jazzy Cool Yule and the bottle band accompanied Yodel Carol were just some of the pieces making for a memorable evening.

Select clips from Peace & Joy can be seen here.

The Rainbow Chorale performed selections from our Peace & Joy holiday concert in our free Holiday Sneak Peek event

Our spring concert “Curtain Up!” was performed on Wednesday June 21 at 7:30pm, at Skyline UMC, 3100 Skyline Dr, Pike Creek. The Rainbow Chorale “Did Broadway” with selections from Hamilton, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Jekyll & Hyde, Something Rotten, Ragtime, Six, Wicked and more.

Skyline UMC is an accessible facility with ample parking.

We presented one of our popular cabaret style shows with individual acts and group numbers at UUSMC, 579 Polly Drummond Hill Rd, Newark DE. This Showcase explored the similarities and differences of life experiences of different generations with music evocative of the the ages and stages our members have gone through. “Turn! Turn! Turn”, “You Will Be Found”, “Don’t Stop Me Now” were just a few of the included pieces capturing the philosophic, hopeful, and just plain fun moments of life. 

Select clips from Ages & Stages can be seen here.

We are happy to say that the Rainbow Chorale was able to perform our “Everything Old is New Again” holiday concert. This fun seasonal concert paired new and old versions of holiday favorites, included gorgeous stand alone pieces such as O Magnum Mysterium and Glow, and, on the lighter side, the always entertaining Caffeine Overload Polka.

This was a FREE performance but donations to help defray our costs are very welcome.

We also live-streamed the concert for those who could not attend in person. Click HERE to access a recording of the live-stream.

This June the Rainbow Chorale, with Joyful Noise, presented “We Rise”. This free concert was the culmination of our 2021/2022 season of renewal and celebration.

Featuring “Make Your Own Kind of Music”, “Stand Up”, “I Can’t Keep Quiet”, “Rise Up”, “How Far I’ll Go” and the ebullient “Jai Ho”, this concert let our voices soar – for justice, for equality, and for joy.

You can view a recording of the concert here.

We were “Coming out of the Dark” this March with our Showcase featuring both the full Rainbow Chorale chorus and small and solo acts performing pieces from The Wiz, Pitch Perfect, The Greatest Showman, Wicked and much much more!

Maya Angelou said, “Shine on. Let nothing dim the light that shines from within.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” The LGBTQ+ community has been forced to stay in the darkness for far too long. We are here and we are proud of the impact we make on the world. Our Showcase was inspired by these two quotes and presents music to encourage and uplift. We are boldly stepping out of the darkness and into the light!

A video of our performance can be found on our YouTube channel here.

We held our “What a Wonderful World” concerts celebrating the holiday season and our return to in person performance. We offered both in person and remote viewing tickets.

From Deck the Halls to Auld Lang Syne “What a Wonderful World” took a musical tour of the winter holidays. We were excited to share with you heart-warming, soul-stirring, and occasionally hilarious, music that illustrates that it is truly “A Wonderful World”.

A video of the 12/3 performance can be found on our YouTube channel here.

The Rainbow Chorale of Delaware premiered “Hope Sings Eternal” a free virtual concert composed of new recordings and old chorale favorites on May 26th 2021. Archival footage of the chorale’s rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” and an all new, all virtually assembled production of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” are just two examples that highlight the spectrum of RCD’s musicality, past and present, in-person and virtually. Featuring videos of the combined chorale as well as offerings from individuals and smaller ensembles, this production aspires to bring messages of hope and inclusion in these uncertain times.

Click HERE to see Hope Sings Eternal, the free RCD Spring Concert!

The Rainbow Chorale’s Virtually Yours – Home for the Holidays free concert last December was a combination of individual and small group performances recorded this fall and previously recorded concert performances of beloved holiday pieces. The link for the concert is posted below and also is on our Facebook page for viewing at your leisure.

Did you miss it? Click HERE to see Virtually Yours – Home for the Holidays!