About | Fact Sheet | Elaine Kirkland | NCS Board | Past Programs |

New Century Singers is a voluntary, not-for-profit, non-denominational, community-based chorus dedicated to singing a wide variety of sacred music -- from Beethoven to Bernstein, Gounod to "Godspell," early American music, spirituals and contemporary music, which includes some of the conductor's compositions. The chorus is currently comprised of 36 members and friends of the gay and lesbian community on Long Island, and is supported by a board of directors.

New Century Singers was founded in September 1995 by Elaine Kirkland of Mt. Sinai, NY, the group's conductor and artistic director, and the Rev. Christine Leslie of Burlington, VT. In our ten-year existence we have performed in many places -- houses of worship, schools and meeting rooms -- and have participated in an anti-bias rally, an anti-violence worship service, a memorial service, and various community-related fund raisers.

Our mission is three-fold, our primary focus being musical excellence in performance. Educationally, we present to the general public opportunities that project a positive image of the gay and lesbian community with the goal of building bridges of understanding and acceptance to the larger community. In addition, we provide social and fellowship experiences which reach beyond the realm of musical purpose to nourish the individual and collective identity of our members by singing words of liberation, challenge, hope and comfort.

The chorus' most significant achievement to date was performing "Born to Manifest the Glory," a commissioned work composed and arranged by Ms. Kirkland. The work received its premiere at the June Pride 2000 concert and was performed again last July when the chorus attended the GALA (Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Choruses) Festival 2000 in San Jose, California, an event which attracted 6000 singers from around the world.

The universal themes of healing and empowering individuals and communities are central to our work. We believe that by using the medium of choral music, we encourage understanding, respect and peaceful co-existence in the larger community and among our own singers.