You never know when watching a holiday show could change a life.

When the LGBTQIA-friendly Out Loud Colorado Springs Men’s Chorus does its annual holiday concert, JayJay Porcadilla knows the tunes and blended voices will do more than sound pleasing.

“I have really seen what this group can do for people in the audience,” Porcadilla, the chorus president, said. “The youth are seeing they can be themselves on stage, that it’s OK to sing out loud and be expressive. It will get better. Even grown adults who haven’t been comfortable in their own skin come up to us and say thank you for sharing that with us.”

This year’s two-hour concert, themed “Postcards from the North Pole,” features traditional and new holiday songs by artists such as Pentatonix, Arctic Fox and Faith Hill, as the chorus takes listeners on a journey to find the North Pole. The diverse selection celebrates several holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

“We just want to be as inclusive as possible to the community that supports us,” Porcadilla said.

Out Loud performs Dec. 13-14 at First Congregational Church in Colorado Springs.

The chorus started in 2005 when 10 people at First Congregational Church got together to sing for fun. They did their first concert the following year and began participating in the church’s holiday celebrations, which later turned into an annual concert.

It’s only grown from there, becoming a 30-35 member community choir for men around the state. Though the group is auditioned, they accept all levels of singers as long as they’re 18 and older and can hold a tune or pitch. The next round of auditions is in January.

“We have people who are allies who are straight and come sing with the chorus,” Porcadilla said. “It’s important for people to see representation happening in the community. We want to be a collaborative effort for everyone so people can understand there’s more than hate.”

Contact the writer: 636-0270

Contact the writer: 636-0270