Ernest H. Harrison has a song in his heart

Dr. Ernest H. Harrison is a busy man. Not only has he led the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles as its music director, conductor and head of education and outreach since 2019, but he’s also a poet and musician—with a doctorate in choral music—who regularly makes time to teach about music and social justice at universities including Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California.

The Gay Men’s Chorus has been a fixture in Los Angeles’s cultural scene since 1979, combining artistic excellence with a message of love and acceptance. Today, the over 300 members continue to further GMCLA’s purpose of “changing hearts and minds” by raising their voices together as one. And Harrison is the perfect steward to lead that legacy into the future.

When I caught up with Harrison, it was the week before the chorus was scheduled to perform at the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade. The group was also in the midst of rehearsals for its upcoming holiday concert, an annual Los Angeles tradition that features a changing setlist of carols, showtunes and pop songs, complete with innovative arrangements and fun choreography. This month, the members will again take the stage at Beverly Hills’ Saban Theatre for “Holiday Legends,” with performances on December 13 and 14. (RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 finalist Salina EsTitties, who joined the chorus a decade ago, will be appearing as a guest artist.) And next year, the group is embarking on a European tour to perform in London and at World Pride Amsterdam.

In our inspirational chat, Harrison talked about what audiences can expect from this year’s holiday show, the central role music plays in progress and the importance of joy to GMCLA’s mission.

What role has music played throughout your life?

Well, I mean, it’s been my lifeline. Music has done more for me than I can really put into words. I think the simplest thing is that it has saved my life, and I am dedicated to music-making because I know it has the power to save the lives of others. So that’s really why I do what I do.

What’s your earliest musical memory?

My earliest musical memory is singing in my uncle’s bathroom, at my mom’s hip. I was about three years old. We were singing Kirk Franklin songs together, and she was teaching me how to harmonize.

“Every social justice movement… has music at its center because music speaks to us culturally.”

You’re also a poet and professor specializing in the intersection of music and social justice. How does the Gay Men’s Chorus work toward that goal?

Well, you know, the Gay Men’s Chorus is first and foremost an organization of social justice inherent in our identities. We were formed in 1979 as a backlash to what was going on culturally and politically at the time, namely the assassination of Harvey Milk, the gay liberation movement that had come out of the movements that were happening in Stonewall and before Stonewall—all of those things came out of, you know, a need to be heard, to be seen, to be validated and to protest, but also to find a safe space for a community. And that is what music does.

Every social justice movement that you can look into for the last 250 years has music at its center because music speaks to us culturally. It speaks to us economically, no matter where we are, it speaks to everyone on a level that really just unites us. And you know, when you’re looking to do something like protest or make a movement socially, the best place to start off is with a song.

This is the chorus’s 47th season. How does it feel to be carrying on such a long legacy?

It feels incredibly special. Just this last weekend, we had the privilege to sing at the unveiling of the AIDS Monument here in West Hollywood. And oftentimes I get the privilege to teach on the gay liberation movement when I’m teaching a social justice class. And I can’t explain the reaction my students have when I disclose to them, because of the AIDS epidemic, we lost almost an entire generation of elders. So to get to hear the survivors speak about their fight, fighting for AIDS, fighting for health care, fighting to be seen, and then to see that those survivors are among us in GMCLA—we have members who have been with us 30, 35 and 40 years who were there. That’s the legacy that I don’t just get to carry with me. I get to sing alongside that legacy every day. So it’s a privilege.

The chorus’s performances are very joyful. Would you say that, in addition to music, joy can also be used as a tool for social justice?

Oh, it’s the main tool for social justice. You know, historically, when we look at all the songs that come out of these movements, most of them were not written or did not originate to be protest songs. They came out of weddings. They came out of churches. They came out of joy, dance music. So too with GMCLA, although at the heart of us is protest and social justice, our presentation is love, joy, acceptance. So that’s why, you know, when you hear some of the popular things, the modern songs, the Broadway music, all of the things that speak to the heart of people? We can always provide a message after that, but first and foremost, we want to bring that lighthearted message so people come and they open themselves to what we’re bringing. So, yeah, there’s so much joy in that music-making process.

Your annual holiday performance is coming up. How do you pick each year’s theme?

Well, you know, it’s a mixture of trying to figure out what it is that people are needing at that time of year. Every year is a little bit different. But at the same time, holiday season, people are always looking for something a little bit nostalgic. So finding something that’s both modern and relevant but also nostalgic and familiar is usually what we’re going for. So this year, with Holiday Legends, we’re programming music that all of the legendary singers from our holiday season were singing. You know, your Nat King Coles, your Bing Crosbys. You know, some of the legendary songs that go with movies that we relate to this time of the year, like the Grinch and Nightmare Before Christmas, these types of songs that take us to a place immediately when we hear them.

Do you try to pick a new set list of songs every year, or are there some classics that audiences can always expect to hear?

Well, the fun thing about this particular concert, Holiday Legends—this is gonna be a concert of music that we’ve done over the last 10 years. So we’re bringing back a lot of our holiday favorites, just because we love to sing them. But also, again, for that nostalgic feel, for that familiar feel. For some of the songs that we had become widely known for, like “Hanukkah in Santa Monica,” our audience recognizes that one. So we want them to participate. They’re going to sing right along with those. So that was kind of the slant of this particular concert.

Do you personally have a favorite Christmas carol?

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” specifically sung by Luther Vandross.

What do you hope audiences take away from your performances?

I hope that they take away hope. I think we are in such a time where hope is overlooked. We are so ever-present in the now, and we have forgotten how to dream, and hope invites us to dream. So I hope that people can come in for a little while, lay their worries and cares down, and just spend some time reacquainting themselves with hope for a better future.

What advice do you have for people who either don’t like their singing voice or are too shy to sing?

Everybody who has the opportunity to sing, should sing. It does not matter how well you can sing. One of my favourite quotes is from this very famous singer [Florence Foster Jenkins]: “They may say that I couldn’t sing, but they’ll never say I didn’t sing.” And I think that’s a way to live your life. Whether it’s singing or dancing or painting—who cares how well you do it? Just do it. Life is too short and too long not to express yourself in lending your truth. Get out there and sing.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions?

Food. (Laughs) What are the holidays without food? Yeah, I love to cook. I love to cook for people. I love the way good food makes people feel. I love the way people act and the way they speak and commune with one another after they’ve eaten well. Yeah, just food.

“I am committed to singing more than I cry… And that’s giving me joy.”

Lastly, for a lot of reasons, it’s been a difficult year, especially in L.A. What are some things that have brought you joy this year?

Something that has brought me joy this year… It’s a tough one. It’s been a tough year. The people I get to work with who continue to inspire me. I think, in times like these, coming to the understanding that no matter what’s happening in the world, no matter the turmoil, no matter the political situation, the work doesn’t change. That’s encouraging. You know, we get into the place where things start to get on fire and we think, “Oh, no, no, we have to hurry up and do something different.” No, no, no. Now we double down on the diligent work that we’ve been doing. And that’s encouraging. I don’t have to do something different or be anybody different. I just have to stand 10 toes down on the work that I’m doing. So I am committed to singing more than I cry. That’s my commitment right now. And that’s giving me joy.