In partnership with San Francisco’s iconic Grace Cathedral and in conjunction with YBCA’s Fall 2018, Requiem Mass: A Queer Divine Rite by composer Holcombe Waller remembers those who suffered persecution for their sexual orientation and gender expression.

Holcombe Waller is one of America’s most unique voices in music theater and a 2011 United States Artists Berresford Fellow in Music, with an approach to music “as total theater.” After traveling to multiple cities worldwide, from Waller’s hometown of Portland, Oregon all the way to Sydney, Australia, Requiem Mass will have its San Francisco premiere as an evening length musical ceremony at the iconic Grace Cathedral in Nob Hill on November 16-17, 2018. The piece is an emotional and personal work that is informed by research into the pivotal gay history from the 1980s through present day. It is driven by community engagement and local community input from experts in liturgical music, queer theory, and faith-based equality initiatives. Through a series of workshops from June through September, Waller has also been working with an all-abilities volunteer community choir to produce the performance.