WCPA pays tributeto Tyler Clementi

On March 21, Windy City Performing Arts (WCPA) held its 2015 spring concert Legacies of Hope in the stunning St. James Episcopal Cathedral. The cathedral, with a beautiful backdrop, was the perfect setting for the sounds of the Windy City Gay Chorus (WCGC) and the Windy City Treble Quire.

WTCQ started the concert out with several pieces about caring and hope, inspired by stories of other youth at risk. These songs included what may have been the most powerful performance of the evening by soloist Kyle Stephens, with “Soweto: June 1976.”

Midway through the concert there was a panel discussion with Jane Clementi, mother of Tyler Clementi and co-founder of the Tyler Clementi Foundation; James Clementi, Tyler’s brother; and Paul Caldwell, WCPA’s artistic director. The panel, which Windy City Times writer Richard Knight Jr. moderated, included touching stories about Tyler that brought about the songs of Tyler’s Suite and information about the strides the foundation has taken against bullying.

After the panel discussion, the packed cathedral was treated to the amazing sounds of the Windy City Gay Chorus performing Tyler’s Suite. The eight-piece suite tells the story of Tyler and the experiences his family, and ultimately shines a light of hope and endless possibility. These heartwarming pieces included performances by soloists Alan Taylor as the voice of Tyler Clementi, Evan Bravo as the voice of Tyler’s father, Tedd McTee and Bill Howes representing Tyler’s brothers and Ann Kelly as Tyler’s mother.

Tyler Clementi was an 18-year-old student at Rutgers University who commit suicide on Sept. 22, 2010, after discovering that his roommate and another student had secretly used a webcam to stream footage of Tyler kissing another man.

The Tyler Clementi Foundation (TCF) aims to promote safe, inclusive and respectful social environments in homes, schools, campuses, churches and the digital world for vulnerable youth, LGBT youth and their allies. Visit www.tylerclementi.org.