Michael Bareham

Interim Collaborative Pianist

Michael A. Bareham has sung with the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus since 2018. He steps out of the bass section into the role of Collaborative Pianist. Having sung at many of PGMC's youth engagement concerts, he will now accompany the chorus at these events, too.

Mr. Bareham is the Director for Music and Worship at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Newark, Delaware, where he leads a vibrant ministry of music with opportunities for all ages and abilities. Under his direction, the program has grown to include vocal choirs and handbell ensembles for children and adults, as well as a brass ensemble and chamber orchestra. Besides playing the organ, accompanying at the piano, and directing the various ensembles, he plans and oversees corporate, dynamic worship

experiences weekly—in person and online. He is also responsible for the church's concert series which includes two programs a year by the congregation's ministry of music, performances by resident and guest musical ensembles, as well as summer community concerts with massed choir, full orchestra. and handbells performing sacred and secular repertoire. These Concerts for a Summer Holiday benefit local, national

and/or international charities.

Mr. Bareham is also Artistic Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Chorus at the University of Delaware (Wilmington campus). Starting as the Collaborative Pianist pre-pandemic, he now directs the choir as well as accompanies, and selects the repertoire best suiting the aging voices of those enrolled. The OLLI Chorus performs at the end of each semester on campus and provides one or two more concerts in the area each spring and fall.

Prior to coming to PGMC, Mr. Bareham sang with the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware before becoming their Collaborative Pianist. In fact, he met his partner and long-time PGMC member, Jim Fitzpatrick, at the 2016 GALA Chorus Festival in Denver, Colorado while playing for RCD.

Mr. Bareham holds the degree of Bachelor of Science in Keyboard Performance from Towson (State) University in Towson, Maryland. His focus on the organ has provided him with many opportunities to perform as a recitalist and accompanist throughout the region. While at TSU, he also studied computer science and was fortunate to combine both skill sets while teaching general music and computer education at two parochial schools in Maryland for nearly a decade before becoming a full-time pastoral musician.