As far as I know I am the youngest Pinkie ever to join. I was 19 at the time, just off the plane from Finland. Being so young also means that I wasn’t even born when Mark Bunyan and the late Brian Kennedy formed the Pink Singers in May 1983. It seems amazing to think that when I was just a twinkle in my fathers eye, the Pink Singers were born.
I cannot remember how I found out about the Pink Singers, it was probably while browsing through Diva or perhaps on the Internet, but anyhow, in the late summer 2003, I took up all the courage I had and went along to a rehearsal.
I remember wearing a bright yellow jumper and a big smile on my face. During that time the Pinkies rehearsed at the Drill Hall and we were not as many Pinkies as we are now in 2008. Now we cant even accept more altos as we have too many already.
In 2003 the Pinkies didn’t have a new members contact or even specific days for new members, you just turned up. And so I did. The rehearsal started with a little name game, and I remember that it being difficult as I have such a long name… I was hooked, the voice check revealed that I was an alto, back in Finland I had always sung soprano, perhaps struggled a bit, but still in a little church choir it didn’t really matter.
After the rehearsal we all headed to a nearby pub, and as my friend and fellow Pinkie Johnathon said at my recent civil partnership, he was amazed at how many vodka&lemonade such a small girl could get down in one night. I have so many good memories of sitting and chatting with various Pinkies in various pubs, it almost seems like the social stuff was more important than the singing. (oh and don’t get me wrong i looove the singing too!, neverending Pinkies songs always play in my head when were not rehearsing)
But singing brings social stuff. My first concert had a James Bond theme, having movements to our Bond medley made the singing so much more fun. Movements has made their way slowly, slowly to our concerts, much to our audiences delight. During my time in the Pinkies we have danced, or moved to the tunes of James Bond tunes, Madonna, the Madness and Abba.
Before the Bond concert one of the Pinkies also organised a James Bond party, Oh how much fun that was! Everyone dressed up as either James Bond or a Bondgirl, and of course we had a few guys as Bondgirls and a few girls as Mr Bond himself. I came as Gala Brand, the youngest one of all Bondgirls (and the one who never slept with him, of course). Can you believe I actually found a picture of that party, here in pigtails with fellow scandinavian pinkie Esbjørn.
That first afternoon must have made an impression, as five years later I am still here. The Pink Singers for me was (and still is) a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Seeing the choir develop during these years that I have been with the choir has been incredible (and I can’t help but feel a sense of pride) and I can just imagine how amazed the original choir-members are after such a long time.
Bring on our 50 year anniversary!
Nathalina Backman
Alto
Pinkie since 2003