Love does not discriminate

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3tY4Me0JFg
The Pink Singers support equal marriage and believe that equality before the law is a basic principle in any democratic society. Loving and committed relationships between two people should be recognised in the same way by the state regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of those involved. There is no justification for treating equal members of society differently. As a choir we celebrate the love between our members and their families and in this video we have spoken to three couples about their relationships. Love does not discriminate and nor should the state!
For more information on equality in civil marriage, please visit the Coalition For Equal Marriage. Continue reading “Love does not discriminate”

A busy weekend in Pink paradise

Sally-Anne

During the first weekend in March, the Pinkies demonstrated versatility with not one, but two shows in two days.
On the Saturday we were at the Black Cap in Camden. We had an amazing and varied evening with everything from a salsa workshop to a very energetic run-through of one of our old favourites, Proud Mary – well, I certainly felt very proud to be part of the show. There are some very talented people in the choir, but what was particularly brilliant was that some of our “newbies” performed solos barely a few weeks after joining.
That night the Pinkies were very much showcasing the variety tradition, presenting a wide range of really high calibre entertainment. We had music, dancing and laughter and a very successful time – so thanks everyone for all the hard work! Continue reading “A busy weekend in Pink paradise”

Then and now

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJarIe2Bc8

Hsien
Hsien

Who would have thought it? Who would have thought that when Mark Bunyan and Brian Kennedy got together (I like to imagine over a pint) in the winter of 1983 and decided to create a gay and lesbian choir, that the group would not only still be around but thriving three decades later? That choir didn’t even have a name at its first rehearsal on 7 April of that year, but shortly afterwards, “the Pink Singers” became a synonym for London’s LGBT community choir.
Looking back thirty years, it isn’t hard to see that the London into which the Pink Singers emerged was very different from the city we know today. 1983 marked the transformation of the U.K. Gay Pride Rally into Lesbian and Gay Pride, an event for which the Pink Singers was originally formed to add music. There was a lot to protest in the 1980s: the reality of homophobia, AIDS and Section 28 demanded a response from the LGBT community. Continue reading “Then and now”

A weekend of Pink magic

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U73imcfA6vQ
Do you miss us already? Well, you have two opportunities to join us next week as the Pink Singers will be performing on Saturday AND Sunday.
At 7pm on Saturday, 3 March, we will be at the Black Cap (171 Camden High Street, London, NW1 7JY). Tickets on the door.
And you can continue your fabulous Pink weekend on Sunday, 4 March at ‘Voices Now’ – a day showcasing some of the UK’s best choirs – in association with the BBC Singers and Making Music at the Roundhouse, Camden (Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH).
From our recent concert, ‘Comparing Notes’, here’s a reminder of why you should make us part of your weekend…

LGBT History Month 2012: Peter Tatchell’s Compliment

On a freezing Wednesday last week a group of intrepid Pinkies made their way through biting winds to Glaziers Hall on the south bank of the Thames by London Bridge. The date was the 1st February and our mission was to sing in the start of LGBT History Month in Southwark.

This was one of many events taking place across the country, that day and over the coming month, celebrating the lives and histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people – ordinary and extraordinary – who have left their mark on the history of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. LGBT History Month has become a fixture on the Pink Singers’ calendar since its launch in 2005, and we have watched it grow and reach out to people everywhere.

It was my fourth time singing at this event and for me it was special for a number of reasons. It was our first gig after our big winter concert and a real tonic to the bleak weather, bills and New Year’s resolutions that I’d already broken. Not only was it a chance to get a shot of Pinkie magic during our post-season break, but also a great opportunity to catch up with other Pinkies over a couple of sweet sherries in a very cosy pub after the show.

I always find smaller gigs challenging as we usually don’t know the venue, where we’ll be performing, how close we’ll be to the audience or how many will be there, and this was no exception. In addition to all that, I was singing the solo in Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat….. gulp! It had been performed brilliantly by Larry in our concert two weeks earlier, and was my first solo performance (not in the shower) for nearly 20 years! With our lovely Alice at the helm for a solo conducting flight across an entire gig and me not wanting to cause a crash of any sort, I was feeling the pressure somewhat.

I’m not sure which is worse and I’ve experienced both – the gigs we do in cavernous town halls where we are up on a huge stage looking down on the audience who are just a tiny dot in the distance, or the ones where we are actually in the front row with them, on their laps! Well, this one was the latter and it was quite an experience for them and us.

When the time came I think I can safely say that we managed to pull it out of the bag and gave a performance that, although it may not go down in Gay History, was worthy of the Pink Singers and certainly gave our audience something to warm to on a very cold February night.

As we exited stage left and made our way to that cosy pub I mentioned, we were congratulated by Peter Tatchell who said his favourite part of our performance was the basses ‘bums’ in Constant Craving. Now there’s a compliment!