The Pinkies are a dedicated bunch – as well as giving up our Sundays for some melody making loveliness, a few of us are also elected to join our management committee. This year’s crop includes a gold level standard figure skater, a gossip girl, a shoe stasher and our very own George Clooney.
Meet the team! Find out what our favourite songs are as well as some other interesting tit-bits…
Rich is our Chair and has been a Pinkie for five seasons.
- Rich holds the world record for the most committed pinkie when it comes to commuting to choir (it was 250 miles for nearly two seasons).
- His favourite music is “the sound of whatever I am singing to in the shower. I get good echo”.
Oli is our Artistic Director and has been a Pinkie for ten seasons.
- Oli is obsessed with shoes and owns over 100 pairs which he struggles to store in his flat!
- His favourite Pinkie performance was ‘One Night Only’ from the movie ‘Dreamgirls’.“We spent a long time perfecting the choreography to this number; it wasn’t easy! However, on the night, the energy of the choir, the band and the audience all came together to produce an electric performance”.
Nicola is our Multimedia Director and has been a Pinkie for two seasons.
- Nicola used to be a part-time reggae DJ in Uganda.
- Her favourite song is, “anything by Fleetwood Mac and any Pinkies’ performance which involves choreography (regardless of what the song actually is!”).
Gary is our Membership & Social Secretary and has been a Pinkie for four seasons.
- Gary attained his Gold Level Grade in figure skating in 2010.
- His favourite song is Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’, as it makes him…feel good!
Zoe is our Choir Liaison & Events Officer and has been a Pinkie for six seasons.
- Zoe went to the same high school that ‘Gossip Girl’ was based on.
- Her favourite song performed by the choir is ‘Baba Yetu’.
Iain is our Bass Section Leader and has been a Pinkie for five seasons.
- At the age of 18, Iain stood as the Green candidate in his school’s mock election. He had a campaign team and used a screen print of Greta Garbo in green paint on recycled newspaper as posters. The campaign slogan was, “Greta is…”
- His favourite song is ‘I know it’s over’ by The Smiths:“It’s a song about desperation and loneliness so hard to explain why it would be a favourite. Listen to it & we’ll talk…”
Lucy is our Soprano Section Leader and has been a Pinkie for three seasons.
- Lucy’s grandad invented the Terry’s Chocolate Orange (and no, he wasn’t called Terry).
- Her favourite song(s) are any nineties Kylie, Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’, ‘I Am the One and Only’, most of the songs of 1996 and the choir’s rendition of Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’.
Chris is our Tenor Section Leader and has been a Pinkie for one season.
- When Chris was 19, he submitted a song called ‘Rush of Emotion’ to the BBC Eurovision Song contest. It wasn’t selected, but he might still sing it for you if you buy him enough beers…
- His favourite Pinkie perfomance was ‘Set Fire to the Rain’, as he loved the arrangement and the tenor line.
Sarah is our Alto Section Leader and has been a Pinkie for eight seasons.
- Sarah believes in pushing herself out of her comfort zone and often tries to do things that scare or challenge her. For example, this summer she undertook her first solo camping trip in the woods!
- Her favourite Pinkies song is ‘With a Lily in Your Hand’. “It was such a challenge to learn. I remember feeling really proud after having performed it for the first time and also a little surprised thinking, wow, did we really just make a sound like that?!”
Teddy is our Treasurer and has been a Pinkie for two seasons.
- Teddy is a real life ‘Up in the Air’ George Clooney, having spent more nights in a hotel this year than in his own bed.
- His favourite song is Ave Maria (Othello), by Maria Callas:“She slowly climbs up arpeggio towards the end and just lets the top note rest beautifully. It catches my breath every time. Three minutes of every emotion experienced”…
Gill is our Secretary and has been a Pinkie for 14 seasons.
- Gill is a huge Nina Simone fan:“I once saw her perform live in concert. She was truly incredible – powerful, passionate and terrifying!!”
- Her favourite song is ‘Feeling Good’ by Nina Simone; “lots of lovely rich alto notes for singing along to in the shower!”
Josh is our Concert Producer and has been a Pinkie for four seasons.
- Josh’s favourite song is Joni Mitchell’s ‘A Case of You’. (“I do need 12 bottles please.”).