Photo credit: Robert Workman
A couple of weeks ago ‘newbie’ Sarah Chapman performed in her first Pink Singers concert – By Special Arrangement Part 2. Sarah talks about what a great experience it was for her and how rewarding joining the Pink Singers has been. Over to Sarah…
On arriving at the venue, I was in awe of the size and location. For the other newbies and I, it was eye opening to see preparations behind the curtains of the concert. From the Artistic Director setting up the light displays and choir practice with the band to running through the dance numbers; it was busy but helped build my confidence.
No rehearsal or dry run could have prepared me for the concert. As we waited backstage to go on, my nerves slowly began to build up. Entering the stage and seeing the 900 people staring back, it was probably one of the scariest things I have done. However, despite this the show must go on (excuse the cheeky song reference!) The first act went quickly and towards the end my nerves had been replaced with adrenaline.
In the interval, I popped down to the bar to catch up with family and friends, who raved about the show so far. Buzzing with excitement, I returned to the dressing rooms for the second part. During the support act, ‘The Bleeding Obvious’, we began to prepare ourselves for the final section of the show. By this point, the atmosphere in the choir was electric!
The first song was ‘Human’ by Rag‘n’Bone Man (arranged by Simon Pearson), which was a smashing hit to return to the stage with. The choreography by the dance team, matched the lyrics and beat of the music perfectly and set the second act off with a bang. The act went so fast and before I knew it, we had reached the finale. Even with my limited dance experience and some may say lack of rhythm, I was still able to complete the moves for our rendition of ‘Love on Top’ by Beyoncé (arranged by Michael Derrick).
It was challenging learning the 19 different pieces, but such an accomplishment when it all came together! My favourites were ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by Adele (arranged by Nicki Wakefield), ‘What About Us’ by Pink (arranged by Ian Faulkner) and ‘All of Me’ by John Legend (arranged by Zoe Burdo). They sounded so great on the night! I also loved ‘Sleep’ by Eric Whitacre. The way in which the parts intertwine throughout the performance is mesmerising.
The concert was so much fun and I was very lucky to have a great turnout at my first concert with 12 of my friends and family attending from across the country. Although I was very nervous at the prospect of potentially falling over or messing up the dance moves, it did put me at ease that there would be someone around to laugh about it with afterwards.
Until recently, I only knew a handful of LGBT+ friends in London. Through the Pink Singers I have had the opportunity to meet so many people from different backgrounds, experiences, careers, gender identities… the list is endless. Everyone has been so welcoming and I cannot wait for the next season to begin!
Sarah Chapman, Soprano
Timeline datestamp: 11 January 2020
Congratulations Sarah, you were all fantastic and what a great evening it was. What a well written blog post.