Altos Gaynor (pictured left) and Kirsten round
up musical memories from the choir in preparation for Saturday night’s theatrical-themed spectacular!
Just 3 days to go – grab your tickets here while you can!
“Being a newbie Pinkie is a blast – and a trip down memory lane. Pretty much everything I’ve done with the Pinkies for our One Night Only concert on 4 June reminds me of something…we’re singing ‘Ascot Gavotte’ (from My Fair Lady), which takes me back to performing it in the last year of primary school in Brisbane to mark the anniversary Captain Cook’s arrival in Australia – even, in 2016, doing some of the same dance moves that I did in 1970!” [Gaynor, Alto]
“My first appearance in a musical was at the age of six when I played the devil in a school production. Sixty years later I have been promoted to Jupiter, King of the Gods, in Orpheus – but I’m still sending the Pinkies to hell!” [Philip, Tenor]
“I waited outside the stage door to get my programme signed after seeing the original west end cast in Wicked and Miriam Margolyes – who was playing Madame Morrible at the time – stole my pen.” [Tracey, Soprano]
“Speaking of memory lane, remember the early-90s TV series, May to December? We’re singing the title track, ‘September Song’, by Kurt Weill – sure to pull on your heart strings!” [Gaynor, Alto]
“I was given several minor roles in a production of Les Mis, which lead to me wearing parts of four costumes at once and having four changes in the first 20 minutes (all before Fantine dies) – which included playing a nun. The wimple meant I couldn’t hear a thing, so the guy playing Valjean had to listen for my cue and literally push me on stage!” [Alicia, Alto]
“I did Les Mis at school. On the first night when we performed ‘At The End of the Day’ we were all facing backwards to start for dramatic effect. The pianist forgot to cue us as he was so nervous so we didn’t turn around and ended up facing backwards for the whole first verse! When we turned around a few of us bellowed the second verse to make sure the rest of the cast carried on. It was a scary moment – but the audience didn’t have a clue! The magic of theatre…” [David, Tenor]
“Then there’s Little Shop of Horrors, recalling a long drive to Hull to see my niece play Audrey, and then fast forward several years to seeing Anything Goes in the West End – we’ll be performing ‘Blow, Gabriel, Blow’ (no tittering in the back, there).” [Gaynor, Alto]
“My grandparents saw one of the very first previews of Les Mis at the Barbican in 1985. 25 years later, in 2010, I took my grandma to the anniversary celebration production at the same theatre.” [Naomi, Soprano]
“I saw Wicked for the first time on Broadway in 2005! I had no idea what sort of musical this was going to be, and I was super worried that I wasn’t going to like the story or get any of the jokes – I was only 12. However, after ‘Defying Gravity’ had been sung and the lights came on for the intermission, my big sister and I were both glued to our chairs, covered in goosebumps and unable to speak. That night, Wicked became our favourite musical and we memorized all the lyrics and harmonies in our hotel room. To this day, I am still delegated Glinda’s parts on Popular without much say in the matter!” [Marianne, Alto]
“When I went to see Spamalot in London a couple of years ago, as we were applauding at the end Michael Palin suddenly stepped on to the stage!!! [Abigail, Soprano]
“A big group of Pink Singers went to see one of the first performances of Funny Girl during its recent run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, thanks to the expert booking skills of our tenor Gary – it sold out within hours! And what a show it was. ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ was a stand out moment – Sheridan Smith was incredible!” [Kirsten, Alto]
“My parents produced Little Shop on Broadway when I was 14. I used to go sit on the back stairs and watch it, and then my dad and I would run backstage five minutes before the end and greet the cast as they came offstage. When we sing ‘hold your hat and hold on to your soul’ I think of that, and think, it’s time to start running!” [Zoë, Soprano]
“I was in Little Shop at school and got eaten by the plant. Lots of fun but the bruising was spectacular!” [Kate, Alto]
“So far, I’m having a ball singing with the Pink Singers. I know if you come along to see the show on Saturday, you won’t be able to stop yourself from tapping your foot, singing along, and wondering how to join up for next season – so don’t miss out, grab your tickets here!”
Author: webmaster
Q&A with the Pink Singers Artistic Team
Our Artistic Director David Baxter (pictured 
right) and Musical Director Murray Hipkin (left), squeezed in time for a chat.
Here’s what we found out about our upcoming concert One Night Only, with less than a week to go until curtain up!
How will next weekend’s show be different to previous Pink Singers concerts?
David Baxter: Given the popular theme, we’re pulling out all the stops for this one! The concert will have a different feel in terms of mood I think. We’ve got two fantastic comperes who will run the whole show, slick choreography for more numbers than normal and we’ll be showcasing a number of our choir members through various solos, duets, trios and even a small group! It’s definitely going to be a night to remember.
What has been the most challenging thing about the repertoire this time?
DB: There are a lot of words! I think the most challenging thing so far has been making sure we follow the choral arrangements we have. Sometimes when you see a show at the West End, you get used to the tune but need to remember that we’re now singing 8-part harmonies and can’t all be Elphaba in Defying Gravity….
Murray Hipkin: Choosing it; there was so much material.
What are you most looking forward to?
DB: I’m really excited to see the audience’s reaction to whole event. My vision is for it to be a theatrical spectacular which showcases some show-stopping favourites, as well as some pieces they may not have heard out of context before.
MH: Close friends might imagine that it’s the bottle of Pinot Grigio waiting at the end – but I am looking forward most of all to watching everyone realise that they do know all the words and all the moves and that actually concerts can be lots of fun rather than something to be fearful about.
David, What is it that you find most inspiring about being in the Pinkies and specifically, working on the artistic vision for this concert?
DB: I love watching the whole concert come together when we start to run it; that’s where the real creativity begins for me. Seeing people ‘off copy’ allows them to think more about what they’re singing, what the song means to them and perform it to the very best of their ability.
Murray, what do you love most about being a conductor?
MH: Being a conductor is a great job for a passive-aggressive control freak with borderline narcissistic personality disorder. But it seems to suit me too. 😉 Actually, the conducting is the easy bit; it’s the preparation that is challenging and I do love my work as a teacher and enabler.
Who are your musical heroes from the West End/Broadway/Opera and why?
DB: Hmmm…that’s tricky. There’s a few actually; all women too! But my top choice would have to be the legendary Imelda Staunton. Having recently seen her in Sweeney Todd I was stunned by her energy. Apparently Sondheim saw the Press Night, grabbed her hands and said ‘You gotta play ‘Rose’…’ and she did. Just when I thought she couldn’t get better I then saw Gypsy – and was blown away by her energy throughout, so much so that I saw it twice. My other choices would be Cynthia Erivo and Jenna Russell.
MH: Currently Glenn Close. Oh sorry, did I mention Glenn Close again? I never got bored with her performance in Sunset Boulevard. And I rehearsed it for five weeks, saw it at least eight times, and played in twenty-three performances! Or maybe Emma Thompson.
I did once work with Sondheim (my main hero) but it was before cameras were invented.
If you had to give the choir just one piece of advice on the night of the performance, what would it be?
DB: Relax and Enjoy – it’s time to perform all your hard work you’ve put in!
MH: Eat a banana in the interval. Or a flapjack. Preferably dripping with Manuka honey, which (we are reliably informed by Dr Iain in the basses) is a good humectant.
Is there anything that you do when you perform, rehearse, compose or conduct that others might find unusual (any quirks, tricks, useful tips)?
DB: Sometimes I end up on a chair getting very excited when I can see how well a piece is going. They probably think I’m all a bit nuts…and they’re probably right!
MH: If I get tense while performing I visualise the tension as a liquid and little taps in every joint of my body. I open the taps one by one and let the tension flow to where it’s needed. If I am playing the piano it’s quite useful to have tension in my fingers, or I wouldn’t be able to press the keys, but I don’t want it in my shoulders or my jaw. If I’m conducting I like to keep some tension in my legs because without it I would end up in a heap on the floor, but tension in the hands and neck is a bad thing. (If you see a puddle on the floor where I have been standing, that will be why.)
So do make sure you come and see all this work in action – next Saturday, Cadogan Hall, 7pm – book your tickets here now!
Pink Highlights
Bass Gary shares his favourite things about being a Pinkie:
Someone asked me the other day what I enjoyed most about being a member of the Pink Singers and it took me a while to answer – when I joined I couldn’t have imagined the diverse range of things I would get up to!
Over the last few years the choir has performed at LGBT choral festivals in Dublin and Brighton, taken part in a choral competition in Manchester, and visited Reykjavik and Mallorca to sing with their respective LGBT choirs. And this summer we are off to Amsterdam for the Ama-SING festival! We have also recorded two CDs since I joined in 2012 and I have also performed on stage in Trafalgar Square during Pride in London.
The trips are great fun – you get to build on friendships within the choir and enable you to make friends with members of other LGBT choirs – for example a large group of us now have an annual skiing holiday together! We organised a 30th Anniversary ball, arranged several residential weekends away, tackled the Crystal Maze – and I have made friends with people who I would never had the opportunity to meet if I hadn’t joined the choir.
These things have all been amazing – however the one thing that stands out is our concerts.
One Night Only will be the eighth concert I’ve done with the Pinkies, and it will be the accumulation of four months’ hard work learning showtunes, opera and operetta pieces – as well as our renowned choreography!
I am always in awe of our artistic team, who every season pull everything together into a show that has the required level of what we like to call ‘Pinkie Magic’. This season includes favourites from Les Miserables, Wicked and My Fair Lady to name but a few, and promises to be a memorable night for our audience. I will still get nervous before the show, it will all go too quickly, and I will look back on it and think ‘wasn’t that awesome’ – for me, nothing else we do gives such a buzz!
The whole choir takes immense pride in our performances and if the reception is anything like previous concerts it will make it an amazing experience for all of us.
So if you’ve haven’t done so already, please book your tickets here before they all go – and I promise I’ll wave to you from the fourth row of the bass section!
Popping my pinkie cherry for the very best of causes…
Fresh-faced Pinkie Abigail gives us the low down on what the Pinkies have been up to this week!
Learnt the words? Check.
Know the choreo? Check.
Dressed in black? Check.
All warmed up? La-la-la check!
I was ready to get up and give it my all.
A few days ago, on Tuesday 17 May, a group of about 25 Pink Singers came together on the ninth floor of EY’s riverside building, and, against a stunning backdrop of the Thames, performed a set drawn from our summer concert’s all-glitz, all-glamour repertoire.
This wasn’t just any old corporate performance, though. We were there as guests of Unity, EY’s LGBT network, to help them celebrate IDAHOBIT – International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
You may have heard it called IDAHO, IDAHOT or IDAHOBIT, but whichever acronym you use, 17 May is a powerful day which highlights the discrimination and violence which LGBTQ people face across the world and calls upon those with the ability to lead and make change to step up to the task. It was quite something, then, to stand as part of a group of 25 out-and-proud people and make our voices heard.
It was a very special evening for me on a personal level too, though. I joined the Pink Singers as a Soprano in February, not having sung properly in about six years, and it was my first performance with the choir!
I certainly didn’t imagine, two years ago at my first ever Pride, shortly after coming out to family and friends, that the choir I watched perform on the main stage would one day take me under their supportive wings. I remember turning to my best friend and saying, ‘you know, maybe I could do that.’ Well, now I’ve popped my Pinkie cherry – and I even got the choreography right…
This is just the beginning for me, and for us. Now I know I can perform while being upstaged by the Tower of London, I can’t wait to see what we can pull off for One Night Only on Saturday 4 June!
Preparing for a Solo
Bass Tom tells us about his preparations to sing a solo section in our upcoming concert…
You may already know that singing in a group has calming benefits for your brain and can even boost your immune system. But do those benefits apply to singing a solo piece? I’m not so certain!
Singing a solo can be a very daunting experience, especially if you’re not a professional singer. Why would you put yourself through that?!
Well for this season’s concert, our theatrical extravaganza One Night Only, I decided to do just that. The part in question is only a few lines in a song, but to me it’s a pretty big deal.
When I was then offered the part I managed a smile – but inside my brain was screaming at me OH GOD, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! Needless to say I wasn’t feeling any of the ‘calming benefits’!
Performing doesn’t come naturally to all of us; however they do say the greatest things happen outside your comfort zone. Over the past few weeks I’ve tried to adopt a few tips for how to approach a solo with confidence, and make it seem like you’ve got it nailed.
So here are the tips I’m following while preparing for next month’s solo:
- Choose the song wisely
This season’s concert One Night Only is a showcase of songs from musical theatre and opera. The song I auditioned for is from one of my favourite shows, so when it appeared in the repertoire I was already looking forward to singing it with the choir.
If you already have an interest in the song, your enthusiasm should come across in your audition. It also helps if the song is in a suitable key for your voice.
So if you’re able to choose a song, use that choice to your benefit.
- Prepare for the audition
Of course, you need to prepare for the audition. But already knowing the song doesn’t always help, because you might be singing a different arrangement.
Also, preparation doesn’t just mean knowing the piece you’re expected to sing. Some classic tips for getting ready for an audition are to get a good night’s sleep the night before, and warm up properly.
But for me the most useful tip I found was to simply relax and try to enjoy it!
- Take many showers
I’ve tried various locations, and the shower seems to be the best place to practice. Not only is steam great for the voice, but bathroom acoustics are awesome. Plus, you have the best audience.
Practice your solo piece in the shower. Do it once a day until concert day, or your housemates beg you to stop (whichever is sooner).
- Get the body language and posture right
I’m still learning this. A good starting point for posture is keeping the shoulders back and jaw relaxed. But since my song is from a musical, it’s sung by a character. So I have to think about their feelings, and what’s happening in the plot.
I think this is the most difficult part. It’s not easy to pretend to be someone else, especially on stage. Actors make it look easy. But the best performances come from being sure of yourself, and a big part of that is expressed in your body language.
- Concert-ready
On the day of the concert, it’s important to relax. All the preparation is now done. I know I’ll be OK for most of the day, but then become a bag of nerves about half an hour before the concert starts!
And then there’s the all-important warm-up. If you’ve not got a warm-up routine sorted, try these tips from Celine…
One tip to settle any last-minute butterflies is to step outside of yourself for a second, and watch how you’re feeling. This disconnect can help put those nerves into perspective. Then relax into the performance and go for it!
Singing solo in the Pinkies
One of the things I love about the Pink Singers is that solo auditions are open to all choir members. It’s not about having the best technique – if you’re passionate and you want to sing your heart out in front of hundreds of fans (we have the best fans), you can do it.
Soloists get extra rehearsal time, with support and coaching from our artistic team to help your performance.
So if you want to know more, why not try it for yourself – come join us in our next season starting from September! Oh, and if you want to know the song is – well you will just have to wait and see, grab your tickets here now!