Pink Singers

Launch of the ‘Sing it Pink’ Podcast

Aunt Nell Ltd has launched the new trailer for their upcoming documentary podcast Sing It Pink – The Story of The Pink Singers.

The series tells the story of London and Europe’s longest-running LGBTQ+ choir, The Pink Singers, who celebrated their 40th-anniversary last year.

The podcast will share the group’s diverse journey that reflects 40 years of change and growth for queer communities in the UK, as well as unlocking hidden stories of LGBTQ+ grassroots community music making from the 1980s to today.

The highly-produced, multi-voice documentary draws from archive news clippings, live recordings and first-person testimonials, as well as interviews with members of the choir past and present. Episodes will feature the following stories:

The founding of the choir in 1983, and the queer grassroots music scene in the 80s
Performing at Stonewall and Terrence Higgins Trust benefits and in London Lighthouse wards at the height of the HIV-AIDS crisis
The diversity of the choir, from women’s rights and inclusion, to the group’s first trans members
Interviews with musical directors past and present on arranging music for queer and trans voices
The choir’s activism in the UK and abroad, including travels to India to march against Section 337, marching in Warsaw and Kyiv Pride 2022, and at London Trans+ Pride
Love, marriage, and the story of LGBTQ+ relationships today told by members of the choir

The series is produced by Rachel Byrne, with assistant producer Marnie Woodemeade, and the executive producers are Tash Walker and Adam Zmith for Aunt Nell, and Chris Scales for the Pink Singers. Tash and Adam previously produced The Log Books, a documentary series that tells the story of Britain’s queer history through handwritten notes made by volunteers at Switchboard. The Log Books won Gold in the Best New Podcast category at the British Podcast Awards 2020.

Tash Walker, Co-director and Co-founder of Aunt Nell, said:

We’re so thrilled to partner with the Pink Singers to tell the full story—in intimate audio—of their incredible history. We’ve made it our mission to produce timeless podcasts filled with improbable connections and human stories.

When we heard about the powerful story of the Pink Singers, and the depth of their archive, we knew it would make for an extraordinary podcast series.

Sing It Pink has been carefully and lovingly crafted by producer Rachel Byrne. We’re so grateful to the choir for working with Rachel and trusting us all to make something special.”

The podcast comes as The Pink Singers received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £94,625 for their Sing It Loud, Sing It Queer project, which will archive and celebrate the 40-year history of the choir, working with the Bishopsgate Institute.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Dynamic Collections campaign has also funded a short documentary film made with Happenstance Films titled A Magical Journey of Queerness, showcasing a brand-new composition to celebrate their anniversary year. In addition the choir has also released a new album of their early live recordings, The Pink Singers: Hope Machine.

Chris Scales, Chair of the Pink Singers at 40 Project, said:

Forty years on, despite great progress for some, others in our community are still fighting for their right to even exist. Raising up our voices together in song for what we believe in feels more important than ever, and by learning about the trailblazers who led the way before us I hope we can find hope and inspiration to build a better future”.

We’re excited to unlock the story of the Pink Singers and look back on our journey, from a small gay group singing for our rights, to a diverse choir of over 90 LGBTQIA+ people today. This new series shines a light on the many wonderful ‘Pinkies’ who have sung with us over the decades, uncovering their grassroots queer activism and bravery striving for a better world in difficult times.

The Trailer for Sing It Pink – The Story of The Pink Singers will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Acast and more on 12th July 2024.

Tickets for The Pink Singers’ summer concert – “Everything’s Coming Up Pinkies A Musical Theatre Spectacular” are out now.

Performing at London Lighthouse, January 1991

Everything’s Coming Up Pinkies: A Musical Theatre Spectacular

Concert: Saturday 20 July 2024, Cadogan Hall, Sloane Square.

Concert: Saturday 20 July 2024, Cadogan Hall, Sloane Square.

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Join the Pink Singers, Europe’s longest-running LGBT+ choir, at Cadogan Hall for a celebration of all things musical theatre!

‘Everything’s Coming Up Pinkies’ will feature songs from a range of musicals, including A Chorus Line, Company, Les Misérables, and Cabaret as well as a celebration of queer musical theatre stories with songs from Rent, Fun Home, Kinky Boots, The Color Purple, and many more.

This concert will be conducted by Olivia Doust, the Pink Singers’ newly appointed Musical Director and will feature a guest performance from Ballet in the Park.

You won’t want to miss this singing and dancing spectacular so get your tickets now! VIP tickets include a free programme, glass of bubble and slice of rainbow cake!

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Duration: approx. 2 hours (including a 20 minute interval)

John Flinders, Accompanist, to leave the Pink Singers

We are very sad to announce that our wonderful accompanist, John Flinders, will be leaving us. This coming season will be his last after being with us since October 2011.

For 13 years, John has helped elevate our vocal skills with his phenomenal work in the music team. Not only has he supported us by keeping us in tune each week in rehearsals, but he has guided us through tremendously challenging repertoires and arrangements with care and incredible precision. For this we are eternally grateful.

“My time with the Pink Singers has been a thrilling experience and I have so many happy memories that I will treasure. I have played music that I would never otherwise have known, in world-class arrangements by our own arrangers; I have visited and given concerts in countries that I had never imagined visiting, and met wonderful people, in the Pink Singers and in other choirs, that I would never otherwise have encountered.” – John

The Pink Singers wish John an abundance of good fortune and luck in the future. He has been a truly unique, caring and guiding asset to us all and we are so thankful for everything he has given to us. We hope to see him soon at future concerts, cheering us on in the audience.

We will miss you, John! Lots of Pinkie love, always.

Recruitment: The Pink Singers Accompanist

We are recruiting for the position of Accompanist. Please see the role description and requirements below. The closing date for applications by email is 29 March 2024.

About Us

As the longest running LGBTQ+ choir in Europe, The Pink Singers was established in London in 1983 to march in London’s Gay & Lesbian Pride and we’ve been singing and marching ever since. We are an auditioned choir of 80-100 members with strong community connections. Though a community choir, we have a reputation for high standards of performance that we are keen to uphold and grow. We have a long standing relationship with large London venues such as Cadogan Hall, where we currently perform 2 concerts a year.

We are a registered charity run by volunteers, and our aim is to share the joy of music within the LGBTQ+ community in the UK and around the world, and to promote and celebrate equality and diversity.

More information including our charitable aims can be found here.

Accompanist Role Description

Responsibilities

Accompany weekly rehearsals on a Sunday in London between 14:00-18:00 (term time dates).
Perform in two London concerts a year in January and June/July.
Where possible, take part in other smaller gigs (around 5-7 a year),that may be in London, in the UK or overseas, especially important festivals such as Hand in Hand and Various Voices.
Work closely with the musical director, music team and artistic director to fulfil creative themes and visions.

Required

Professional grade 8+ piano accompaniment skills.
Previous experience in accompanying an SATB choir.
Confident communication skills.
Confidence in a wide range of musical genres.

Desirable

Ability to conduct or lead the choir in the absence of the musical director.
Lead sectionals in rehearsal time.
Understanding of vocal warm ups and technique.
Understanding of choral and contemporary repertoire.

Expectations

Adhere to The Pink Singers vision, values and constitution.
Be committed to equality and inclusion for everyone.
Abide by The Seven Principles of Public Life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
Understanding the needs of an LGBTQ+ choir.

What we offer in return

Community – Joining us means you becoming a ‘Pinkie’, a hundred-strong community of beautiful, diverse, inspirational LGBTQ+ people who come together to sing, share and spread joy. We are our own chosen family.

Impact – As accompanist, you get to be involved in the high-level and long-term direction of the choir to share the joy of music among the LGBTQ+ community and raise awareness of their rights. Our choir makes a real difference to people’s lives in the UK and around the world.

Growth – The role would give you the opportunity to develop your skills in working with, and managing a diverse choir of singers with mixed abilities, with a desire to improve their vocal performance.

Application

Please send in your curriculum vitae to chair@pinksingers.co.uk including a short paragraph about why you wish to join The Pink Singers.

You must be eligible to work in the UK.

Closing date for applications: 29 March 2024

Interview date: 3rd May 2024

Audition date: 19th May 2024

A PDF version of the role description can be found here.

(Photo credit: Jess Rowbottom)

Olivia Doust to become Musical Director of The Pink Singers

We are excited to announce that Olivia Doust has been appointed as the new Musical Director of the Pink Singers, London’s LGBTQ+ community choir.

Olivia first joined the Pink Singers in 2022, previously serving as Assistant Musical Director and an invaluable member of the alto section. Currently she is acting as the Interim Musical Director and, following the upcoming “All Our Love” concert, Olivia will be taking on the role of Musical Director full term from February 2024.

Olivia holds a masters in Voice Studies and brings her experience as a musical director and voice teacher to this role.We are extremely grateful for the work Olivia has already done with The Pink Singers and look forward to continuing to develop our partnership with her.

Olivia writes:

“I am extremely honoured and delighted to step into the role of Musical Director for The Pink Singers. The choir has an important history and legacy that I hope to uphold and develop in the coming seasons. I am excited to see what the future of the choir holds, and where we can take it together.”

We look forward to experiencing the new direction that Olivia will be taking the choir in musically as she starts her chapter as Musical Director of The Pink Singers.