At the start of the year, I had envisaged that we would park the perennial charity status question for the PS@30 year. However, at the first committee meeting, it became clear that there was a will to push this forward. I asked Sue and Adam about this again outside the meeting, as the onus of work would largely fall on the Secretary, Treasurer and Chair posts, and it needed all of us to give time and energy in order for it to have any chance of success. We did most of our planning in an Indian restaurant near Lamb’s Conduit Street and divided up the tasks. Sue redrafted the constitution, Adam looked into all of the financial implications and I dealt with trusteeship and the kinds of questions that choir members were likely to ask.
As a charity, we aim to promote equality and diversity for the LGBT+ community. We also aim to make some amazing music!
The choir adopted the new constitution at a General Meeting (GM), and then we submitted our application. A list of 10 complicated questions came back to us. At this point about a decade before, our forerunners had given up. But we persevered, finding evidence to back up our claim to musical quality (thank you Murray), charitable purpose, etc., held another GM to pass an extra clause in our constitution and were duly awarded charity status on 25th March. This is likely to be the thing which will have the longest legacy for the choir from the year, though it was paradoxically the thing which took the fewest people to achieve.
The 30th anniversary concert, ‘P.S. We’re 30!’ is performed to a sold-out Cadogan Hall. It features songs from each of the choir’s three decades and celebrates the journey that the choir had made, politically and musically. In the first of a couple of posts, Newbie Gary reveals all about his first concert experience as a Pink Singer.
Well I did it: I got through my first “Pink Singers” concert, the culmination of 5 months hard work by the choir.
I remember back in the summer when I decided I would go along for an audition. I was very nervous, but everyone was so friendly and helpful. There is so much talent in the Pink Singers and I am still in awe of the fact that I am part of such an amazing group. The Newbies Party was great fun and a chance to meet everyone socially, and made settling in a lot easier…
My first season was challenging, as firstly I don’t read music and secondly I hadn’t realised how much learning I would have to do away from rehearsals, especially for this bumper season featuring over 20 songs to learn! However the rehearsal piano tracks were a big help, but I’m sure many people were a bit scared when I have been singing along to them on my iPod whilst walking the dog!
In November, mid-way through the season we recorded a CD, which was brilliant, and sounds amazing. It makes me very proud to see my name on the sleeve. It’ll be available to buy online very soon!
Rehearsing at Cadogan Hall. Photograph by Hsien Chew
So it was suddenly 19th January and Concert Day, I can’t believe the performance went so quickly, and I only forgot my words once as far I know which I am sorry to say wasn’t during a number involving choreography! I was nervous throughout most of the first half, but the response of the audience to every number was amazing and made all the rehearsals so worthwhile, and I only just managed to hold back the tears after the final rendition of Hand in Hand to which we received the most amazing standing ovation.
In the short time I have been a ‘Pinkie’ I have had a blast, and made some good friends. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly, and if I’m honest I am a little sad to lose my “newbie” tag, but I am looking forward to our next season (starting on 17th February) already!
Recorded in November 2012 at St Giles’ Cripplegate, the Pink Singers’ P.S. We’re 30 CD showcases a fabulous array of the choir’s most memorable repertoire over its thirty-year history.
In 2012, the choir performed a joint concert with St George’s in Harpenden, a religious foundation school, in support of the charity Diversity Role Models. The Herts Advertiser covered the story in the run-up to the event…
INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed choir, Pink Singers, travel to Harpenden from their London base next Friday, May 3, to join St George’s School senior and chamber choirs for an evening of music.
Continuing their work to combat homophobic bullying, the 1,325-strong Harpenden school will perform a variety of classical and modern pieces with the Pink Singers as the London choir complete their final preparations for a June appearance in Lisbon.
Assistant conductor Alice Humphrey, who has taught music at the school since last September is thrilled that St George’s students have the chance to sing with the choir she trains each week with English National Opera-based musical director Murray Hipkin.
She said: “‘The Pinkies’ as we are affectionately known are of an incredible high standard and they will be so impressed with my St George’s students who have mastered a whole range of chamber and popular music. It is so good that the school’s work against homophobic bullying amongst younger students is being extended to this fund-raising concert for our important charity – Diversity Role Models.”
Diversity Role Models speakers with Mark and Liang
Headmaster Norman Hoare commented: “Any chance for our super choirs to sing with professional groups is something we promote and to work with this choir is a real privilege. It will be a stunning concert and at the same time reflects this schools pledge to work against unfairness in society and homophobic bullying which we have been praised for on the national stage – including the Department for Education and Stonewall.
Being a newbie Pinkie is an exciting experience: you are welcomed into a new community, full of people who want to know more about you. Imagine how much more exciting it is when you join, not as a singer, but as our conductor! Here some of the Pink Singers put Murray Hipkin, who joins us this season as our musical director, under the spotlight:
Photo credit Oskar Marchock
Frances asks, “How did you find out about the Pink Singers?”
I was at my friend Martin’s 40th birthday party at Kettners a couple of months ago when a small group of Pinkies sang — I was playing the piano for Janie Dee — afterwards I found a slightly upset tenor on the pavement outside the club and gathered that there was a MD-shaped hole in the choir….so the next day I wrote to the chair, offering my services, initially as temporary cover while the search began. In fact, I ended up auditioning for the post.
Max asks, “What appealed to you about conducting the Pink Singers?”
Well, I was already working Monday to Saturday, so I thought I’d collect the full set — for a while I have been quite aware that although I have a lot of gay friends, I’ve never really had a chance to get involved in the wider gay community — and although I spend most of my time working with professional musicians and singers at a very high level (at English National Opera) I love bringing my musical experience and teaching skills as an enabler and motivator into my work with amateur and community groups. (By the way, do remember that the word “professional” should never be used as a measure of standards — all it means is that the musicians were paid…)
Andrew asks, “Now that you’ve been with the Pinkies for a couple of months, what do you like about the choir?”
I love the rule that says that the length of time spent at the pub must exceed the length of time spent rehearsing, but I have also enjoyed making friends with the sopranos and altos — it just happened before that I didn’t know very many gay women — if I’m honest, they used to scare me somewhat, especially in large numbers, but now I’m realising that most of them are not at all frightening…
Photo credit Ben Park
Eve asks, “What do you think the difference is between a regular choir and one that identifies as LGBT?”
Er… what they do in bed, and to whom. (It also has to be said that it is a truth universally acknowledged that in most choirs the altos fancy the conductor.)
Gerry asks, “How are the Pink Singers different from other choirs you’ve conducted in the past?”
I have never worked with a choir that does everything from memory. I’ve always been a sightreader rather than a memoriser and if I had a hat on I would remove it and bow in your general direction as I think you are all amazing learning all those notes. The fact that they usually seem to come out in the right order is particularly impressive.
Jerome (bass) asks, “If you had to pick a favourite section, which one would it be?”
Why, Jerome, the basses, without any doubt at all. (That is, until I’m asked the same question by an alto, because as people keep telling me, I need to keep them sweet…)
Nathalina asks, “What did you want to be when you grew up – have you always wanted to conduct?”
No, I recall wanting to be a forensic pathologist (I was for a while fascinated by dead bodies), then a missionary (God knows why). Eventually I settled on being a piano accompanist (recitals and chamber music), but even that didn’t quite work out and I ended up as a sort of maid-of-all-work in an opera house – apart from a couple of things at school, I didn’t start conducting until I was about 40.
Ben asks, “Could you summarize your professional music experience?”
Er ok; I was the first Trainee Répétiteur at ENO, leading to a permanent job on the Music Staff there — I now coach opera singers, play for rehearsals, act as Assistant Conductor and occasionally conduct performances; otherwise I have had stints of piano–teaching and teaching in a Stage School (Kate Winslet was in my class); among my various freelance operatic and concert contracts in the UK and Europe I can include two projects with Björk, 8 months as Musical Director of “The Sound of Music” at the Palladium, and the Musical Director–ship of the North London Chorus. I have also directed student opera productions and translated two operas for performance in English. (Sorry if this seems very long, but I am very old.)
Photo credit Oskar Marchock
Simon asks, “What kinds of music — opera, classical, musical theatre, contemporary, etc. — do you prefer conducting?”
I’m definitely most at home with vocal music — choral or operatic — I think I am probably what is known in the profession as a “singers’ conductor”, but I had a brilliant time conducting “The Sound of Music” and would love to do another West End show (and my bank manager would support me in this).
Penny asks, “What’s your favourite piece in this season’s repertoire?”
Whichever one we are singing at the time. It’s the only way. Sorry if that’s a bit of a clever-clever answer but there is truth in it; perhaps I should admit to my Sondheim habit now. I once spent a fortnight working with him and one day found an anagram of his name that even he (a crossword fanatic) had never worked out. “Send home the nips” sounds a bit racist but we were doing “Pacific Overtures” which is set in Japan so it was kind of funny at the time. I hope he remembers me for more than that… Oh yes, where were we, it’s “Send in the Clowns”.
Sue asks, “What music — genres, specific pieces — would you like to see the Pink Singers performing?”
As wide a variety as possible. But it‘s clearly important that people are singing what they want to sing and that we try and accommodate all tastes. Whether I like it or not mine are secondary and in any case I‘ve always thought of myself a bit of a musical chameleon and I‘m very versatile (Hsien mentioned that someone had asked about that too — presumably not an alto). But it’s early days and I haven‘t really had time to research all the available arrangements yet. Watch this space.
Jules asks, “Where do you see the choir going under your direction in the future?”
I haven’t come here to try and change the personality of the choir — and the more important question is: where does the choir see itself going? I do want to introduce mentoring for the Assistants Conductors and Accompanists as well as regular vocal workshops for the whole choir with visiting teachers, and maybe sightreading or music theory classes (it’s not rocket science) but let’s get 8 January over with first. Ask me again in 6 months.
Photo credit Ben Park
Michael asks, “If you had to take one opera with you to a desert island, which one would it be?”
This is cheating a bit as it’s really four operas, but can I have Wagner’s “Ring” please… hang on Michael, what’s all this about a desert island…?
Chris asks, “What non-music-related activities do you do in your free time?”
What free time would that be?
Sarah asks, “What are you most looking forward to about your first Pink Singers concert, ‘A Burst of Song’?”
Wearing my new dress shirt (courtesy of Dylon — flamingo pink). And seeing the choir start a new era with a stonking great performance.
And the $64,000 question… Chris asks, “What is your favourite colour?”
Don’t be ridiculous. Chris! (although if you ever visit my bathroom you might notice a similarity between the walls and the afore–mentioned dress shirt).
