‘One Night Only’ was alto Nicki’s first experience of performing with the Pinkies. Here she relives how she ‘popped her cherry’ and why she’ll be back for more! Performing with the Pink Singers on 4th June was my first concert in over 20 years and what a way to re-ignite my passion for music. All those years ago I studied piano at the Royal College of Music but I wasn’t one of the stars and unfortunately the experience sapped my confidence and with it my love of music. For the past couple of years I’d started to think about doing something musical and had thought about joining a choir, but I didn’t want anything too stuffy or serious. So soon after a friend of mine suggested that joining the Pink Singers would be a laugh, there I was auditioning. Anyone who knows me knows that I love my cheesy music and never miss an opportunity for karaoke, and so I guess it was inevitable that I’d love the choir experience and performing in my first concert. Tech rehearsal! The day of the concert itself was long, but I wouldn’t have changed any of it. We started the rehearsal and sound check at 12.30 and with only about an hour’s break before the concert we were already shattered and I can’t imagine how those of the choir who had built the stage beforehand were feeling. It must have been pure adrenaline that kept us all going. Just before the concert there was a ‘cherry-popping’ session where all of us newbies were given our pink rose – and we had the chance to get 1 of our 5 a day! My first hurdle was getting onto the stage, which was alright on the night. Thankfully we had the rehearsal first and this was my opportunity to trip over the speaker without too many people seeing.
When we finished the opening number and I hadn’t messed up the choreography and the audience broke out into hearty applause, I knew it was going to be OK. Despite several things going wrong in the run through somehow it all came together and between us we remembered all the notes and the words. The soloists and compéres did an amazing job, and one of my friends even said that no-one got the dance moves wrong. I’m not sure that’s true, but if the audience didn’t notice we’re not saying anything….
This season’s newbies, popping their Pinkie cherries!
I had persuaded my mum and stepfather to come along on the night. My mum is very supportive, but bearing in mind that she is definitely not into choirs and got 9% in her school music exam I was nervous to know what they would make of it. I needn’t have worried though because I’ve never seen them so enthusiastic, and it continued for a good 30 minutes on the phone the following day! They run an active retirement group, so maybe I’ll get them to book a coach load next time!
And it wasn’t only friends and family that were so positive – this testimonial came from someone who signed up via Meet Up and who presumably didn’t know any of us in the choir:
“The most professional, uplifting evening I’ve been to in years. And I’m a pro musician. Fabulous and more. I didn’t want it to end…”
So with the concert over and us all on a high and it was time for the after show party.
Although I’ve only been with the choir for a few months I’ve already been to a couple of the parties and I had an idea of what was to come. Like any classically trained musician the play list contained all my favourite tunes and I was able to continue my singing and silly dancing all night.
The play list had clearly been selected to include every choreographed song that the choir had ever done. At one point I found myself surrounded by about 50 people all swooping down around me as “Ain’t no mountain high enough” belted out of the speakers.
I escaped early – at about 2am – because I knew I had to be up for the Pinkies brunch the next day. There’s officially no rest for a Pinkie….
So with just one season in the bag I can see why the choir is so important to its members on so many levels. I can also see why I was told “We’re like a cult, once you join you can never leave”!
The choir perform the first anthem ever commissioned for London’s Pride festival, ‘Together’ by Seán Doherty and Duncan Day, on the main stage in Trafalgar Square. Sopranos Abigail and Clare have taken part in London Pride before, but not with the Pinkies. Here are their accounts of what it meant to them.
Abigail:
I don’t often start my Saturdays at 7am, but on the 25 June I made an exception. With a 9:45am call time for the Pinkies’ sound check on the stage in Trafalgar Square, I could barely sleep the night before!
There was something very surreal about the whole day. It was my third Pride, but my first with the Pink Singers, and I was right to be excited. The day began with singing 90 seconds of Pride in London’s 2016 anthem on stage whilst wondering if it was really happening, and it only got better.
As for many in the LGBT+ community, Pride is one of the highlights of my year. Apart from the fact that it gives me a chance to wear a sequined corset, neon fishnets and a rainbow tutu in public without feeling out of place, it’s the one day of the year that the whole city is out of force, singing, chanting, marching and even just standing in solidarity with the ‘controversial’ idea that everyone should have the right to be themselves and love who they love. And my goodness was I ready to sing.
The singing started long before the marching for us! As we gathered near the head of the parade waiting to start off, we couldn’t help doing a few performances for our neighbours – including a particularly special rendition of Blow Gabriel Blow accompanied by the London Gay Symphonic Winds.
The thing which really stood out to me about the parade itself (apart from the fact that I was part of a 90-voice LGBT+ choir singing as we marched through central London, of course) was that we were right behind the US Embassy’s bus.
At Pride 2015, I marched with Keshet UK, is a Jewish LGBT charity, and we found ourselves near the US Embassy bus as well, but the circumstances felt very different. Last year, Pride was happening the day after the US Supreme Court ruling on equalising marriage, and the air was full of celebration. This year, we were marching in the shadow of 49 of our family being murdered in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando fewer than two weeks before.
It’s amazing, though, the show of strength everyone experienced. Orlando was in everyone’s minds, but showing that everything continues as normal was, for me, the most important thing for our community to do.
It was a powerful statement for us as a choir, then, when we stepped up on the Trafalgar Square stage later that afternoon to sing the specially-commissioned anthem Together. The song speaks of honouring those before us who fought (and sometimes died) for our freedoms, but also of looking to the future with hope for what’s to come. There could never be a more important message to send out in light of recent events:
Together we have the chance to be who we are,
Together we are stronger,
Together we are Pride.
For me personally, I am so grateful that I got to spend so much of Pride with the Pinkies. June, which began with our summer concert and also had the impromptu #SingForOrlando benefit concert, ended with us singing in front of thousands in central London. Pride took me full circle, as I first heard of the Pinkies two years ago when I saw them perform at Pride 2014, my first Pride. Now I get to stand with them, Together.
Clare:
Clare at the front of the march!
I’ve gone to London Pride before but only as a spectator. Since coming out I’ve always wanted to march in the parade but never had the opportunity till now. Since Joining the Pink Singers last season I’ve been involved with many gigs and concerts but this was different. I had the chance to march in the parade to be a part of something truly amazing. from beginning to end. It certainly lived up to its expectation plus the weather held out to.
I decided to march at the front of the parade; I wanted to stand tall be proud of who I was and what I was part of. I felt famous waving to the crowds that have gathered to witness this special day. It felt great reliving some of the concert songs plus having the audience join in was really special.
Everyone was really supportive and I couldn’t help but take lots of selfies! The Pink Singers made Pride a very special day for me and I will look forward to what’s ahead.
Please join us in solidarity on Monday night. Five of the UK’s leading choirs come together for one evening in support of the LGBT community and to raise funds for the families mourning the loss of their loved ones. All proceeds from the event will be distributed directly to the Orlando victims’ families in conjunction with Equality Florida’s ‘Pulse Victims Fund’. Performances by: The Adam Street Singers – https://twitter.com/AdamStSingers Pink Singers – https://twitter.com/PinkSingers Diversity Choir – https://twitter.com/DiversityChoir Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir – https://twitter.com/Choir_NHS London Gay Men’s Chorus – https://twitter.com/LDNGMC Monday 20 June 7:30pm (doors 7pm) St Pancras Church, Upper Woburn Place, near Euston Tickets £10 available from: http://bit.do/SingForOrlando
Long-standing soprano, Sally-Anne, joined the Pink Singers for a weekend of song in Dublin as part of the Dublin “GAZE” LGBT film festival. Here’s her ‘gloria’ous’ account.
The Pinkies spent the weekend of 18 – 19 June as guests of our wonderful friends “Gloria”, and had the opportunity to sing at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, along with the RTE Orchestra.
I am very proud to have been a part of that amazing experience. We have a very special relationship with Gloria – they have sung with us in London at one of our Cadogan Hall concerts and they are a lovely friendly, kind and generous bunch of people.
Whilst we were there, they organised an after show party, hosted a picnic (which unfortunately I missed as I had to get back to the UK to the cats -I would probably have drunk too much Pinot Grigio anyway…) and even gave us some of their CDs.
The National Concert Hall is a truly fabulous venue and it was an amazing experience to sing there, as well as having the privilege of performing with the RTE Orchestra. It was, as usual, an afternoon of hard work prior to the concert, but we were well looked after by the kind lady in the “Artist’s Bar” and topped up with tea and cakes.
It was really exciting to hear a full concert arrangement of two of one basses, Chris Chambers’ arrangements. They sounded incredible. The show was beautifully performed by the Pinkies and we had a really enthusiastic audience. Even better though, there was also an announcement of the forthcoming marriage of two women who were sitting in the balcony seats from a delighted compère!
It was an evening of fun, inclusiveness – and quality music – which I was proud to be a part of. I am delighted that we were invited to be involved and it was a pleasure to be in Dublin again with my Pinkie family. Thank you to our special friends “Gloria” for making us so welcome. Dublin has a very special place in my heart – as do the Pink Singers. Can we go back soon please?!
At the London vigil last night, we sang ‘Hand In Hand’, a song we learned from the Orlando Gay Chorus back in 1996. Philip (dressed in pink in the photo below), remembers how they moved us back at the GALA Tampa gay choral festival that year. We sang it for them yesterday and hope it gives them the strength it once gave us.
Observing the two minute silence at the vigil: Thousands of people turned out to show their support: Tributes at St. Anne’s Church, Soho: See more photos on our Facebook page. #WeStandWithOrlando
‘One Night Only’ was alto Nicki’s first experience of performing with the Pinkies. Here she relives how she ‘popped her cherry’ and why she’ll be back for more!
Observing the two minute silence at the vigil:
