httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FlN0G_y-58
Putting Razzle Dazzle — our summer concert — together was no easy task. This season we decided to celebrate musical icons of the gay and lesbian community. We thought that since we are an LGBT choir it would be easy getting suggestions from the Pinkies. Little did we know that we would be inundated with repertoire ideas, and it surprised even us just how broad the range and quality of music was. Continue reading “Iconic gay and lesbian songs – our choice!”
Category: Blog Page
Bristol-bound!
Go west! Life is peaceful there! Or, at least it will be until the Pink Singers hit Bristol on 18 June 2011.
We were very fortunate to host our amazingly talented and energetic friends from the West Country back in January of last year, and they are repaying us the favour by having us as guests at their own summer concert extravaganza. We can’t wait to see what Sing Out Bristol have in store, and if you are in the area and can’t make it to the Pink Singers’ summer concert, or have been wondering what all the fuss is about, then this is your chance to support one of Europe’s youngest LGBT choirs and see them perform with Europe’s oldest. Continue reading “Bristol-bound!”
Athens Pride
It was warm. The streets were old and welcoming. There was a buzz in the air. We were sitting directly under the magnificent, ancient Acropolis, having dinner at the beginning of our weekend in Athens. The food was amazing. We are the Pink Singers, and we were there to perform in Athens’ 7th Gay Pride Festival.
As it turned out, the weekend couldn’t have gotten much better (or having gone much more smoothly). From the moment we arrived at at the main site for a sound-check on the Saturday afternoon, the organisers were genial, welcoming and inclusive. As we warmed up on stage, the public milled around, smiling and clapping. This was just a sign of things to come.
Back on that stage at sunset, as the opening act for Athens Pride 2011, we were welcomed by thousands of Grecians (and their international friends!) who cheered, clapped, wolf-whistled and swayed as we ripped out repertoire from Sondheim to Madonna; from Sunday to Proud Mary; from Hairspray to West Side Story. We felt special; that we were there for more of a purpose than to simply entertain. We were helping celebrate the cause closest to our hearts and sharing that support with an ancient city.
We ignored the (unimpressive) anti-gay protesters on the side of the road and sang (and danced) as loud and proud as our voices (and our almighty Leader/MD, Murray) would let us.
Upon finishing our set we were escorted through the crowd to the back of a float. We scrambled on, cranked Beyonce, Pink and Lady Gaga on the affixed loud-speaker, and sang and danced as the crowd (allegedly 10,000-odd strong) followed us around the city streets. It was incredible!
Thousands of people smiled, cheered and waved as we cruised along with the other Pride floats. There was brass bands and drummer-girls and costumes and craziness. While Alice (support conductor and singer) leaned off the side of the float, painting the smiling faces of the ancient city with her iconic gay-flag-coloured crayon, Jerome (tour organiser and singer) lead the rest of us in a Pride dance-off. It was mad: if you punched the air (and we did), the crowd followed suit. If you were Rachel (choreographer and singer), they even wanted to kiss you! The feeling of support and oneness with those around us was unprecedented.
Back at the main festival site, we spent the rest of the evening watching the other acts and enjoying the incredible hospitality of the organisers and volunteers of Athens Pride 2011. The love and support shown was definitely in keeping with the festival’s slogan for the year, “Kiss Me Everywhere”. A big, big ‘thank you’ to all involved and for inviting us to be a part. It was a weekend that the Pinkies will never forget.
Emma
Timeline datestamp: 04 June 2011
The ones that got away…
By now you will no doubt have seen the poster design for Razzle Dazzle, our summer concert, and you will be seeing a lot more of that imagery in the lead up to the show and at the show itself. With Razzle Dazzle, the Pinkies are taking a slightly different approach — you’ll hear the same variety of music from classical to pop, and the same tight harmonies as always, but this time we are pulling it all together with a performance themed around the cabarets of Paris, and focusing on icons of LGBT music.
This time too, we wanted a strong graphic and put out a design brief, asking for images which encapsulate these ideas. We were totally overwhelmed by the quality of the submissions from both within and without the choir, and making that final decision was a tough one. After much deliberation we chose Paul’s design because not only was it visually striking, it captured the themes we are trying to convey, and it works well in the different places we are going to use it. This is not to say that the others were not as wonderful, and we thought it would be a shame if no-one ever saw them, so here you will find a gallery of alternative Razzle Dazzle posters of which we are both proud and grateful. Continue reading “The ones that got away…”
In a country where the grape is grown
Ah Greece! Land of Achilles and Patroclus, of Hercules and Abderus, and the backdrop for Shirley Valentine. So pour the ouzo, play the bouzouki and celebrate Pride through the ages with us.
The Pinkies are honoured to be the guests of Athens Gay Pride this year and will be singing in the streets of Athens and on the main Pride stage on the weekend of 3–4 June. A small but ultra–excited contingent will represent the choir in a country we’ve saved till now to visit. Despite the mecca of Mykonos, gay life in Greece can be pretty quiet, so if you fancy an impromptu city trip for a bit of fun and culture, and want to show the Athenians your support, come along! Continue reading “In a country where the grape is grown”