Putting on a great choral performance is about making sure that the musical instruments we use, our voices, are in tip top shape. All the Pink Singers love singing, but not all of us know how to create that perfect sound without tiring ourselves out at the same time. Enter the gorgeous Fiona Dobie who took us through a vocal workshop two weeks ago. Here two of our tenors, Simon and Chris, talk about what they learned.
Simon
“Having had vocal training in the past I was looking forward to the choir’s vocal workshop with Fiona. I was not disappointed: Fiona’s teaching style is wonderfully simple but engaging. With such a large group to instruct, Fiona concentrated on the foundations for a strong voice. Starting with posture she has us all getting in touch with our pelvic floor and tucking our ‘tails’ in, a most amusing sight in the studio mirrors! Then came simple warm-up exercises that we can use at home before note-bashing, as well as in rehearsal. Next she tackled sustained breath control – particularly relevant this season as the choir is to perform Samuel Barber’s ‘Agnus Dei’. With the basics covered, Fiona applied what we had learned to some of our current repertoire, ironing out some problems straight away. Continue reading “You’ve got to work that voice”
I was last in Bristol 25 years ago when I was hosting a promotional event for Club 18 – 30 Holidays! Well, that was an intriguing chapter in my life, but this time I’m back with Europe’s longest established LGBT choir and my first trip away with the Pinkies. Everyone’s very excited at our guest appearance with Sing Out Bristol and the chance to preview a whole new bunch of songs that we’re just introducing to the repertoire, but by the time I get to the venue for the afternoon rehearsal the air is stiff with tension and complexions are looking too wan. Ironically, this is the joy of Pinkies folk. We do what we do because it is tremendous fun, but equally there’s a real determination to do it as best as we can. Continue reading “Singing out with Bristol”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHNX8naKolM The Pink Singers had the privilege of being invited to Athens to help celebrate lesbian, gay, bi and trans Pride 2011 with them. We were excited to be going, but little did we know just how thrilling 4 and 5 June would turn out to be. The organizers and the people of Athens made us feel especially welcome, and the thunderstorms quickly gave way to sunshine and the sounds of celebration. Here’s a quick video of that amazing weekend. In keeping with the Athens Pride tagline, “Φίλα Με Παντού”! Continue reading “Athens Pride – kiss me everywhere!”
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.
The Pinkies’ summer season has started, and the winter is now a distant memory. We had a challenging few months, but it all came together and we put on what was for many one of our best concerts ever. Of course, it helped that we were joined on stage by the always-entertaining Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus, and had such lovely photos taken by the guys at Boy Oh Boy photography. Enjoy the slideshow! Continue reading “A burst of song, an album of photos”
