Merry Christmas One And All!

A Christmas wish from the Pink Insider to all Pink Singers, new and old, active and dormant, and to all readers of In The Pink(ies): may happiness, love and peace be with you and your loved ones this season and in the year to come. I thought I'd share with you two of my favourite carols, both by John Rutter. I know Paul G likes them too; we've both been pushing for their entry into the winter 2008 repertoire. They are religious in tone, but Rutter himself is not a religious man. Instead he is inspired by spirituality - and thank goodness he is, for he produces some great choral music!

The video below is of Angels' Carol - my current favourite. It is a very popular choral work, at least judging by YouTube standards. I've selected what I think is the best of the bunch, but there are multiple different versions, mainly performed by church choirs, including an SATB version valiantly sung by a Korean group with only three tenors and four basses and one by a quartet from Rio de Janeiro, and an SSA arrangement performed by boys and girls (weird pronunciation and all - Gloria in excelsis Deeeooo?) in Hong Kong, and two mixed children's choirs in America. The lyrics follow, if you'd like to sing along:

Have you heard the sound of the angel voices,
Ringing out so sweetly, ringing out so clear?
Have you seen the star shining out so brightly,
As a sign from God that Christ the Lord is here!

Have you heard the news that they bring from heaven,
To the humble shepherds who have waited long?
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels sing their joyful song.

He is come in peace in the winter's stillness,
Like a gentle snowfall in the gentle night.
He is come in joy, like the sun at morning,
Filling all the world with radiance and with light.

He is come in love as the child of Mary,
In a simple stable we have seen his birth.
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels singing 'Peace on earth'.

He will bring new light to a world in darkness,
Like a bright star shining in the skies above.
He will bring new hope to the waiting nations,
When he comes to reign in purity and love.

Let the earth rejoice at the Saviour's coming,
Let the heavens answer with the joyful morn:
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels singing, 'Christ is born',
Hear the angels singing, 'Christ is born'.

This second carol is What Sweeter Music, whose lyrics are based on a poem by Robert Herrick. I have to say that the version below is not sung quite so well as the version I have on CD, but it sure beats the other video I tracked down on YouTube performed by what I presume is a Vietamese choir since the girls are wearing the áo dài. Their harsh but oh-so-sadly deserved feedback on YouTube includes "Wow tenors, learn how to sing please. This was so out of tune." and "It made me tear up... and not in a good way."

What sweeter music can we bring,
Than a carol, for to sing,
The birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!

Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honour to this day,
That sees December turn'd to May,
That sees December turn'd to May.

Why does the chilling winter's morn,
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell, like a meadow newly shorn,
Thus, on the sudden? Come and see,
The cause, why things thus fragrant be:

'Tis He is born, whose quick'ning birth,
Gives life and luster, public mirth,
To heaven and the under-earth.

We see Him come, and know Him ours,
Who, with His sunshine, and His show'rs,
Turns all the patient ground to flow'rs,
Turns all the patient ground to flow'rs.

The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room,
To welcome Him, to welcome Him.

The nobler part of all the house here,
Is the heart,
Which we will give Him; and bequeath,
This holly and this ivy wreath,
To do Him honour; who's our King,
And Lord of all this revelling.

What sweeter music can we bring,
Than a carol, for to sing,
The birth of this our heavenly King?
The birth of this our heavenly King?

Both this video and the one I've not embedded are salutory lessions in how difficult it can be to develop a mature choral sound. One breath, cover those vowels and keep them round and long, dipthongs to the very end of the note please! All choirs need the same reminders: take a look at these rehearsal videos captured from the viewpoint of an alto of a very generously proportioned man conducting an Australian choir. Musically it is better, but the visuals leave something to be desired!

You Have A What?!

Yes, In The Pink(ies) now has a favicon! "What the hell is that?" I hear you ask. Well, it is that little logo which appears in the address bar or the tabs of your web browser (Firefox or Internet Explorer 7 - I'm not sure whether Internet Explorer 6 does this), and acts as a visual reminder of the site you are on. They are especially handy if, like me, you have a huge list of bookmarks because you can see by glancing at the bookmark's favicon where the particular one you are looking for is.

So, the next time you visit, or check up your bookmarks (you do have this site bookmarked, don't you?), be sure to take note of the Pink Insider peeping at you from the top of the page!

Amour And More: Tickets On Sale!

It is finally here! One month to go before the Pink Singers winter concert, and you can get your tickets on line. For just £12, £10 concessions, you'll get all the fabulous harmonies of the Pink Singers, and our special guests (and special friends) Equivox from France. And you'll get a chance to hear how Dies Irae and Hymne A L'Amour finally turn out (damn well of course!), despite my incessant rants about them on this blog...

The details:

Saturday 19th January 2008
7.30pm
Duke's Hall
Royal Academy of Music
Marylebone
London NW1 5HT

What are you waiting for? Get your tickets here!

Thoughts On The Pink Singers At 25: Music

2008 will mark my fifth year in the Pink Singers. This puts me just about in the middle of the active choir by length of membership, but I am still wet behind the ears in the grander scheme of things. Indeed, on the 7th of April 2008 the Pink Singers will be celebrating our 25th birthday. Yes, it will be a quarter century since London's lesbian and gay community choir was created to add some music to the London Pride march of 1983. And no, that's not a photo of me, but of the very handsome James M!

As Philip R is fond of saying, we’ve been going longer than the Allied carpet sale, and the Pinkies are, I believe, Europe’s longest running gay and lesbian choir. Naturally, in that time, the Pink Singers have undergone a number of changes – the Pinkies in 2008 are marginally more organized than the motley crew of 1983 for instance – but the twin cores of our existence: music and community still remain and are better and stronger than ever.

This post started out as a short piece on my thoughts on the Pink Singers: my experience of where we’ve come from, where we are now and my ideas on where we could be headed in the next 25 years. But there really is so much to say that I’ve split it into separate parts, one on music and one on the community. What are your views? Leave a comment!

A very brief history of time

A couple of years ago, Liang and I got together to catalogue the music the Pinkies have performed since the very beginning, or at least the music which Michael has accumulated over his 23 year stint in the Pink Singers. We sifted through eight huge lever-arch folders to create the spreadsheet (available on the Pinkies Yahoo! Group, if you have access), and as you might imagine, our complete repertoire is constantly being added to, and now numbers in the hundreds of songs.

It is a real treasure trove, not only for the music itself, but because its history is also a chronology of our choir. The very earliest music was about lesbian and gay issues and consisted largely of popular tunes where the lyrics were appropriated to serve a cause (Chorus of the Lesbians and Gays instead of Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves anyone?). Some of it is tongue-in-cheek amusing, some deadly serious; our repertoire spans an era which includes Thatcher, Section 28, the AIDS epidemic and the attenuation and renaissance of gay pride. There are many, many pieces, written or arranged, bearing the names of Pinkies who still remember being in the Pink Singers with fondness, and those who are no longer with us. I remember noting that as the choir used to be male dominant with just a few altos and no sopranos, much of the music was arranged for ATB or even TTBB. Our now traditional SATB setup is a relatively new phenomenon.

Since that time the choir has increased in size, society has changed around us, and so has the music we perform. While we continue to sing music we enjoy, it seems to me that our focus is now less about being overtly strident on LGBT issues and more about showing that we are a great choir regardless of whether we are gay or not. This phenomenon is largely true of most LGBT groups where the standard, even for amateurs, is often reassuringly high.

While it is important to recognize all our former musical directors, especially for nurturing the nascent and fragile group in the early years, this gradual shift in emphasis is due in large part to a decade’s worth of Mladen, our current musical director, who has stamped his mark on the Pink Singers. This has not always been without resistance, and Mladen’s occasionally concise style can be mistaken for brusqueness, but there is no denying that his carrot and stick approach has certainly improved our technical precision as a choir. I really do appreciate it, particularly when we perform with other choirs at concerts or festivals when a comparison is almost inevitable.

The other factor which I think has contributed to our ascent is the increased longevity of members of the choir. I can only speak from my relatively short experience of the Pink Singers, but the seasonal attrition rate has diminished, whereas the devotees who stay year in and year out has definitely climbed. Our choir is larger than ever due to an ever increasing core of stalwarts. Like a baby, it takes at least nine months for our performances to gestate (much longer than a single season) which explains why a new piece usually spans two seasons before we get it right. The persistence of more experienced members within the choir means more people know the music, which in turn helps new members along.

Members stick around because the atmosphere is great in the Pinkies. The Pink Singers are a friendly bunch and nothing beats the thrill of putting on a show together. Coming back from the World AIDS Day gig and a wonderful performance in Paris, I am of course inclined to think more highly of us, but there is a real sense of camaraderie and, without – I hope – sounding too corny, a sense of cohesiveness which contributes to our singing.

Reputations and repertoires

One of our musical strengths is our tight harmony, but such precision does not come without hard work. Within the choir, there are some people who read music and some who don’t, just as there are members who can pick up a tune having sung through it once, while there are some who have to keep rehearsing until the tune sticks. And being quick to learn the notes doesn’t mean being quick to know the words, just as being good at singing does not necessarily mean being good at dancing.

Keeping everyone happy is no easy task. Currently, musical support for our members comes via our Sunday practice, especially with the split sectional rehearsals, and at home with sheet music and rehearsal piano tracks. Not everyone uses these tracks to practise, but for some members it is absolutely essential, and getting the CDs out in a timely manner is important for these Pinkies. Choreography also takes time for those of us (me!) with spatial impediments, and although I know it contributes immensely to our stage presence, it may be an idea to not spring movements on the audience until we have had a chance to hone our moves over at least a season.

The other side of the coin is how much work people put into rehearsal themselves. I know Hester goes for her own voice classes and, on top of that, practises in what seems like every free moment, even when she is attending conferences overseas! Like a saddo, I walk around with my mp3 player, listening not to the charts, but to Michael banging away on the keyboard. The thing is, for me it isn’t a chore – I get off on the satisfaction of hearing the choir come together and my tiny contribution to that.

Our other great strength musically is the diversity of our repertoire. In Paris for instance, we performed some classical, both old (Bruckner) and new (Jenkins), some pop (Come What May, ABBA Pink etc.), showtunes (Wash That Man) and some jazz (Big Band Bash). Next season Michael tells me we will be doing a bit of gospel as well. Not only does it keep the audience entertained, it keeps us from getting bored with what we’re singing. There is literally something for everyone.

The way the music for each season is chosen is quite democratic: everyone can suggest what they want to sing. When I Fall In Love which we are performing this season is, for instance, the result of Simon’s suggestion from last year; I was with him when we paid a visit to Chappell to track down the sheet music. It was Liang’s inspiration after watching a film on Edith Piaf which led to Hymne A L’Amour. And I think it was Tanya who wanted us to sing Diamonds Are Girl’s Best Friend because the tenors and basses were getting all the attention from Wash That Man. Correct me if I’m wrong!

I’ll be the first to admit that not everyone likes all the music all the time, but the fact is that if you don’t like a particular piece you can suggest something which you do like. The ultimate decision lies with the musical directors, but it sure helps if you can provide them with the sheet music in an SATB arrangement and preferably a recording of someone actually singing the piece. That’s how my own suggestion of Karl Jenkin’s Requiem entered our repertoire last season. Even better, if you write or arrange your own music, the Pinkies will almost definitely give it a shot. As everyone has different musical tastes, it keeps our repertoire diverse.

That versatility is not something which comes easy: performing Wash That Man calls for a very different vocal quality than, say, Bruckner’s Afferentur. Our timbre, especially in the more formal pieces, could be better shaped, or as Mladen likes to call it, “more mature”. In addition to that, it would be useful to be schooled in the basics of singing: breathing, projection and pronunciation. Last season we were fortunate to have some vocal training, and I hope that such coaching will become a regular feature because I found it really useful.

As for our dynamics, well, we are getting better, but there is a long way to go yet. I’d say our range is currently from mezzo piano to fortissimo; the quieter passages still elude us. We are capable of hushed singing – when Babette from Equivox told us to sing that sotto voce passage from Let The Sunshine In (“Manchester England England”) in a pianissimo, it was the quietest I had ever heard us perform!

The best is yet to be

In the last quarter century the Pink Singers have come so far musically. I am honoured to have been on that journey for five of those years, and am incredibly proud of where we are at the moment. At the same time, however, I also think we can be even better. Here’s looking forward to the next 25 years! A future post will be about that second, and arguably more important, part of the Pinkies: community.

P.S. All photos here courtesy of Mark Weeks.

Hitting A New Lo!

It is that time of the year again. Christmastide is upon us, as is the season of carol concerts. I went to one last week in the City, and on Saturday attended a second carol service in Coventry Cathedral. As you might imagine I really enjoy choral singing, both as a member of a choir, and as one of those annoying people in the congregation who sings just a little bit too loudly in your ear in church. I also love all the old English that gets trotted out at this time - when else can you use the word "lo!" in general conversation for instance? Handy little word though...

Carol services by and large tend to follow the pattern of opening with O Come All Ye Faithful and ending with Hark The Herald Angels Sing. I love both songs, especially the wonderful crescendo and descants of the last verse of Herald Angels, but what interests me more is the choice of songs in between.

The Conventry boys choristers, for instance, performed This Little Babe which the Pink Singers performed last winter, a particularly difficult piece from Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols. Of course they performed the SSA version, while ours was an SATB arrangement, and they also performed it at about half the speed we did. It was pleasant but not hugely impressive. This is one song I think we did better.

Coventry cathedral is a bit unusual in also having girl choristers, and they performed two of John Rutter's Christmas Carols. Both are beautiful and amongst my favourites: Angels' Carol and Star Carol. Seeing as how we may be performing a Christmas themed concert next year, I hope both these carols will be in our repertoire. The other song which I really love is What Sweeter Music and hope that that too will be included in Winter 2008.

Junk Mail In Modern Times

Unlike spam, junk mail is something which I can't simply filter out. Every morning I wake to find two or three items of unsolicited post in my mailbox, largely from real estate agencies keen on buying my flat. I guess I should be grateful for the interest, but I just find it annoying, even more so with behaviourial modifications I've had to make for the sake of modern considerations. I'll explain.

In the past, the mail used to go from the mailbox straight into the rubbish bin. Of course, nowadays, I realise that if it ends up in some waste mountain I am not only polluting the environment, I am causing some poor tree somewhere to give up its life for the benefit of making me aware of a new pizza parlour opening round the corner which does home deliveries. So of course, I have to recycle the junk mail.

Then of course, we are constantly told that we need to be vigilant that our identities are not stolen, and that addresses and all other personal information must be shredded. My shredder can't take the full thinkness of an envelope and its contents which means that I actually have to open my junk mail so that my address can be pulverized.

So, from junk mail arrives to junk mail is chucked out, my current pattern is junk mail arrives, I open frickin' junk mail, I shred the damned envelope and then I recycle both the contents and the shredded envelope. I have to say that I totally resent the extra effort involved for a piece of paper I never even asked for.

Grrr!

P.S. If you were wondering, the picture is of the hamster powered paper shredder: the hamster runs around and makes its own litter. How cool is that!

Oh Paris!

In a first for me I am writing a blog post on the train on the way back from Paris. Now the weekend is over, I can look back on it with a mixture of relief and contentment but the feeling on Friday morning was quite different.

There was, first of all, the excitement of simply departing from the new Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras; and what a beauty it is. Having a coffee at the platform level and seeing the blue sky shining through the glass roof of the train shed, itself supported by sky blue ironwork was of itself an amazing experience, made better only by the wonderful and not so expensive bacon butties with tomato chutney of the Baby Betjamin café.

In contrast to the good weather in London, Paris couldn't have been damper. Clouds rolled in shortly after the tunnel crossing, and by the time we arrived at the Gare du Nord, a full storm was underway. As we arrived in the early afternoon and our host was still working, we had a couple of hours to kill. Liang, Simon and I spent it in a random brasserie: hamburgers seem to taste so much better when they are called steak haché!

Our hosts were a lovely couple called Stéphane, a long-serving tenor in Equivox, and Harald his partner (a.k.a. choir widow) originally from Vienna. Not having known anything about them before going, apart from their names, I was pleased to see that we were very similar in age and temperament. In fact, Simon and I could not have asked for more gracious hosts, and made better friends, over our time in Paris.

After settling in, we took them out to dinner at their local restaurant called La Domaine Léopold which specializes in simple rustic food from the area around Toulouse. Harald and Stéphane are obvious regulars because we were treated to free aperitifs and a wonderful starter of the most amazing warmed fois gras I have ever had. Just don't think about the duck. We were supposed to meet the other Pink Singers at the Open Café later, but as both the wine and conversation were flowing so well, we decided not to interrupt either.

The next morning was largely filled with preparations for the concert. We met Philip G and Michael for lunch at a bistro next to the town hall and were joined by Ben P, Sue, Liang and his host, also called Stéphane, so it became a rather impromptu party.

The Pinkies are very much like a large extended family, and gathering in one of the side chambers in the town hall for the warm-up was therefore akin to a family reunion. We have only been apart for six days, but you just couldn't avoid the "How've you been? What have you been up to? Where did you get that pink accessory?" type questions. To complete the picture, Liang's and Mike's cameras were out in force, as was Celso's, so I cannot be accused of being the only photo addict!

The first real contact with Equivox was when we watched them perform on stage for the first of the two concerts. Their musical director, Babette, has definitely put her mark on the choir, and their incredible stage presence, theatricality and enthusiasm reflects her own background in street performance. Watching Equivox perform is a real spectacle, and although their outfits are more restrained than previous years (their current theme being a summer party), their stage presence cannot be denied. This is as much their signature as (I hope) musical fidelity is for the Pink Singers.

A minor upset occurred after Equivox had finished their set. We were under the impression that there was to be an interval, but when the compere began doing our introduction we vacated the seats at the back of the hall and trooped on stage. It is not easy going from being unprepared to launching into Dies Irae! I was especially impressed at the comedy double act of Johanthon and Philip R who managed to get the audience laughing and applauding in their bilingual introduction, no mean feat!

The stage itself was very small and apparently has safety regulations limiting the number to a maximum of 42 at only one time on it. That explains why Equivox singers took it in turn to sing in either concert. Even with only 40 Pinkies (and Mladen) there was a bit of a squeeze and I was in the fourth of five rows when normally I am in the third of four. The cosiness meant that I was singing into Liang's right ear and Celso was singing into my left, and I have to say that it the tenors sounded pretty tight as a result. In fact, the whole choir sounded really polished, and if anything the second performance was even better than the first because we were more relaxed. The usual adrenaline rush after a concert wore off by the time I was on stage for the second time, so I must admit I also enjoyed it much more. The break between performances also gave Philip G, who was already showing off his long, toned, stockinged legs, a chance to experiment with novel decorative uses of a feather boa…

The Parisian audience really loved our attempt at the French songs Dirait'on and Hymne a l'amour and the applause and whoops were very reassuring. So I was slightly amused, and partly deflated, when Stéphane said we were very "charming with our English accents". Aww, I was trying so hard too to "parlez la Francais" [sic]. The audience were also very generous in their donations, and by the end of the night we had raised €1,500 for Sidaction, the organization fighting AIDS in France.

The after-party was a mad rush through the rain to a venue called Le Tango, Paris’ (and probably France’s) only gay and lesbian dance hall. There was something somewhat surreal about getting ready for a night out in your jeans and T-shirt finery, to arrive at the venue where couples are doing the Viennese waltz around the dance floor. Clearly it is really popular, but being timorous souls and having four left feet between us, Simon and I elected to spend most of the evening nursing our beers and watching from the side. This did not stop Stéphane for whom Le Tango is virtually a second home. Where does he get the energy! I did get a chance to chat with one of the new altos, Christine, who for some reason I kept introducing to other people by a completely different name most of the evening – sorry about that Christine! Later that evening the music turned to Eurotrash (eek!) and then to 80s English pop, so not much of an improvement then!

The next morning it was with some difficulty, entirely self-induced, that we made it to the venue where the group brunch was to be held. This is where Equivox normally rehearses, and is a primary school near to where we were staying. Ah the mem’ries of small, low, tightly-packed and rather stinky urinals… Stéphane took Simon and I on an abbreviated tour of some of the arcades in Paris, these elaborate and often sealed short-cuts through the buildings between streets; by the time we got there a spread had been laid out. What was better was the chance to chat with some of the members of Equivox like Florian (Stéphane's - Liang’s host’s - partner), Karim (who is the only bloke singing in the altos) and Marc, a rather studious-looking and musically knowledgeable chap.

It is always good to hear feedback from other choirs. I am very much a perfectionist, and I always go back over my own, and the choir’s, performance with a fine-tooth comb to pick out the mistakes made and identify areas for improvement. So I can be quite a downer sometimes, and it was a timely reminder that the Pink Singers really are very good, and we do have a clean, tight and very polished sound, and one that impresses other choirs! We had a chance to whip out that sound again in a spontaneous sing off between Equivox and us, and then reprised Let The Sunshine In which metamorphosed into a conga line snaking around the hall. What fun!

All too soon it was time to get back on the Eurostar to return to London. Unlike Paris, it wasn’t raining when we got back in, thank goodness for small mercies, but for dinner I defrosted a pizza; it certainly ain’t no fois gras! Sigh…

An Ad For Various Voices London 2009

I've been a little busy lately, mainly because of my involvement with Various Voices London 2009. For those of you who don't know about Various Voices, it is the once-every-four-years gathering of virtually all the LGBT choirs in Europe, and international guests. The last one was in Paris in 2005, and it was a smash. Nothing beats the feeling of taking over a city for four days with other people of like minds, and the experience of performances, spontaneous singing and camaraderie is unbeaten.

In London of course, we are lucky to be joined on the LGBT choir platform by the London Gay Men's Chorus and Diversity. London is large enough, and varied enough, to sustain three excellent choirs, with very different musical styles. Indeed there are even more LGBT choirs than that in London, although they are not as well known. However, the three main choirs have come together to form Team London, the organising body for the next Various Voices festival in London in 2009.

The London choirs, of course, are part of Sing Out, the wider network of lesbian and gay choirs in the U.K. and Ireland, and in the even larger body of LeGaTo, the association of LGBT choirs in Europe. LeGaTo is actually short for "Lesbians and Gays Singing Together", so if you want to be pernickity the acronym should really be LeGaSiTo, but that would make no sense would it?

Obviously, we're off to Paris to enjoy the delights of the city, and to perform with Equivox, but our trip also represents another opportunity to cement the ties we have with other choirs in Europe. If you get a chance, hop on over to the Various Voices London 2009 website, it is undergoing rapid development as we speak. And if you have your own website or blog, please, please, link to it. The Pink Insider would be most grateful.

If you want to be a part of Team London then just get in touch with Adam (in the basses) or Simon (in the tenors), or email the team. Meetings are one evening a month, and we could sure use some help!

An Alternative Pink Christmas Party

The Pink Singers don't ordinarily have a formal Christmas Party, but this year, thanks to Mike's involvement with the Royal Vauxhall tavern, we are thinking of heading down there for food, a bit of a drink and a boogie. The night actually sounds really cool - there is some good music, live acts and at the end of the evening, a chance to jam together. Bring your own instruments!

The details:

Diversion
8pm Friday 14th December 2007
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern
372 Kenington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11 5HY
£6 to Pink Singers

See you there!

That's It! Bonjour Paris!

Yep. The last rehearsal before Paris - we perform on Saturday! - and it was a good one. The harmonies are sounding tight, the dynamics are more or less in place and perhaps most importantly, we are starting to look like we are enjoying being on stage rather than looking terrified. There are some songs like Big Band Bash and ABBA Pink which you almost can't help but dance along to. Of course ABBA has its own choreography, but Big Band Bash, which has no formal moves, is one song which really gets you tapping your feet - and we do!

The other song which, surprisingly, has that foot-tapping quality is Dies Irae with its aggressive vocals and furious rhythm. Unfortunately, as expected, it is incredibly difficult to learn the lyrics, so instead of a looking "evil" (Mladen's words) we look more like we are concentrating on what words are coming next. Mladen tested each of the sections on our knowledge of the lyrics yesterday; thanks to Johnathon's hood, Celso cunningly managed to sing the lyrics with no obvious sheet music (see picture!).

The biggie last evening was the choreography rehearsal for Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend. We're not doing this in Paris, but it is going to be in the winter concert on the 19th of January. Some of the moves are sexy, some border on the risqué, but the sops and altos really threw themselves into it. I must say that I was especially impressed with Karin and Cilla for whom the moves seemed to come naturally. The two choreographers were pretty good too and seemed to be aware of the limitations of our choir - especially the inability for us to move legs and arms at the same time! - and steered adroitly around them.

Off to Paris on Friday morning! Phillip, Simon, Liang and I are checking in early and grabbing a champagne breakfast before heading off. Hey you only live once! The next time (most of) the choir meets we will be in L'Open Café. See you there Friday night!

P.S. The sheer number of exclamation marks in this post belies! my! excitement!

Band Of Bears Debut

Ritchie's "amply formed choir", Band of Bears, is performing at the BearHug Christmas event this Sunday. Should be a good show, Ritchie, one of the resting basses, has a really warm voice. I don't fit into the bear demographic, but have to say that of all the gay communities, I think they are the most fun. I'm sure a posse will get together after rehearsal on Sunday to troop down there.

The deets:

Doors open 5pm, 'on stage' at around 8pm.
Hot Festive food will be provided.
Door Entry for non-members is £3.
Bromptons, 294 Old Brompton Road, Earls Court.
Earls Court Tube (exhibition exit).

Of Rowdiness And Reflection

I really enjoy singing with the Pinkies, and performing gives me a buzz I get excited about. But last night's gig with the small group was tempered by the knowledge that it was for World AIDS day. As has become near traditional now, we were supporting Positive Rainbow, a wonderful group providing assistance for people with AIDS in north London. Every year the story is the same though: government funding is steadily being cut for organizations just like this.

On the one hand, the battle against AIDS appears to be turning the tide. Sitting on the Victoria line on the way up to the White Hart pub where we performed, I read an article on the epidemic in the Economist which argues that since people are living longer with AIDS, and the overall number of people with AIDS has actually decreased, the epidemic has peaked. I am hoping against hope that this is the case, and I can see why the government has made AIDS less of a priority as a result, but the numbers mean nothing to an individual with the disease, or groups like Positive Rainbow on the front line.

That said, spirits were high last night, and I arrived at the pub to find some Pink Singers already helping themselves to the odd pint, while others were busy changing into the informal concert gear in the pub's kitchen. I've done a number of gigs with the small group before, but even so, swapping shirts next to the pickled onions was a new experience. The other novelty was actually seeing how big the small group was. Past gigs have had in the region of eight to twelve members, so it was a bit of a surprise to see so many.

The swollen numbers were due in no small part to the newbies, especially Charlotte, Amy, Kate, Gill P, Celso, Charles, Colm, Joey and Ben (I hope I've not forgotten anyone). They very gamely decided to come along and perform for the first time with the oldies, and were much appreciated. It certainly can't have been easy since they had to cope with the lyrics and music, and performing. I guess a bit of practice before Paris is always handy!

We belted all three songs as planned: You'll Never Walk Alone, Come What May and Abba Pink. Of the three I thought that Abba went down the best, although it was hard to tell from the relatively stoic faces of the audience. Performance-wise I thought Come What May was the best, the other two having a couple of missed entries, noticeable, hopefully, only to members of the choir.

Thankfully, we weren't the only performers that evening. There were a couple of drag acts as well which we got to see after our stint. The first artiste was incredibly funny, but really pushed very close to the line and occasionally crossed over into the non-PC territory. Even I wasn't spared her sharp wit, but I did enjoy her act very much.

Having some time to grab a drink and munch on party snacks also gave me a chance to chat with James M. He was telling me that despite having a really tough day, he was looking forward to this evening, just as a chance to unwind and sing a couple of songs. I couldn't agree more - there is nothing like getting together with friends, and the Pink Singers, because of our numbers, tend to bring our own party along with us. Love it!

Lost In Paris?

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Mobile Video Hat

If you've seen me in rehearsal you will realise that not only do I lug around all my music and a bottle of water, I also carry all sorts of digital paraphenalia for capturing the moment. Sometimes though, I wish I had more hands so I could, for example, video our choreography and hold my music or run the dictaphone at the same time. Enter the Nokia Mobile Video Hat, which far from being a joke item, actually exists. How wonderfully practical! Who needs to see real life when you can look through a viewfinder? Christmas is coming up, who can I bug for a present?

Finger OnThe Pulse

I am guilty. Guilty of not checking up on the Pink Singers' website regularly. But I met up with Nathalina, our super new webmaster, last night and was compelled to have a look. What a great job she's doing! She has most recently posted the official event report for Helsinki and our performance with Out 'n Loud (i.e. not the Pink Insider's view). This one comes courtesy of Mikki, and is particularly significant, because it was her first trip overseas with the Pinkies. Head on over for her experience of our visit to Finland, and while you're there take a peek at the official photos too.

World AIDS Day

As you are no doubt aware, World AIDS Day this year is on the 1st of December. As is now traditional for us, we will be helping to support Positive Rainbow and the good work they do in North London by giving a little performance at their annual party tomorrow. If you are interested in coming along, the good news is that it is free, and we will be singing two or three numbers from this season's repertoire, at the moment they are ABBA Pink and You'll Never Walk Alone, although if pressed we can pull Come What May out of the bag. The even better news is that the "small" group is much larger than in previous years, and we actually have basses this time, so Johnathon won't have to do double duty. Anyway, here are the details:

7.30 pm
28 November 2007
Positive Rainbow
White Hart pub
51 The Hale
Tottenham Hale
London, N17 9JZ

See you there!

So They Say

This Sunday's rehearsal was in the wonderfully lit hall at the top of the Space. The venue is cavernous, and the late autumn light gave the room a real grandeur, even if you ignore the sprung floors. The recurring issue appears to be with the chairs, or lack thereof, but it sure beats the old system where we had to lug the fold-ups from the basement ourselves. It does mean a bit of a delay, and the poor basses and altos spent a quarter of the rehearsal squatting (see picture, especially of Nath's glamorous silver boots).

As for the rehearsal proper, we ran through most of the repertoire for Paris and some for the winter concert too, performing most of the pieces twice. The first run-through always sounds a little ropey as we settle into the song, but Mladen has taken to making us sing the second one without the sheet music, which brings problems of its own, especially when it comes to the lyrics. Humming Dies Irae to myself several times a day has actually helped to overcome my aversion to it, and I have to say the choir performs it really well now, with a real feeling of aggression with a steady build up to that wonderful orgasm at the end. Under two weeks to go till Paris, so just in time too!

After the rehearsal we went to the pub as usual and a bunch of us then joined Philip G for his birthday celebration at Savoir Faire near the British Museum. Conversation flowed freely and the company was, as always, exceptional. It was great to see "resting" Pinkies there like Ritchie and Iain, and even better to see that some newbies came along too. I sat diagonally opposite Amy, one of the new altos who was summarily pulled away from me by Susan when they went off to karaoke somewhere on Frith Street at the end of the evening. Must speak to her more, she seems totally lovely.

All Hail The Hypnotoad!

Good news everyone! Futurama is back! This has got to be one of my all time favourite TV series, very clever, very funny and with just the right touch of pathos and unrequited love. Awww... Instead of the normal series, however, the show is to be released in four two-hour-long straight to DVD movies. The first is called Bender's Big Score (you have got to love a show with a cigar smoking robot called Bender) and I hear that if you know where to look for it, you can already get it on-line... Of course being a true fan, you would download the torrent and then buy the DVD when it comes out, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you!?!

Bearfaced Cheek!

On Tuesday Liang and I went down to the Terracotta Army exhibition currently showing at the British Museum. Really impressive stuff and well worth seeing. However, my rather frivolous take home message was that most of the warriors from over 2,000 years ago have exactly the same facial hair pattern as me: try as I might I simply cannot grow a beard.

My current beard-jealousy stems from being surrounded by such lovely growths on the faces of my friends John and Celso. Hell, last week Simon showed up at my flat with a week of hair growth and looked damn fine. I can see how such hirstutism can become a bit of a fetish, and even Vogue says that beards are back.

Unfortunately I am blessed/cursed with an almost pathological alopecia so whatever the vagaries of fashion I have just one look. Sigh...

Rainbow Springfield, Grim Up North

I don't really watch all that much television, preferring to spend my time probing the nether regions of the worldwide web, but this week has been a bit of an exception. For one, I've taken to recording the Simpsons on Channel 4, because, after what feels like a decade, they are finally broadcasting episodes I have not seen a million times before. Wednesday's episode began with the Springfield gay parade, with a float from the Steelworkers of America, and one called Keepin' In The Closet featuring none other than Smithers and Patty (Marge's sister).

The Simpsons always makes me laugh, but continuing on the gay theme, and attacking the same themes of being gay, in the closet, and a blue collar worker in a much grittier style, was the third episode of the second season of The Street on BBC One last night. This one was about a Mancunian construction worker Charlie (a very grizzly and double-eye-bagged Vincent Regan) falling for his colleague Tom (a buff and tattooed Will Mellor). The story itself wasn't about their relationship, but the how Charlie loses control as he tells lie upon lie to cover his secret. There isn't really a happy ending as the fallout is pretty awful from both his family (yes, he is married with two children) and the community at large, but at least when he does come out, the honesty is far less wretched than the hiding. Charlie does eventually stay with Roz, his wife, but the closing image is of her watching him go off to a job from their living room window, with this incredible look of regret.

I have two very good gay friends who are/were married. The first is someone I have known for a very long time, and while we came out together as teenagers, he elected to settle down as an adult with a very lovely woman. This is perhaps a more modern relationship, in that she is fully aware of his past, and I can see that the two of them are very happy together and great friends. In the end, gender is perhaps not the issue, but companionship.

My other friend did in the end leave his wife, but maintains a very close and healthy relationship with her and his children. He has since gone on to remarry (another guy in a similar position) and their super extended family is a source of incredible warmth and love. It takes a huge amount of courage to make this kind of leap, but I have seen that it does not necessarily lead to tragedy.

Hairless Bitches

Johnathon emailed a link yesterday to a page in the London Paper called the Columnist. It is a guest article with writers who change from week to week, and it just so happens that this week it was written by a gay “39-year old banker”. Hmmm. You can almost see where this is heading.

The gist of his argument, inelegantly presented in a rant, is that he hates it when people live up to stereotypes, in particular the prancing, shaven, luvvy image conveyed by certain sections of the gay community. It is interesting how he prefaces his verbal stream of consciousness with a statement that he is all for diversity, before single-handedly dismantling any claim to reasonable thought.

Yet, stripping off the offensive words, is there a kernel of truth? I worry that some of what he is trying to say resonates somewhat even with liberal ol' me. What I have often discovered, however, is that in the wise old words of Yoda "fear leads to hate". That is, if I dislike something it is because, for some reason, I fear it.

So let's break it down. I remember feeling uncomfortable around a similarly outrageous friend of mine. We were at university and he invited me down to his flat in London for a night out to celebrate his birthday. He was always a live wire, but the time away from home meant that he could really experiment. That night all sorts of chemicals were inhaled, before my friend changed into his sequinned g-string worn under a tartan miniskirt, before heading out to the clubs. I have always been more of a Gap dresser, so in my button-down Oxford and chinos we certainly made an odd couple on the tube. He of course had no problems with the way he looked, but I felt more than a little self-conscious sitting by him. I really didn't understand why he needed to buy into that whole "camp gay" persona.

The reality is that I was not comfortable enough in my own sexuality to cope with being in close proximity to him; that (oh noes!) other people might think that all gay men behave like that, or worse that other people might think that I behave like that!

So the problem was not with my friend, but with me.

London has one of the most diverse gay scenes in the universe. On a night out in Soho it is easy to be misled that the gay community only consists of twinks, bears, muscle marys and whatever group current terminology has a description for. But there are many, and arguably larger, groups for which no label exists and that includes those gay men who are not image-driven and therefore meld seamlessly into the background of humanity which is this great city. I'm thinking of the majority of the members of the Front Runners for example.

The really good news is that whether you subscribe to a label or not, none of these groups is exclusive. Even better, when you are in a social group like the Pink Singers, you'll find that everyone mingles with everyone else without any preconceptions. My experience of gay men in London does not jibe at all with the columnist's.

If, in the end if this 39-year old banker hates "faggy duchesses" then he really needs to ask himself why he feels insecure about them, and then he really needs to get out more!

P.S. The picture of the hairless bitch accompanying this post is in fact a Chinese crested dog, the most famous of which is Halston, Amanda's dog in Ugly Betty. Hey, I too can be a faggy duchess!

A Few Changes And An Invitation

If you have been visiting my little blog over the last few days you will notice that I have made a few changes. Apart from the banner which is now animated, I have syndicated the RSS feed through Feedburner. It is now even easier to subscribe to - just have a look at the Subscribe To Me! section in the column to your right. If you find the whole RSS business a little too confusing, then you can even get an email whenever the blog is updated. You will get no more than one email a day, so don't worry! While you're in that right hand column you can also get a sneak listen to one of my favourite tracks from our CD Hand In Hand, and perhaps even buy a copy?

I also wanted to say that although it appears that there is just one Pink Insider, there are in fact three at present who are contributing their thoughts of being in the Pink Singers to In The Pink(ies). If you are a Pinkie and want to share your (unofficial but positive) experiences with our readers, then please feel free to let me know and I will add you to the contributors.

Stardust: The Princess Bride With CGI

Mel from the sops and I went to see Stardust last night. It was one of those horrible, drizzly early winter evenings, where the normal throngs of Leicester Square are repalced by people hurrying by in umbrellas. In short, a perfect night for catching a film. Now I know that Mladen didn't like the film, but I am going to say staright off that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There is nothing complicated about the story at all, and in many ways it is the same variation on the Taming-of-the-Shrew-meets- Brothers-Grimm story that we saw in that other favourite film of mine, The Princess Bride. The hero of this film is somewhat less attractive than Cary Elwes, the heroine more gutsy than Princess Buttercup, and the dialogue a little less scintillating, but there are a few gems. We have Robert de Niro playing a (rather hackneyed) camp gay pirate captain who needs to maintain his image of ruthlessness, and Michelle Pfeiffer doing her whole pretty-again-ugly-again routine. She is gorgeous by any standard, but you do wonder whether any of the liver spots are genuine.

The best part of the movie is that it almost exactly matches the mental image I created of the world of Stormhold when I read the book by Neil Gaiman. Of course the book is more subtle, especially towards the end where the Sienna Miller character (oh bad acting thy name art Sienna) is not quite the wanton hussy she is made out to be and is indeed much more sympathetic. I can see why they had to simplify things for the cinema, because it would require another half hour to explain how the passage of time differs between our world and faerie.

Anyway, all in all a worthy film and very enjoyable.

Marriage Made In Heaven?

I just paid a visit to our own website and noticed the bumph for the Paris concert is up. We are, of course, performing with the inimitable Equivox, and the picture on our home page comes off the Equivox website. They have most definitely changed their stage wear. The last time I saw them perform was back in Various Voices 2005 Paris, and they were a hoot, dressed as they were in a cross between panto and Village People outfits. Not sure that the current bridal wear is an improvement, but it is most assuredly striking!

Looking at the order of the performance as well, it appears we will be following the pattern as set up by Out 'n' Loud where the host choir sings first and we will be bringing up the second half. Traditionally it is the other way around. I guess it just adds a little pressure on us to perform. Then again, our concert gear is comparatively staid in comparison, so for entertainment value, the only way is up!

The Stalker Song

I realise I am bit of a roll post-wise today, but I promised Simon that I would blog about the new Shayne Ward song, Breathless. We were watching X-factor last week when Mr. Ward came on just before the results to plug his latest single. Now there is no denying that this guy has a great voice and is good-looking to boot, and the song itself is beautifully composed and really rather sweet.

But, and this is a big "but", I still refer to it as the "Stalker Song" because of the truly horrendous lyrics. Perhaps I am a bit cynical, but who can see the romance in a phrases like,

And If we had babies they would look like you,
It'd be so beautiful if that came true.

Or, even more nausea-inducing,

And if we had babies they would have your eyes,
I'd fall deeper watching you give life.

This all-too-readily calls to mind imagery which involves an operating theatre, a speculum, a lot of wet towels and an awful mess.

Plus, if someone told you that they really hope your babies look like you and that they'd enjoy watching you deliver them, isn't it kinda creepy? I mean, like 200-yard-restraining order creepy?

The Pink Singers' Facebook Group

Uh, okay... If, like me you live under a rock in a grubby T-shirt and never go out, then please skip this post. Because the Pink Singers now have their own Facebook Group. Yessiree, now proudly linked in the Officially Pink section of this blog. I'm reliably told that this is not just for Pink Singers old and new, it is also for friends of the Pinkies, and people who might be interested in coming to our concerts or joining our group. More of the smiley group you know and love, but on line! Go on, join, you know you want to!

I Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet!

I freely admit to being a bit of a geek, and although I haven't quite stepped over into playing a games console (unlike Andrew D, but he has an excuse!), a lot of the news I read includes information on new upcoming video games.

One hotly anticipated newcomer is Mass Effect. The gameplay is supposed to be pretty cool, but it has gained some degree of notoriety because of the inclusion of a "raunchy lesbian love scene". Now, I'm not sure which planet these journalists are on, but the scene, reproduced in its full-but-totally-safe-for-work glory above, is about as raunchy as peeling a carrot (of course it depends on how you peel it, and whose carrot!)

One of the lesbians is in fact a blue alien, so I am not sure it necessarily counts as "lesbian" if one of the partners isn't human. The wooden acting and total absence of any passion whatsoever puts it in league with most straight porn involving two women, but I suppose the awkward dialogue ties in nicely with my own experiences of trying to get someone into the sack. Check out the ultra-cheesy Titanic moment at the end.

I'm sure Mass Effect beats most games where you run around trying to shoot things, but while playing a lesbian seems to be fairly acceptable in the male-dominated gaming arena, it would really be revolutionary if, in the game, you could also let your male character get some hot gay human-on-alien action. Than again, having seen what the male aliens look like, perhaps not.

I'm Comin' Back Home

I've been in the the Pink Singers now for nearly five years, and in that time we've rehearsed in all manner of locations: at the Drill Hall, at some churches near Euston and behind King's Cross, at the Place and at a school near Holborn amongst others. But of all of these places my favourite has got to be the Royal Academy of Music, which is where we returned to yesterday.

Not sure what it is exactly, perhaps it is the rather historical venue, or the "pride by association" I get from wandering around the halls with all these talented music students. Then there is the fact that I live quite nearby, so getting to RAM is much more convenient for me than the farther flung Place. And finally, but no less significantly, there is the much prettier pub we slope off to after the rehearsal.

It is that time of the year again, when the sleet is coming down and it is freezing, and we rush from warm (and stinky) rehearsal room to warm and cosy pub. I know its not Christmas yet, but it feels like it could be Christmas.

Despite all this romanticism, even I realise that we are starting to outgrow the rehearsal spaces at RAM and need to resort to venues further afield. Yesterday's rehearsal wasn't that well attended, but even so, it was hard not to gag just a little when I re-entered the room after having popped off to the loo. You know things are bad when you out-smell the toilets.

As for the rehearsal proper, we seem to be hitting the "perfecting" phase now, where we know most of the notes, and it is a question of interpretation and perhaps running through a few tricky phrases. The sound is becoming somewhat more cohesive, and by the time Paris swings around in a manner of weeks we will be ready. Sue and I managed to sing through most of the repertoire without sheet music for the first time. Woo hoo! The choreography on the other hand...

Believe It Or Not...

...I'm walkin' on air, I never thought I could feel so free-ee-ee.

That is the song which I've been humming for the last two days. It is always rather disconcerting when I find I know all the lyrics to a song, yet can't identify it. Anyway, thanks to Celso's encyclopaedic knowledge of 80s TV shows, it turns out that this was the theme tune from a series called "The Greatest American Hero". I remember watching this religiously when I was but yea high. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, it is possible to relive the experience, over and over (and over) again.


Itch now duly scratched, time to move on to the next random song!

Who The Hell Is Timothy Leary - Dearie?

Our joint song in Paris is Let The Sunshine from the musical Hair. Since I have never seen either the musical or the film version, it is a bewildering blend of lyrics - what do smells of laboratories have to do with Manchester, England? - which on the face of it appear disjointed. The only bit which is vaguely familiar is the "Let the sunshine in" chorus, but even that is without context.

Anyway, to try to make sense of it all, I've done a bit of a search, and it turns out that the story is about a guy called Claude Hooper Bukowski. Claude is from Flushing, Queens, but wishes he were from Manchester, England. Not sure where the advantage lies in that, but it does explain why Manchester, England is Claude's theme tune. It is the song he sings at the start of the show to introduce himself to the Tribe, a bunch of anti-war hippies (this being 1968 and all). To cut a very long and rather meandering story short, Claude eventually gets signed up for the Vietnam draft, letting down his friends.

What we are singing with Equivox, is in fact two songs, The Flesh Failures, a song sung by Claude in his shame at giving in to being a solder, in which he reprises his theme tune, which is then followed closely by Let The Sunshine, the song performed by the Tribe as the musical's finale. At the very end of the show, Claude dies in Vietnam.

To pile on that additional layer of complexity, the storyline to the film was significantly changed from the musical, and to explain the scene in the video above, the officer arriving in the car is the real Bukowski. Instead, the one who answers to Bukowski is his best friend George Berger, who took Claude's place so that Claude could spend his last night before shipping out with his girlfriend. When he sings, "That's me!" he is merely continuing this subterfuge, but the shot of his grave at the end indicates that, for his sacrifice for his friend, poor George died out in Vietnam.

Confused yet? Either way, someone dies in Vietnam, and the songs are about the tragedy of war. They are supposed to be sad and pensive, not chirpy and fun.

Oh, and this is a picture of Timothy Leary, the American writer, psychologist and advocate of psychedelic drug research and use. He is most famous as a proponent of the therapeutic and spiritual benefits of LSD and coined and popularized the catch phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out." Perhaps that explains the "laboratories" reference in the lyrics of the song? Who says being in the Pink Singers isn't educational?

I'm Gonna Keep On Dancin'

I think everyone knows I'm a big fan of Paleday, Anthony's band. They are really talented songwriters, and Anthony has a great voice and stage presence. Over the last year they've gone from strength to strength, culminating in their official record launch yesterday at the Soho Review bar. Naturally, a few Pinkies went down for a beer and a boogie.

Simon and I got there quite early to find Emelda and Sue had already staked a seat at the front. Part of Paleday's branding is the three coloured bowler hats, white for Anthony, red for Sam and black for Stephen, so it was quite cool that they were giving away spangly plastic ones on each table. So, no, the ruby hat was not part of Celso's original outfit, or a co-ordinated look on the part of the rest of the Pinkies. That said, why isn't Andrew F wearing one?

Paleday produce reliably dance-inducing disco, so it wasn't long before we were all jumping away on the floor. It looked like the band have a sizeable fan base, especially for Stephen, and there was a bunch of terribly trendy younglings in super retro 80s gear celebrating one of their birthdays. Didn't stop us oldies from shaking our groove thang, and I even managed to get Mama and Auntie Stubbs to dance too.

What really surprised me though, was some of Paleday's slower songs. Of course the Pinkies already know Look Up At The Stars quite well, and of course we sang along, but they also performed a new number called Blue Sky which was really very sweet.

Anyway, good luck to them, and I am sure we will be hearing more of them on the airwaves in the future.