Choir³: A Trio Of Various Voices

Just a quick heads up to say that the programme for Various Voices 2009 is up and available on the website. This will give delegates a chance to see what shows are coming up and plan their long weekend accordingly. Bookings aren't open yet but will go live very soon, and you'll get a discount too.

Another word of wisdom: some of the Choir³ concerts (this is what most people come to see, three different choirs performing their showcase repertoires) will be sold out really quickly, and it would be a good idea to get in on the tickets as early as possible. Some of the highlights which I am looking forward to, based on a cursory glance of the programme.

Saturday 2nd May

• Choir³ D: Cor Cantus from Copenhagen, A Cappella Birmingham from Birmingham and Le Zbor from Zagreb
• Choir³ F: Classical Lesbians from Berlin, Vox Homana from Hannover and Schwubs from Bern
• Choir³ G: Hellmans Drengar from Goteborg in Sweden, SCHMAZ from Zürich and Canta:re from Berlin

Sunday 3rd May

• Choir³ O: Philhomoniker from Munich, TAPALANOTE - chorale du BGS (Brussels Gay Sports) and Mélo'Men from Paris
• Choir³ P: Männer-Minne from Berlin, Warme Wellen from Aachen and Mannenkoorts Den Haag

And of course, I expect everyone to be at the ultimate trio of them all: Voices of Our City starring none other than the LGMC, Diversity and the Pink Singers. We're on twice on the Friday 1st May, so there is a time to suit everyone. I can't wait!

Merry Christmas!

The Pink Insider(s) just want to wish all Pinkies, our families, friends and fans a fabulous Christmas in a new old-fashioned way; here's to a busy 2009!

Three Years Of Civil Partnerships

Here's one thing more to celebrate this festive season: the 21st of December is the third anniversary of the introduction of civil partnerships in England and Wales. It is marriage in all but name, and gives a pair of gay men or women the choice to get hitched if they so wish, just like straight couples. I do have gay friends who are against this: they don't understand why anyone would want to ape heterosexual society in any way at all, and they seem perfectly happy to live in all sorts of valid but unconventional familial structures, rejecting marriage as little more than societal artifice. But at the same time, I have many friends who dream of meeting Mr. Right and settling down to a cosy lifetime of entwined bliss. A civil partnership is to them the icing on the cake and the start of an exciting journey at the same time. Indeed, in the Pink Singers at least four members have civil partners, perhaps suggesting that we are a more romantic bunch? I am inclined to the whole marriage idea, but for me a civil partnership is also about a bringing together of two families, something which is not always easy.

Here are a few interesting figures from an Economist article on civil partnerships:

1. 60,000 Britons had entered a same-sex union in the last 6 months.
2. Gay couples getting hitched are older than straight ones: men are 43 on average and women 41, compared with 36 and 34 among straight couples (including those remarrying).
3. Gay men, though often characterised as promiscuous, are settling down in greater numbers than lesbians. Men have out-partnered women in every quarter since civil partnerships were introduced; in London last year nearly 75% of those contracted were between men. Some unions have already broken down; but so far male partnerships have proved less likely than female ones to end in dissolution.

In a world where there are people out there who want to annul the unions of those who are already married, just because they happen to be gay, I want to raise a glass to civil partnership and the triumph of equality and humanity over prejudice and bigotry.

In The Pink Midwinter

Well, it has now been a couple of days since the concert weekend, and I have to say that I am only just recovering. A cold which threatened to blow my chances of performing at the concert miraculously settled down during our rehearsal, and it was all go from there. It didn't help either that the weather was absolutely dreadful - it had been raining for 24 hours non-stop! It caused delays on the roads which meant that our guests, the Brighton and Hove (actually) Gay Men's Chorus - now there's a mouthful, henceforth referred to as BH(a)GMC - were also running behind.

Excitement was, as usual, running high. It is always hard to imagine how just three months ago we were looking at the music for the first time, and the choreography was but a twinkle in the eyes of Tanya, Karin and Rachel, and now we were about to put on a show! I always feel a certain pride when the whole choir gets into their black formal gear with their pink accessories, and now that our numbers have swelled, there is that much more love to go round. I am especially impressed by our new members this season who have shown such incredible dedication to learning their music and enthusiasm to the choir. They are no longer 'new' members, since their pink cherries have well and truly been popped!

Despite Simon's constant fretting about ticket sales, it emerged a couple of hours before the concert that we were going to sell out. It is a pretty darned amazing feat as it means that we've been sold out now for three concerts in a row. The audience was, as always, incredibly supportive and they clapped and cheered with aplomb. What the larger numbers did mean, however, was that as a choir we were not able to see our guests perform. I snuck backstage and heard them from under the organ; not the best place to hear things acoustically, but you did get a feel for them.

And the BH(a)GMC were oustanding. They are much more theatrical than the Pink Singers, and in that sense put on more of a cabaret show. All choirs have different styles, but it amazes me just how complementary we were. They certainly entertained me, and went down a storm with the audience. Their rendition of You Raise Me Up was clearly one of their most well-rehearsed numbers, and they performed it with skill and passion.

Then it was our turn on. What a rush again! My quick thoughts on the experience: Britten was technically impressive, Rutter was good, Good King, Dancing Day and Mid-winter were gorgeous, Merry Christmas Darling was really emotional, Rocking and Christmas Medley were musically less than optimal, but went down an absolute storm with audience thanks to the brilliant choreography. The audience especially couldn't help but clap out of sync with Rocking Around The Christmas Tree - this was undoubtedly because they were clapping in sync with what they heard, but by the time it rebounded to us we were a semi-quaver ahead - yet despite this we plowed on steady and true. In fact for all the pieces, including the difficult Rutter Carols we managed to hold our pitch firmly.

I had eleven guests at the show, so afterwards was a bit of a rush thanking everyone for coming along. Sadly there wasn't really a chance to speak to BH(a)GMC because of this, and to be honest, the RAM bar was, in the words of my cousin, a bit of a mosh pit. A load of us then moved on to the Green Carnation in Greek Street for the aftershow party. We'd been there the Monday previously after the carolling we did, but this time we were in the basement. I have to day the experience was quite different this time, with the lighting and environment more closely resembling some kind of interrogation chamber than a club. All the photos taken that night were also hazy, which makes me worry about what exactly it was that I was breathing in. Oh well, at least the humidly cleared my sinuses! We stayed out until just gone three, well past my bedtime, because the adrenaline was still flowing.

After just four hours of fitful sleep (alcohol, shame on you!) I had to get up to roast the chicken for the brunch. This is normally a party we put on for our guest choir to thank them for coming along and to get to know them better. Sadly because they were based in Brighton they all went home the night before, and so it was just the Pinkies in the Loft Bar at the Yard. In a way this was a bit of a blessing in disguise because I was utterely knackered, and wouldn't have been up to meeting and greeting. I had a bite to eat, chatted with some of other people in the choir and then decided I needed to take a bit of a nap. When I got home I closed my eyes, and before I knew it it was 10am on Monday! All in all though, I had a fantastic weekend and I wouldn't change being in the Pinkies for the world.

What I Love About The Pink Singers

Here are a few more photos that Mark's uncle took last Sunday at our dress rehearsal. The full range can be seen on Facebook, but I particularly like these two because it shows the two sides of the Pink Singers: in formal rows for when we are tackling classical music, and with our hair down for the jazz and pop. The guys and girls just look amazing. And we will of course sound amazing too, so make sure you get to the Royal Academy of Music on Saturday for our concert. 7 for 7.30pm - don't be late!

Calling In Gay

I am sure you recall the issue of Proposition 8 in the U.S. I blogged about it in September, but it essentially called for a revocation of the right of gay men and women to get married in California. Unfortunately, due to support from certain religious groups, the motion was carried, and a basic human right was denied a group of people. Hello? Not that long ago people thought that blacks marrying whites was some kind of perversion too. It really is just a question of time before society moves on, so why not let it happen now rather than make so many individual's lives unhappy?

Anyway, enough ranting and time for some action, in the U.S. of A at least. Yesterday was Day Without A Gay when gay people were asked to call in 'gay', and spend the day working for some charitable cause instead. It was meant to highlight the contribution of gay people to the work place. Whether this actually worked I am not sure, since I only happened to read about it the day after. Of course, if you want to support the cause you can still buy the T-shirt!

What Sweeter Music

BBC Music magazine recently conducted a survey of the (in their words) "top 50" choir masters and experts. The question? Which are the top carols of all time? The result? Not ten of the most popular pieces of Christmas music, but most assuredly some of the most beautiful.

Top 10 Christmas Carols
1. In the Bleak Midwinter
2. In Dulci Jubilo
3. A Spotless Rose
4. Bethlehem Down
5. Lully, Lulla
6. Tomorrow Shall be My Dancing Day
7. There is No Rose
8. O Come All Ye Faithful
9. Of the Father's Heart Begotten
10. What Sweeter Music

Of the above we will be performing Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day on Saturday, and in the past we've done Lully, Lulla in the small group. Our version of Midwinter is the hauntingly beautiful Chilcott version (rapidly becoming my favourite piece of our winter repertoire) and not the Darke arrangement as seen in the BBC's list.

Of note too, we will be singing Rutters Angels' Carol, which I linked to in my Christmas post of last year, as well his Candlelight and Star Carols. The only Rutter which made it into the top ten, however, is What Sweeter Music, which is certainly one of my most-loved carols of all time. So much so, that I'm going to reproduce the lyrics here. If you are watching the video above, look out for the bit where the music drops away for most of the mid section and returns at the end. This is technically incredibly difficult as the pitch must remain perfect during the acapella segment. Shivers down the spine good!

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?

Hope to see you on Saturday when we'll be singing our own favourites!

While My Ukelele Gently Weeps

Yes, the ukelele gets bad press. All I can remember of them is having to choose between a uke, a melodica or a recorder in my primary school music classes. Sadly I went down the recorder (and eventually the flute route) - the ukelele suffering from a Hawaii/ Elvis stigma - although I often wish I had learned the tiny stringed instrument, simply because one can play and sing along to it at the same time. Anyway, this video is of an amazing performance by an American called Jake Shimabukuro. He plays the George Harrison classic While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Paleday - The Flirty Show!

The always-fun and ever-talented Paleday are having a gig the Sunday after the concert. Most of the Pink Singers will be heading down that way after the post-concert brunch for an evening of cool grooves. The Pink Insider will see you there!

The details:

Sun 14 December, 8pm
Soho Revue Bar
11 Walker Court, Brewer St,
Soho, London W1F 0ED

Tickets £8 from Paleday, or Anthony S of course!

Sinderfella

I don't tend to write reviews of shows I've seen, but feel I have to for a panto I saw last night called Sinderfella. It is currently showing at the Above The Stag theatre in Victoria, and well worth the trip and price of admission. First of all, a big thank you to Anthony B for sorting out some kind of deal with them in which the Pinkies support them, and they support us in return. And I happen to think it is wonderful that we have these small cabaret type places which support gay-themed theatre.

Anyway, Sinderfella tells the age-old story of a lovely drag queen played by Bette Rinse who wants to go to the Prince's ball(s), but who is constantly thwarted by her ugly step sisters. Along the way there are a footman, a fiary godmother and a rather random camp Russian to deal with. It is very rude/ lewd, so avoid it if you are prudish. And be prepared for audience participation as along the way there is a lot of singing and dancing in your seat.

I went with a couple of friends who, shall we say, were all the merrier for a few hours in the pub previously. The cast handled their enthusiasm with consummate professionalism, and I have to say that our boistrous row (which also included Michael Da and Daniele) actually helped lift the performance. How often can you find five people who know all the lyrics to It's Raining Men, Dancing Queen, Hero (the Mariah Carey version) and Be Our Guest, and who are willing to sing it at maximum volume?

All in all not a panto for the faint-hearted, but oh so much fun if you are willing to get into the spirit of things. A must at this time of the year!

New Press Photos!

At yesterday's dress rehearsal Mark's uncle came along and took photos for more up-to-date press pics. Here is a taster of things to come! The tenors are looking particularly resplendent, if I may say so myself. I can't wait for the rest - it is a standing joke that the press always uses the same prehistoric photo of us from years ago. Now at least they'll have something else they can choose.

A Man Bra For Your Moobs

Okay, it is Christmas, and time to go present hunting. What better to get that (slightly pudgy) man in your life but a man bra? I mean we already have mantyhose, so really, it represents the next logical step. In fact, a company in Japan called Wishroom clearly thinks the time has arrived for boulder holsters for men and has started selling them on-line. In a few short weeks the man bra has become their top selling item. Why? Well as their rep says, "I like this tight feeling. It feels good.”

A pity about the model they're using though, it is already a tough sell. I'll take three in pink please.

A Bit Of Diversity At Christmas

On Saturday two of the Pink Insiders, as well as some other Pink Singers, went along to the Diversity Christmas Concert: O Magnum Mysterium. It was a fantastic performance, and a great demonstration of choral singing, not only in its traditional sense, but also in a modern way, with a few exciting chants and poems thrown in for good measure. The concert's eponymous piece was performed twice: at the very start in the de Victoria incarnation which I had not heard before, and at the very end in the Lauridsen arrangement. The latter is, without a doubt, one of my favourite pieces of Christmas music, and is very difficult to sing with its long sustained notes. It requires a significant amount of choral discipline to perform it without sliding down the register, and even more sweat and tears to put the emotion into it. Diversity performed it with aplomb and I applaud them greatly for it.

Sitting in St. Botolph's, I couldn't help but wonder how fortunate we are to be in a city which can sustain three major gay and/or lesbian choirs. Of course, the reason is that choral singing is a very diverse art: Diversity certainly tackles the more technically challenging end of the musical scale, the London Gay Men's Chorus has a brasher and more theatrical style, and the Pinkies, well, we try to do a bit of everything. Then there is the actual choir itself and its community which is different in all three.

Eyeballing Diversity, they are now over forty in number. When I first went along to a concert of theirs, about six years ago, they were only half that. Indeed, the Pink Singers have increased in size as well, mainly in an attempt to accomodate the growing interest in choral singing we've been having. I do wonder whether this is due to the halo effect of 'Last Choir Standing' on telly, or people generally want to get out and meet people in these financially uncertain times. Whatever the reason, all three choirs seem to be enjoying a bit of a sustained renaissance and that has got to be a good thing.

It certainly bodes well for Various Voices next year!

Dress Rehearsal And One Week To Go!

It is now under a week to the concert and the pace is picking up. Yesterday was the dress rehearsal back at our old haunt, the Royal Academy of Music. As the choir has grown in size, so have we outgrown the rooms. One of the few spaces which could fit us all in was the small concert hall in the basement, but with poor ventilation and the cramped conditions, sitting there for two hours I caught more than an intimate whiff of eau de Pinquie.

After the break it was into Duke's Hall for the dress rehearsal. I love the venue. First of all it looks very grand, but more importantly, it is designed specifically for choral performances and is very forgiving. Unlike the rehearsal rooms at the Place for instance, all the voices are almost forcibly melded into one, and the resonance is really audible. The change in venue is significant, and it is a great indicator that we are sounding good when I suddenly feel I could cry because one of the songs we are singing is so beautiful. This certainly was the case for Midwinter: what a glorious song! The choreography was also fine-tuned by the very capable Karin and Rachel, and it is looking slick.

The other thing to say is that it is really wonderful that the formal concert gear has really smartened up in the last few seasons. Whereas before almost anything black was the norm, I noticed quite a few waistcoats and jackets in amongst the mix. That really is the way to do it: my hearty approval.

So, one last rehearsal to polish the music on Thursday, and then it is the concert this Saturday - hope to see you there! Tickets are available in the column on the right.

Glamour Shot?

From this week's QX magazine. Guess who was considered hot enough to make it into the photos?

With WAD on December 1st, it was always going to be a week packed full of charity fundraising nights, but rather than boring, dry, dull-as-dish-water affairs, we usually find they are stacked with fun, frolics and dragtastic performances designed to lovingly coax the pennies and pounds from our pockets rather than extract them by guilt! ‘Speaking Out for Ourselves’ (an HIV positive support group in Haringey) and ‘Positive Rainbow’ (a group of positive gay men working in north London) organised a joint fundraiser at Catch 22, a cute, small local boozer in Turnpike Lane, complete with a full complement of Pink Singers who ran through a set of traditional, as well as more modern numbers, that will form part of their huge forthcoming show at the Royal Academy of Music (Dec 13th). The evening was hosted by the inimitable W.O.H, Sandra who spiced it up with close-tothe-
knuckle comedy and songs, as well as drag terrorist Miss Rose Garden and the lovely Mrs Moore in one of Rose’s cast offs! With food and drink served by friendly (and hot … Lewis … mmmmm!) bar staff, it was one charity event that was a joy to be at.

Ding Dong Merrily On High!

I thought I was sick of carols on Monday, but then the Pinkies did another carolling gig, this time on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Care at Victoria Station last night. Then I realised I didn't truly know what 'sick' was. Let me first of all say that I am thankful that I do not have to take public transport to go to work since I cycle most places. The crush getting from home to the station was not a pleasant one, and not one I wish to experience again. On the flip side, however, it did mean that there were more people to see us sing.

In fact, I'm not sure we could have had a more different venue if we tried. First of all there was a constant stream of people walking from the underground to the train platforms. There was talking, announcements over the tannoy and flashing advertisements around us, so it was entirely different from the near empty streets of Soho last night. We could barely hear ourselves sing it was so noisy.

As events go, however, I think this time round was more successful because many more people stopped to listen and donate a bit of cash. After having spent most of yesterday's carolling trying to find harmonies for the six carols in our set, I was also more confident of singing out. In numbers we were fewer, but in music we were stronger.

When I was a tourist in London at Christmas many years ago I remember seeing a group of carollers performing outside Penhaligon's in Covent Garden. It was such a wonderfully twee scene, just thinking about it makes me feel all warm and mushy inside. So it is pretty wonderful to be view things from the other side, and even more so knowing that we are doing our bit for charity, and having a good time at that!

Fa La La La La La La La La!

Is it possible to be sick of Christmas Carols? Until Monday evening, I thought this was a physical impossibility. This was, of course, before I had sung all six verses of The Holly And The Ivy six or seven times in one night, as part of the Pinkies small group. As part of our annual tradition, a bunch of us from the choir volunteers their time to carol for good causes, and Monday night's event was in aid of Crusaid for World AIDS Day.

It was a freezing night, and an intrepid bunch of Pink Singers gathered on the corner of Berwick and Broadwick Street to sing a few songs. We were joined by bucket carrying fund-raisers from Crusaid and a trio of drag queens who looked fabulous darling! It was a rather incongruous bunch, but made rather Christmassy by Michael De's conical hat (concealing a fleece beanie underneath), his sleigh bells, and a tiny Christmas tree. Hey, at least we could rock around it!

It turned out that our start location had perhaps less footfall than anticipated, and so we migrated over to Old Compton Street where there was marginally more traffic. I can't actually remember having been in Soho on a Monday night before, so didn't really know who or what to expect on the street. As it turned out there were commuters rushing home, a few drunken women staggering home from an office party, some tourists, an Italian waiter in his Fonz black leather jacket, quite a few cute gay men and the resident homeless man.

Most of them looked on with incredulity as we stood in the freezing cold, but the majority were quite supportive and stopped for a while to watch us perform before making a donation. The homeless gentleman even came up to us clutching a chopstick and led us with a bit of impromptou conducting. He got a bit too near to Cilla's guitar for comfort but stepped back when she said a stern 'no' to him and shook her head disapprovingly.

We had a short 15 minute break before regrouping for the final half hour at about 9pm. By then the slight drizzle was turning into quite significant rainfall, and the streets were clearing. Michael gave us the chance to call it quits, but as Janet said, only the Pink Singers are crazy enough to say, oh let's just sing a couple of songs and see whether the rain will stop. After a burst of Hark the Herald Angels Sing it actually did, and we closed the evening with our first public performance of Rockin' 'round the Christmas Tree. Thank goodness for Michael's little prop!

Pinkies Choir 1995

Sometimes a google search for "Pink Singers" turns up real gems. Here is one of the choir in 1995. I can spot at least four members who are still active Pinkies, and one who is not in the choir any longer. I love this look at how we were 13 years ago! If you can name any of the Pink Singers, let me know in the comments.

Catch-22, Sandra And The Pinkies

Every year, for the last four years, the Pink Singers have been performing a gig in aid of Positive Rainbow, a local charity which provides support for people with AIDS in Haringey and beyond. Every year, the experience is slightly different. A couple of years ago we were in the public library, last year it was in a pub in Tottenham Hale which I hear is now closed down, and this time it was at Catch-22 at Turnpike Lane. Most AIDS charities are having problems with funding, and Positive Rainbow is no exception, so the fact that they are still in existence is a real testament to the people who work in it, providing outreach services and social events to the community.

This gig, which was arranged in conjunction with the upcoming World AIDS Day, was a chance for us to lend our support. Sure, it isn’t the most well organized, the show ran late by about an hour, and at one point last night we were standing in a cold corridor for about half of that, but that really wasn’t the point. We had a really good mix of mostly old Pinkies, together with a very enthusiastic newbie, Chris, who had learned all the words and music to the songs, and several newbies like Gareth and Naomi who came along for the support. In fact, the choir formed at least half the audience in the pub.

After the obligatory one minute’s silence, Sandra, the drag queen and hostess extraordinaire, opened the show with her usual banter, and a wonderful version of I Will Survive. Then it was our turn to go on. Performing in pubs is quite different from performing in, say, a hall or function room. Because of the more informal setup people are under no obligation to pay attention, and there is usually chatter going on in the background. This was certainly the case at last years’ gig. This time round, however, I was really pleased to notice that when we started singing the audience really shut up, and people even stopped ordering drinks at the bar so the bar staff could watch us in action.

We sang well, if a bit too loudly and uncontrolled for my taste, but what impressed me the most was when the music stopped suddenly in the middle of Forever Motown. For a moment there was slight panic, but then Sally Ann kept on clapping the rhythm, and the Pinkies, much to my amazement picked up the song a capella. Eventually the synthesizer was fixed and Michael came back in, but I was so proud of what consummate professionals we are.

Having The Time Of Your Life

Getting up at 6.30am for a 7.30am meeting at Victoria Station is not my idea of a good time. Add to that the fact that it was an absolutely freezing morning, and we were going to be singing songs from the Mamma Mia soundtrack to grumpy morning commuters, and I had very good reasons for not wanting to get up at all. But drag myself out of bed I did, and thank goodness I did, because it was really, really fun!

The setup was really simple. Six of the Pink Singers, Tanya, Nathalina, Susan, Johnathon, Liang and I, with Mark and Warren in supportive attendance, would stand on the station concourse, serenading passengers with ABBA songs to a CD backing track coming out of one of those mini-component systems. We were all wearing specially designed Mama Mia T-shirts in navy with silver glittery lettering. In fact, for once we were given options as to the size of the T-shirts – I’m used to wearing T-shirts at least 2 sizes too big – but this was negated by the fact that the sizing, especially for the women was (for once!) too small. Seeing Susan squeeze into the medium T-shirt made me cringe in sympathy. The girls from the publicity company who were handing out the flyers obviously had the right idea. They all ordered male XXL shirts and wore two fleeces under them. They did look a lot like Michelin men, but at least they were warm! With our snug but chic T-shirts there wasn’t really much room for much else, and pretty soon the blood supply my extremities started shutting down.

So what else was there to do but dance to keep warm? I must say that I am one of the more reserved of the Pink Singers, but restraint is impossible in the company of people like Liang, Johnathon and Nathalina, all of whom seemed not only to know ABBA’s music off by heart, they also knew the slight variations to the music as found on the film soundtrack, could sing counter melodies and, get this, had a few dance moves to go along with it as well! The mood really was infectious, and pretty soon not only was I singing and dancing along with gusto, so too were several commuters. We had several people come up to us and take pictures with their cameras, including a woman who seemed to think we were so good she had to video us with her phone for a good three or four songs.

In the end it was a very entertaining couple of hours, we had a good time, and also helped to raise funds for the choir. Hooray!

Playing Catch Up

There has once again been a bit of a hiatus in posts from the Pink Insider, what with being away then catching up with the day job there hasn’t really been much time to pen the odd thought. Not to say that there hasn’t been tons happening of course, and in the world of the Pink Singers not only have a come back to the usual rehearsal schedule, we’ve also had a couple of actually performances already – and it isn’t officially the Christmas season yet!

I’ve been away for the last three weeks and despite publicly professing not to miss the weekly sing-song, I really do of course. Part of it is motivated by my anxiety that I don’t yet know all the lyrics or indeed the choreography. The latter always fills me with dread mainly because I have two left feet and I am almost inevitably the one turning the opposite direction to everyone else. As long as you move with conviction and gusto, however, no-one really notices or cares. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

On Sunday only Rachel was present to take us through the moves, Tanya and Karin, our other choreographers, being unwell and away respectively. It is really tough to organize seventy singers, especially seventy noisy, boisterous Pink Singers, but she managed to keep us in check and run through the steps of both Christmas Medley and Rockin’ Round The Christmas Tree without too much disruption. This was my first run-through and I have to say that I was relieved to be able to pick the moves up without too much difficulty.

Choreography with the Pinkies tends to follow a similar pattern. Professional choreographers come in with great ideas about the kinds of things they want us to do. We try to do them. Said professional choreographers then realize we are unable to actually bend our hips at all or move in unison. In subsequent weeks moves are simplified to a level which everyone can achieve. Okay, I am exaggerating somewhat, but I do think that this year, with the in-house talents of Karin, Rachel and Tanya, we are now dispensing with the usual first week anxieties and going straight in at an achievable level.

As for the singing, well I must say that I am really impressed at how far the choir has improved over my last three weeks in absentia. Songs such as Good King Wenceslas/ Ma’oz Tsur and Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, about which I feel jittery actually sounded quite acceptable, and most of the other songs are coming along nicely. Nothing is quite at performance standards yet, but there are a few weeks to go before the concert, and while some degree of vigilance is still required I’m feeling a whole lot more relaxed at this point than normal.

The Pink Singers’ Christmas Concert 2008, In The Pink Midwinter, happens on the 13th of December 2008 at 7pm at the Royal Academy of Music. Tickets are now available on-line (or even better via a Pink Singer!)

The Pocket Square

I never intended this blog to become a sartorial guide, but as we approach the concert there is palpable consternation over what to wear, and what our 'formal' concert outfit is. The reality is that pretty much anything is 'formal' as slong as it is clean, black and ironed.

One thing I have noticed in past seasons, however, is the propensity for the guys to pop their pink handkerchiefs into their shirt pockets, or even their jacket breast pockets. In this capacity it is really more a pocket square than a handkerchief, and it would be really rather inappropriate to blow ones's nose into the gorgeous fuschia thai silk fabric anyway.

Of course, thinking that this would be my move this season, I wondered what the rules are on pocket squares - there must be a guide somewhere. Indeed there is and I have found a rather comprehensive one. Get folding!

From Bass To Soprano

I have always sung tenor voice, initially by default since there weren't enough tenors in my choir before the Pink Singers, and then because it really is the range I am most comfortable in. The upper tenors are honestly a bit of a stretch for me and I do find getting to an A or B flat in head voice a real struggle, especially if I do not yet know the notes and am having to think about it. All in all though, on a good day I think my range spans a comfortable two octaves from chest voice to head voice, with an additional octave in falsetto.

Some people, however, have ranges of four or even five octaves as this article in the BBC about Yma Sumac suggests.

Such a range is so unusual because the human voice is very limited and we use only a small part of it. This makes it very difficult to expand the vocal range and articulate such high notes.

Exploiting the range we do have comes down to physical aspects, like body structure, the length of vocal cords, technique and psychological attitude.

What I like is how they quote a vocal coach as saying that some people have "a fear of using their voice". I can attest to that on a Sunday when we sing, "Angels and archangels may have gathered there" in Mid-winter. I generally just chicken out and go to falsetto. Perhaps I'll work up the courage to sing it normally one day!

P.S. If you're wondering why there is a dearth of posts it is because I'm in the U.S. Congratulations Obama!

First Openly Gay Racehorse

We're everywhere! Including, I hasten to add, the Onion News Network. Do not take seriously!

Midwinter In Mid-Autumn

Our Christmas repertoire is saccharine sweet. There is nothing wrong with that per se, and I am very fond of cheesiness, but by the time we get to the end of rehearsals I have toothache from the schmaltz. Case in point, the two songs we rehearsed yesterday. The first is Midwinter, but not the Holst version which everyone is better acquainted with. No, we are doing the modern Chilcott arrangement as suggessted by Ben L. It has lush harmonies and sounds wonderful - making me think of hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows. Even with the difficult mid-section for the tenors, all I want to do is wrap up in a warm fleece and pet a reindeer.

Nothing, however, can compare to the stilton-fest which is Merry Christmas, Darling. As Simon W noted, the phrase "Merry Christmas, Darling" doesn't actually come until the very end of the song, but that doesn't stop the song, in true Carpenters fashion, from laying on the emotional manipulation thickly right from the first note. Love it!

With just two or three more songs left to learn (I think they are the Christmas Medley and Rocking Around The Christmas Tree) Mladen has set us the task of memorizing the two songs we rehearsed this week for next week. Looks like it is nose to the grindstone/ sheet music then!

Take On Me - Literally!

This video seems to be doing the rounds. I'm about to head off for rehearsal but I'm humming "Talkin' away, I don't know what, I'm to say, I'll say it anyway, today isn't my day to find you." Er... yesssss... This version at least makes sense!

Mantyhose

The Pink Insider has been busy investigating alternative informal performance gear, and thinks he has struck gold with this one. After all, not everyone wants to wear feathers (or loin cloths). And how do you come up with an outfit which suits the very diverse shapes and sizes which make up the choir? My initial thought was pink body paint, a la the Tango man, but in cerise of course. But then I thought, why paint it on when you can just roll it on in the form of panty hose?

I hear you scoffing, but there is a campaign called e-MANcipate whose purpose is to promote the wearing of so-called "mantyhose" by the unfairer sex. After all, great men of the last two centuries wore doublets and hose, so why not today? That said, I am not entirely convinced of the patterns the site promotes, and the mantyhose would have to be opaque or the emergent rats nest of matted hairs will be enough to make audience members close enough to see us reach for their sickbags!

I also note that the e-MANcipate also asks the important question, "Is pink too femmy for men?". The correct answer of course being, "Of course NOT!"

Hats!

Last season my fetish was beards, this season, I think I am getting into hats. The main advantage of this is that (a) I don't need three months to grow a hat and (b) an accident with a razor is not likely to fell a hat with one swoop. in fact, I have always been somewhat into hats, but there is a certain affectation about them which I find annoying. Most hat blogs comment how fashionable it is to wear a trilby because Lindsay Lohan or Justin Timberlake are wearing them. Nothing is more off-putting! Instead, I think the style icons should be like this chap here, a guy snapped on the streets of New York by one of my favourite voyeuristic blogs Advanced Style. Now there is inspiration!

Of course being almost entirely ignorant of different styles of hats, I thought a bit of education is in order, so here is my idiots' guide to different brimmed hats:

The Fedora
The top of the hat, the crown, has deep creasing on the sides or the top. The brim is broad and often turned down in the front. A typical fedora is as seen on Indiana Jones, or if you are into the whole film noir genre then most any detective with a trench coat is also wearing a fedora.

The Trilby
Like the fedora, the trilby has a similar crown which is pinched. Unlike the fedora, however, the brim is much shorter and may be worn turned up at the back. Inspector Clouseau is your typical trilby hat wearer. A variant of the trilby is the stingy-brim tribly which has a brim much more like a pork pie hat (see below). The stylish gentleman at the top of this post is wearing a stingy-brim trilby, as indeed is the hat pictured here.

The Pork Pie
This hat looks like a pork pie, hence its name. The brim is thin, and the crown is short, rounded and flat-topped. The indentation goes all the way around the hat.

Have You Heard The Angel Voices?

This picture is not entirely gratuitous. We actually rehearsed Rutter's Angels' Carol yesterday, and there were indeed angel voices to be heard, all the way from our new-found butch basses and their low F rumbling, through the choir to the marvellous top sopranos who were delicately hitting the high G at the end. For a first run-through, and considering that we had the open meeting right in the middle of the rehearsal, I think we did a really creditable job of it. Certainly, we sounded much better than many of the recordings you see littered across YouTube. I'm scared to link to them because some of them are just so bad. The tenors still have problems getting the 'Glo-o-o-ri-a-a-a i-in ex ce-el-si-is!', but we are getting the hang, I think, of spreading three words or 7 syllables across 14 notes.

Part of the speedy take up this time round is due to the new Pinkies who are just wonderful, quick to learn and enthusiastic. This is the first week with confirmed members, and there are so many of them! I've still not had a chance to meet all the new basses yet, and as always I will probably only get a chance to speak to the new altos towards the end of the season. That said, they are all really friendly and haven't seemed to have had any problems at all fitting in. I know that to new Pinkies Mladen and Simon both look like they have fierce bites, but I also know what big softies they really are! Liang, the biggest softie of them all, keeps referring to the newbies as his 'babies' and to a certain extent they are. He certainly impressed me yesterday by going through all their names.

I won't talk much about the open meeting, apart from to say that it always amazes me how divergent people's opinions about certain topics in the choir are. The open meetings are a really great opportunity to talk about things, and I have to congratulate Mark, our fabulous chair, for keeping it moving along, making sure everyone who wanted to say something could, and coming up with action plans. The one I am really waiting on is Karin, Mel and Liang's proposals for our new informal outfit. Can't wait!

Glo-o-o-ri-a-a-a i-in ex ce-el-si-is!

Gay, Geeky, German

Okay, as I've mentioned before, I am quite geeky, and I really like my gadgets and my computers. My current phone, which I have had for a couple of months is an HTC Touch Diamond, and I totally love it, but with the pace of technology, you just knew it was going to be supplanted. Indeed, the bigger, better version of my phone is going to be out, allegedly in November, and is called the HTC Touch HD. I won't bore you with the specs apart from to say that it is bloody gorgeous.

What's this all leading to I hear you ask? Well, I was searching YouTube for footage of this new phone (yes, I know) and came aross this show above. It is in German and is some kind of technology news programme, and it does have a great video review of the Touch HD. But the surprise bonus is the host of the show who set even my defective gaydar off from the moment he appeared on screen, and the footage of him singing Super Trooper as well as his chanting "Madonna... Madonna... Madonna..." in the blooper reel at the end. It made me chuckle. You are not alone my friend.

Welcome To The Family!

Well, the first three weeks of term are out of the way, and the new members have now formally joined the Pinkies. As I mentioned previously, it has been a bit of an odd season already, particularly since the interest this year has been so strong that we couldn't really accomodate everyone who wanted to join. The final tally came to 35 people who expressed an interest, 29 people who actually came to the rehearsals and 2 people who decided that the choir was not for them (it is a huge commitment!) So of the 27 who were voice-checked we could offer places to 21, as that takes us to the full complement of 18 per section, or 72 in total.

On Sunday I just couldn't believe how large the choir looked. On that day alone the tenors occupied three rows, and the number of newbies nearly outnumbered the oldies in that section. And they were all incredibly talented as well. I sat next to a young bloke called Oliver who quite easily sang through Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day without problems, and some of the new tenors like Gareth, Simon and Tom have outstanding voices.

This does have significant implications for our voice checks of course. As Michael De says, our voice checks are just that - they check whether you can hit a note and what your range is. They also reveal whether you have insight into any errors you may make, and whether you can learn to correct them. These are the basics of being in a choir which are essential to all singing members. However, we are not a pro choir, and we do not have auditions where traits such as vocal quality are assessed. That said, even based on the simple criteria we do use it is possible to see who has a better range and who learns the music faster and is more self-aware, and in the situation facing us this season, with a limited number of places, these things do count.

I am very happy for the newbies who made it through to the singing group, and I am sure they are elated about it - I know I was. However, I think my heart really goes to those whose vocal range was just that little bit too narrow, or whose notes were just that tiny bit off, to join the choir. In no way does this reflect on them; it is just a result of the overall higher standards this season.

The other thing to reiterate as well is that while one would assume that the choir is just about singing it is not. We have a very active social scene which encompasses the non-singing members of our choir as well. This includes all those people who help with staging the concerts and organizing events, the 'choir camels', as Martin (Philip R's other half) refers to them. And who is to say that next season there won't be more opportunities for the non-singing members to join the singing group?

Welcome, singing and non-singing members to the Pink Singers family! We are very pleased to have you here.

Dancing Day: Extended Remix Edition

Gardner's Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day was not the total massacre I thought it would be on Sunday. It actually sounded like it was coming together, despite it being the first time we had properly rehearsed it, and in the absence of any rehearsal tracks. I'm still finding it difficult, particularly getting the rhythms of the second lines of each of the verses. And when it has been sped up to 180 beats per minute (as is annotated) then really, I have no hope in hell.

Anyway, in an attempt to try to learn the lyrics I searched and discovered that the carol actually goes on for several verses beyond what we have in our sheet music.

This is where it stands at present.

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day;
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
To call my true love to my dance;

Chorus
Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

Then was I born of a virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance
Thus was I knit to man's nature
To call my true love to my dance.

In a manger laid, and wrapped I was
So very poor, this was my chance
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass
To call my true love to my dance.

Then afterwards baptized I was;
The Holy Ghost on me did glance,
My Father’s voice heard from above,
To call my true love to my dance.

That's where it ends in our music, but the song actually goes on!

Into the desert I was led,
Where I fasted without substance;
The Devil bade me make stones my bread,
To have me break my true love's dance.

The Jews on me they made great suit,
And with me made great variance,
Because they loved darkness rather than light,
To call my true love to my dance.

For thirty pence Judas me sold,
His covetousness for to advance:
Mark whom I kiss, the same do hold!
The same is he shall lead the dance.

Before Pilate the Jews me brought,
Where Barabbas had deliverance;
They scourged me and set me at nought,
Judged me to die to lead the dance.

Then on the cross hanged I was,
Where a spear my heart did glance;
There issued forth both water and blood,
To call my true love to my dance.

Then down to hell I took my way
For my true love's deliverance,
And rose again on the third day,
Up to my true love and the dance.

Then up to heaven I did ascend,
Where now I dwell in sure substance
On the right hand of God, that man
May come unto the general dance.

I guess you can see why the subsequent verses are generally left out of the canon, much like the extra verses of God Save The Queen which could be quite offensive to the rebellious Scots.

And what does any of this have to do with Alesha Dixon? Nothing really, apart from the fact that (a) she is so pretty, (b) the picture is from the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special last year, so it is vaguely seasonal and (c) Strictly has started again. Yay!

Very Happy Sheep

Here's a funny little article courtesy of the BBC. Basically, farmers in North Tyneside dye the undersides of their rams blue before releasing them into a field with ewes. By seeing which of the ewes have blue dye transferred to their backs, they can then tell which ones are likely to have had intercourse. Unexpectedly, however, all the rams turned blue instead.

The official explanation is that the rams have been fighting each other. My explanation (and clearly I am not the only one), is that they found each other a bit too distracting, and enjoyed a bit of ram on ram friskiness...

New Members' Representative

It is week two of the winter season and things are going really well. We have pretty much covered the Britten carols - it certainly helps that half of us have sung it before - and will be polishing the music from here on in.

The first three weeks are also all about welcoming new members, and it has been a hectic time. Much of the congratulations goes to Liang who has been a very proactive new members' rep. In the past few seasons we have seen something of the order of a dozen would-be Pinkies coming along at the start of the season. Since Liang took over, however, we have had that many coming each week. This is not a surprise really, as Liang has gone out of his way to keep newbies up to date about the joining process, and put a more personal touch to making sure the new members are orientated.

I've had a chance to speak to many of the would-be new members and the overwhelming response is that they think we are a friendly bunch. Of course we are, but I also think that it helps that the section leaders are very keen to get to know the new members, and that the general Pinkies are also putting much more effort into it. After the rehearsal yesterday all bar one of the new members joined us in the pub for drinks, and they weren't all seated together either, but spread out amongst the regulars.

When I first joined, the Pink Singers were nowhere near as convivial and it took a couple of seasons to find my groove. I've noticed in the last couple of years that the atmosphere is changing though, and certainly for the better. It is counterintuituve, but as the choir gets bigger, there seems to be fewer and fewer factions, and more and more cohesiveness. It could be that the music is now our common focus, but I do think it reflects well on us as a community.

I have, for a long time, been worried about what will happen to that community as our group grows. At present we are 16 per section, or a total of 64 members. With the huge influx of new members and our relatively low turnover of existing members, Mladen mentioned that we could take on up to 15 newbies this season, and are now exploring going up to 18 per section, or a total of 72 members. That is more than twice the size of the choir I joined in 2002. At present, everyone still knows everyone else and we are all good friends. I imagine that 72 is probably the top end of what it is possible to cope with and still keep that great Pinkie vibe.

Proposition 8

And in world news... The state of California may strike down the right of gay people to get married, if Proposition 8 gets passed. Surely there are things which are enshrined in human rights and which shold be protected from the tyranny of the majority. Hell, who are we to talk - we Brits are barely over a decade from recovering from the evils of Section 28. Anyway, here is a short video on voting 'no' to Proposition 8.

A Busy Weekend - Sunday

Saturday's description was posted just before this, so read that one first. this is about Sunday which was really important because it was also the proper start of the new season. In a way, the seasons are starting to bleed into one another, partly because we have gigs throughout the breaks. Still, not having rehearsals is a welcome change to the weekends, even if after a while I start to itch to get back into the swing of things.Liang, our new members' rep., has been a super busy-bee in the break. Who knows whether it is because of the promotion of choral singing by Sing London, or shows like Last Choir Standing or The Choir on TV, but there has been huge interest in joining this year. On Sunday we had nine new attendees. They all seem really friendly and according to Mladen and Michael De had good voices. It can be hard for new members to feel at home, but I think that the Pinkies generally do a good job of welcoming them. On my part I think I have to rein the friendliness in just a tad to avoid sounding a bit too leery.

This season we are singing Christmas songs which makes a significant departure for us from the usual. I know many of the pieces already, at least by ear, but singing them is quite a different story. We began with Britten's Ceremony of Carols, and I can recall when we last did this two years ago how long it took to learn the timing and notes of This Little Babe. This time everything seemed to fall into place beautifully. I'm not sure whether this causes consternation to the new members who may feel that this is how the choir always sings.

Thankfully we put that impression right by our total massacre of Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day. There was no hope in hell of us getting this right first time, especially at the pace at which it has been written, and for once the tenor line is not particularly melodic. I'd not heard the carol before, which helps in a way because I don't have a tune to forget.

Mark, our new chair, is currently away on holiday, so Ben P, the new U.K. concerts co-ordinator, gave us a little talk in the break, as did Simon our new treasurer. The atmosphere of the choir is changing because of the change in the executive committee, and I can see many Pinkies wanting to participate in how it is run. This can only be good for the choir. We're still looking for a secretary, which should hopefully be filled soon.After that it was off to the pub. As usual, we had the upstairs area to ourselves and there was a great buzz. There were many members of the choir I hadn't seen in the last two months, so there was loads of catching up to do. I also had a chance to chat with Karen, a new alto this season who is also going to be in charge of publicity for the Pinkies. I can only admire someone who we unfortunately had to space for last season, yet who stuck around till there was. Some of the newbies stayed right to the end, which is either a sign that they like being in our group, or that they're alcoholic, or both! There are allegedly another ten newbies coming next week, and the week after that. Good luck to them all!

A Busy Weekend - Saturday

Damn! I just typed out a whole blog post using this new Live Writer tool from Microsoft, and just as I was about to upload it, the whole thing got deleted! What follows is my frustrated abbreviated version, and please don't say that this should happen more often!

This weekend was the start of a lot of things, and I am now more tired coming out this end than I was going in. Saturday morning saw the Various Voices volunteer rally, basically a way for members of the choirs to get involved. I was doing a promotional spiel for the Frontrunners, so had to go there at 10am, give my talk, then rush back for the actual presentation at the Southbank Centre at 11am.

As I was a floater (a.k.a. odd job labourer) I started out with Roger (from Diversity) and Regis (from LGMC) at the welcome desk, before taking on my now-traditional role as photographer. I'll leave the actual description of the event to Hsien (what a great writer!) on the Team London blog, but will add that we had about 40 members show up, pretty good for a Saturday morning, and a good start.

There was hardly any time to breathe after that as the next event was at the Royal Albert Hall. Under the auspices of Sing London and with a chance to promote Various Voices we were going due to be part of a flash mob. Yes, I was thinking the same thing, what? The idea was that we were to infiltrate the queues at the last night of the Proms, start singing spontaneously, and get people to sing along as well.  As it turns out, the Union Jack clad members of the public were highly territorial and we decided it best not to risk assault by jumping the queue, even in pretence, and got together by the statue on the south side of the Hall.

The rehearsal prior to this was held at the Royal College of Music and led by the MDs of Diversity (singing) and LGMC (on the piano), and when we finally emerged into the sunlight we were raring to go. I've never seen so many weirdos (in the kindest possible sense) and I think they probably thought the same of us when we started with Take A Chance On Me. But the people around us gamely joined in, and by the time we got to Jerusalem the crowd was singing along with gusto, tongue firmly planted in cheek or not.

All too soon it was over. The audience wanted more, and we certainly could have sung a few more songs, but the time we were allocated was limited. There was, however, ample opportunity for the Pink Singers to be interviewed on camera by a member of Sing London, so keep an eye out for it on their website. Hooray for our fifteen seconds of internet fame.

After that it was off to the Poland club where Diversity bought us all a round of drinks. Thanks a bunch guys and gals! people often make out that there is competition between our three choirs, but the reality is that we all get along very well, and have such different niches that we really don't overlap much at all. It takes events like this to foster a closer relationship between us though, and I'm glad we were part of it.

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day

Looks like it is YouTube to the rescue. Here is King's College choir performing Tomorrow Shall Be... unlike our slaughter of the song in our first rehearsal yesterday.

Winter Season 2008 Album Art

I rip all my rehearsal tracks to my PC, and then listen to them on my phone or mp3 player. It just doesn't look right if there isn't any album art, and over the last few years I've been creating "covers" for the music. Here is my attempt for this season. Make the yuletide gay!

Gratuitous Friday

One of my favourite blogs is Jockohomo Datapanic, and it is firmly in my top 10 list of personal blogs in my RSS reader. It covers everything from American politics to upcoming art shows, and often has some glorious photography (as noted above), so is worth a peek now and then. The story of how I came across it is rather odd though. I am obsessed with personal technology and technology doesn't get more personal than the mobile phone, so another site I frequent is Phone Scoop. I was watching one of their video reviews about text entry in a phone when Jockohomo's web address came up on the screen, only to be deleted and replaced with the Phone Scoop URL (I suspect is Eric gay). With a name like Jockohomo, it is impossible to mistake the contents of the blog, and so off I went, and I've been hooked since!