Summer 2010 Repertoire (updated 23 Feb)

Yes, despite the cloudy skies and wet weather the summer season really is starting today! To give you an idea of our repertoire I have searched YouTube to collate what the Pink Singers will be learning over the next 4 months (our concert is on Saturday the 19th of June 2010!). Not everything is here of course. For instance, the lower voices will be performing a medley called The Music Of The Chiffons, but as far as I can tell there is no TTBB recording available on-line. As for the rest, well, where possible I tried to go for the choral arrangement, but this wasn't always possible. What I will observe, looking at everything in aggregate, is just how diverse our repertoire relly is!

April Is My Mistress' Face


Choo Choo Ch'Boogie


Come Again


Does Your Mother Know?


Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Vivaldi


Send In The Clowns


Sh-Boom


Time To Say Goodbye


Voir Sur Ton Chemin (this is the one for the upper voices)


Cloudburst (there is an Eric Whitacre song in the repertoire, I just don't know which it is, so I thought I'd post this amazing version of Cloudburst). (Note the song we will be performing is With A Lily In Your Hand - see the update below)


Glory of Love (this is the version the barbershop quartet will be performing including the really difficult sustained A♭ ending by the tenor)


Update: Here is are the confirmed track from Eric Whitacre
With A Lily In Your Hand
Beautiful, and challenging - I don't think we have tried polyphonic singing before. And if we sound half as good as the choir Polyphony (who are masters of this art form) I will be amazed.

Vote For The Pink Singers

A fortnight ago the Pink Paper came up with its annual "best of" survey. This year the Pink Singers have been nominated, so get your mouse at the ready and do hop on over to their survey and vote for us.

Frankly though, while I do recognize the publicity value winning such awards entails, I remain a sceptic. It asks us to decide what "the best gay social group" is and while I naturally and honestly believe that the Pink Singers are the best, it certainly isn't possible to make an accurate assessmentof any group unless you are actually in it. What this means is that larger groups are naturally going to have an advantage, or that popularity in the wider community is going to decide. To me, this defeats the purpose of the question in the first place.

This is all perhaps a bit too much navel gazing for something which is supposed to be fun, but it disturbs me.

P.S. If you do vote, please also tick the London Frontrunners for best gay sports group. Ta.

Time For Something New

I have always asserted that one of the great things about being in the Pink Singers is the constant challenges we face as a choir, some of which are self imposed, that keep us getting better. Getting the balance right between change and familiarity is a difficult one, but at least any modifications to our repertoire, our staging and the way we are run have been gradual. More importantly though, there is a palpable sense of excitement in the choir as we see our labour, be it in performance, in production, in publicity or in community involvement, bear fruit.

There are times, however, when the steps we take are a little more adventurous, and one of those times is coming up this season. I am not at liberty to disclose what's in the cards yet, mainly because nothing is confirmed, but one simple move has implications for many different areas within the choir, with the opportunity to really up our singing and our community. Keeping us cohesive as a choir is going to be one of the greatest challenges, and I'm hoping that there will be understanding and participation from the rest of the Pinkies.

The Music Of The Chiffons

Here's something to look forward to in Summer season 2010. Of course the tenors and basses will be singing this. Methinks Jules will have costume ideas.