We Did It: What A Rush!

Well it is now the day after the day after, but I am still riding high after our 25th anniversary concert. We have worked jolly hard this season: not only did we have to perform the full concert with all the repertoire that involves, but we also had learn and perform the choreography with last minute tweaks all the way through. The past few months have been long and arduous, but it all paid off in the end - what an amazing concert we gave!

The day itself began early, starting at 2pm with our stage rehearsal. We ran through the entire concert, from Locus Iste to Come What May, and have to say that there was the usual horror of sounding terribly flat through nearly all the songs. This was interspersed with the similarly traditional trauma of having to get on and off the stage, and getting into the right positions for our moves. I have to say that running through There Is Nothing Like A Dame for only the second time on stage with last minute jiggery and pokery to the choreography was not the easiest experience on my nerves.

By the time the run-through was over, nearly three hours later, my nerves were fairly well shot through and I was totally exhausted. Usually, I'm a bundle of nerves and can't eat a thing just before the concert, but given that we were on our feet for so long, I was absolutely famished. There was no time to go out for our meal (plus the choir is now huge, so we would have filled Pizza Express quite easily) so we had a 'pot luck' type meal down in the canteen of the Royal Academy of Music. This worked out really well for us as some people had really gone out of their way to prepare some amazing food. Kudos especially to Nathalina for making the most beautiful fairy cakes known to mankind! Yum! We also had Warren to thank for being the man behind laying all of the food out in an artistic and oh-so-tasty-looking way.

Pretty soon it was time to get into costume and warm up backstage. This year, since we were doing both halves, we were given the option of wearing two outfits, and some people really made the effort. Lynne's spangly dress for the first half, followed by her corset for the second (ooh la la!) was one of the stand outs. Jo C's full length tail coat was a stunner, and of course people like Amy always look glamorous. Ben P, who is already very cute anyway, looked very Prada in his black ensemble including pencil tie, and Johnathon and Naomi's rock chic(k) leather trousers certainly turned up the heat in the second half.

We gathered backstage as Mark Bunyan introduced the Pink Singers. Unfortunately, we couldn't hear anything of what he said, but in his ten minute preamble he gave a little bit of the history of the Pink Singers, and apparently led the audience in song with I Am A Homosexual, the first song the choir ever sang at that Pride twenty-five years ago. I think it must have been quite a surprise then when we got onto stage and opened with Locus Iste!

I am always nervous on stage, and more so when I know I have to make an announcement or sing a solo piece. It always makes me feel really edgy which means I can't really get into the singing until after the ordeal is over. I'm much happier melding into the background. That said, from the moment we finished singing the Bruckner Motet, I knew that this was going to be an amazing concert. We have never sung that piece better, and there was a wonderful union of voices, we didn't drift in pitch and the ebb and flow of the dynamics was amazing. It certainly set the tone for what was to follow.

If I had to pick out a slightly weaker piece in the first half it would have to be the Triumphal March from Aida. The piece is a grandiose one, and still, I think, a little bit beyond the reach of a sixty voice choir with piano accompaniment. I have to say that Karl Jenkin's Requiem never sounded better though, and Italian Salad was a triumph! Our soloists Adam, Michael D, Simon and Sally Ann really camped it up, and I especially liked Sally Ann's little kick of the heels at the end of her piece. It made the audience, and me, giggle.

The final piece of the first half was Ave Maria, one of the songs we performed at the IndigO2 a couple of weeks ago, with Gari Glaysher returning his visit. If anything, I think this performance was better, partly because we were singing along to Michael D's piano accompaniment, and could therefore be a little more fluid. Gari's voice was as wonderful as ever, although from where we were on stage you could not really hear it well. By this stage I think of Gari as a real friend of the Pink Singers, which reflects his intrinsically friendly nature. It was wonderful having him come along.

By the time we got to the second half things were much more relaxed and I think the whole choir really got into the performance aspect. America certainly gave us a chance to interact with each other, and a friend who came for the first time remarked how much it looked like we were having a good time as part of a team. I couldn't agree more. Everyone really dug deep and pulled what they could out of the bag.

There is a certain schizophrenia in the Pink Singers in that we sing a very varied repertoire, and the two halves really highlighted this, but whether you are singing classical or Motown, the same level of concentration and skill is required, even if the vocal style is different. If I had to choose a favourite piece of the evening, it would have to be Love Song for a Vampire. It seems superficially simple, but to imbue the song with the amount of emotion it deserves is no easy task. I thought the basses were particularly wonderful and their opening line, "Come into these arms again" was the most fused and piano that I have ever heard them. It made me go weak at the knees.

Actually, all the love songs were beautiful, and I spotted some of my friends at the back bawling their eyes out at Your Song and If We Hold On Together. As Andrew F pointed out in his introduction, Michael D's arrangement of the latter song allows for a virtuoso performance on the piano, and I have so say that his fingers flew through that, and all the other songs that evening. It must feel very vulnerable to be so exposed, but Michael D is extremely talented and he turned out a near flawless performace.

Of course, the lynch pin in all of this is our wonderful musical director Mladen. it is impossible to emphasize how important an MD is in tying together the various sections and music, and Mladen does it all with panache. Even if you have only been in the choir for one season, Mladen's directions are like an open book: one gesture and you know when to really go for it, when to slow down, when to hush your voice, when to stop. The Pink Singers would definitely not be at the standard we are without him.

There are times when Mladen has to step aside, and that was certainly the case for the choreography-rich Forever Motown. And what a way to end the concert! The audience was clapping and singing along and we were having a whale of a time. This was followed by a standing ovation from the wonderful and enthusiastic crowd. I almost didn't want it to end.

But end it eventually did, and I have to say that I was running on empty by the end of it. To me, it was the best concert I have ever been priveleged to have participated in, and an example of how far we have come. This season the choir has been pushed harder vocally than ever before and it was very rewarding to see it all come to fruition. At the same time it was so much fun and I've made many new friends this year.

We have just one more gig in Brighton in a fortnight and then it is the end of the summer season. Summer 2008 will definitely go down in my memory as one of my best ever Pink Singers experiences. Pinkies rock!

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!

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!

I Ache All Over

One of the side effects of being in a social group like the Pink Singers is that you meet people who have other interests. Case in point: Celso, one of the new tenors, jogs with the Front Runners, and, partly out of politeness, I agreed last Sunday to give this group a shot with Johnathon. By yesterday afternoon I was already chickening out, but Johnathon, very slyly I might add, decided to call me while he was already on the way down to the meeting point.

Great.

I was comfortably sitting on the sofa with a nice cup of cha and the Simpsons on telly, but had to then pack my running gear into a bag and head down to the South Bank.

To cut a long story short though, I had a really good time. I haven't really run properly in years, but the stretch along from the Houses of Parliament to Tower Bridge is wonderfully scenic, especially in the failing light of a London autumn. Johnathon is a little more out of shape than I, but I was actually quite glad for the excuse not to run at the pace of the rest of the group.

The biggest appeal of such groups though, is the people, and I met some really wonderful members yesterday like Steve, Nicholas, Dylan and Toby. Interestingly, when we went to the pub later, all the new members sat together while all the older members congregated elsewhere. Thankfully, there were some who made the effort to come across and involve us, and conversation flowed smoothly.

It is a situation I noticed with the Pink Singers when I first joined all those years ago. This has changed over the years, and there is now a much larger contingent of gregarious souls who make the effort to engage new members. At the same time though, it really is a two way street: being a newbie means stepping outside your comfort zone (as Johnanthon likes to say) and requires you to reawaken the dormant socializing genes.

Really glad I went, and will go again tomorrow, and even on Saturday. I ache all over, but it looks like I've found a new hobby.

How Fast?

Week 2 and the new members keep rolling in. For some reason this season there seems to be a lot more interest than last year, and there is still one more week to go for potential newbies. I am always interested in finding out how people find out about the Pink Singers, and also why they join us rather than one of the other gay and lesbian choirs in London. It turns out the majority hear about us through Google (no duh!) and our website. Remarkably few have ever heard of us through any other route, and even fewer have come to our concerts. I guess that means lots of room for improvement in terms of self-promotion. As to why people would rather join us than the LGMC or Diversity, or any of the other fledgling choirs for that matter, well, the new members I’ve spoken to seem to think that we seem really friendly and fun (and we are!) and have a good mix of voices and repertoire (which we do!). I’m glad that comes across. At the same time London is large enough to sustain three major LGBT choirs with very different social approaches, management and vocal styles, so really, there is something for everyone.

At the pub yesterday after rehearsal I was speaking to one of the new members, and he was saying that he was amazed at how fast we go through the music. This is in comparison to his old choir which seemed to slog through the pieces. In contrast, I actually find our progress slow going. For a brief period in college I was in the Gilbert and Sullivan society, and you were expected to just pick up the sheet music and start singing – our musical director was horrible in that he’d pick you out if you hit a bum note. It really was needlessly stressful. Thankfully Mladen is a much calmer influence, and is a good combination of firm and fair. In addition to last week’s songs, this week we started learning Hymne a l’amour (refer to video of Edith Piaf at her finest above), You’ll Never Walk Alone (another of Michael’s outstanding arrangements) and Lacrimosa from Jenkins’ Requiem, for a total of six songs in a fortnight. Balancing the needs of different people in the choir, from those who can sight-read music to those who have never seen musical notation before, is a real problem, but I do believe that people who sing have a natural affinity for a melody so pick things up quickly, and the Pinkies do it at a pace which caters to the greatest number of members.

The other news is that Johnathon, whose birthday it was on Friday, has convinced me to join him on a run around the South Bank with the Front Runners. This is after a conversation with another one of the new members who also runs with that group. I used to run competitively, but it has been a while since I did anything of the sort, and I am woefully out of shape. This does sound rather appealing though, and jogging along the South Bank in the cold winter evenings has a certain Rocky Balboa-esque attraction for me. Once it starts raining, of course, all bets are off.

Paleday At The Soho Revue Bar

Met Andrew F, Mladen, Johnathon and his friend at the Yard for drinks a couple of weeks ago for Anthony and Paleday's gig at the Soho Revue Bar. I missed the last time they performed there, but everyone I spoke to said it was a blast.

In fact, the venue is pretty amazing. I'd always wondered what exactly people were queuing up for in between all those shows, and now I know. Small tables, booths, red velvet, candles - and a stage for some of the most eclectic performances ever.

The ones who made the most impact were the Diamond Girls who kicked off the show with a run in one diamond's tights and some moves I am sure we can incorporate into our own routine (Chris and Sally, you know what I'm talkin' about!), and a super singer called Baby Soul something. I tried to track down her MySpace page but couldn't - she was really, really good though. There was also a super cheesy Eurovision-esque performance by some Irish guy who sang far too many songs. He was memorable only because of the completely superfluous dancers in the background.

There was a sigh of relief when Paleday came on. We hit the dance floor and others joined us - in my own frenzy someone gave me a complimentary Paleday T-shirt. Woo hoo! Worryingly enough Andrew F knew the words to all the songs. I can sing a couple myself, "I can dance by myself, I don't need nobody else!"

All in all a superb evening!

Something Fishy At Bar Wotever!

Some of the Pinkies went down to Bar Wotever in Kings X last night to catch Something Fishy perform. The venue itself is quite small, but it was packed to the rafters. They had a warm-up act, quite unintentionally no doubt, of a tall guy in glasses dressed in pumps, a black devore dress and pearls.

Then Eliza (Tanya), Lara (Gill), Vinny (Carol) and 'Funky' Fingers (Johnathon) came on. They stole the show with a mix of funny, new and gloriously cunningly (mis)appropriated songs. And there was the curious incident with the guitar in the night, and Fingers' synthesizer which seemed to have a mind of it's own sometimes! All great fun.

Ir was also really wonderful to see old members like Line and Iain there, as well as members who have just joined this season, like Maia and Andrew (on his mobile as usual). Something old, and something new. Nothing like the Pinkie family getting behind you!

Here's the video I took of the evening. YouTube only allows me to upload a particular size, so I have had to split it into five bits. If you want the whole video (in a higher resolution too!), then you can grab it, and several photos off my pink bits.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

The Encore!

Their next performance is on Saturday, the 2nd of June at the Black Cap. Check out our home page or MySpace page for details as they come through!