We are delighted to share that we have been nominated for the Inspiration Award by the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS). The Inspiration Award recognises the contribution of non-professional ensembles or individuals and we are thrilled to be joining a stellar line up of nominees.
The award takes into consideration our activities from September 2023 to August 2024, a period that coincides with our 40th anniversary project. This includes the launch of our podcast ‘Sing It Pink’, our specially commissioned piece ‘Home Made Musical Hope Machine’ and our documentary film ‘A Magical Journey of Queerness’, on top of a huge number of performances and events. So this nomination really is the icing on the cake of what has been an incredible period in the choir’s history.
Unlike other Royal Philharmonic Society awards, The Inspiration Award is decided upon by public vote. We would love it if you could take a few moments to register your vote via the RPS website. A few of us will be heading to the awards ceremony at Birmingham Conservatoire where the winner will be announced on 6th March 2025. Until then, we’re keeping everything crossed!
Join The Pink Singers on Saturday 18 January 2025 at Cadogan Hall for our next concert celebrating queer artists and queer stories.
Wish You Were Queer will feature bespoke arrangements of iconic songs by Queen, Chappell Roan, Joy Oladokun, Brandi Carlile, and The Pet Shop Boys. Celebrate world-renowned music from David Bowie, Billie Eilish, and Jacob Narverud, exploring all aspects and genres of choral music. This concert will guide you through all aspects of the queer umbrella, celebrating the voices of Audre Lorde, Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Namoli Brennet.
Conducted by Olivia Doust, Wish You Were Queer will feature a collaboration with F*Choir, a London-based, all-genders community choir founded by composer and multidisciplinary artist Jenny Moore, as well as guest performances from The Advantages, a London-based lesbian guitar, keyboard and vocal trio, and live five-piece band.
You won’t want to miss this equal-parts fun and moving night of queer music, so get your tickets now!
Tickets: from £10 to £45
Duration: approx. 2 hours (including interval)
Cadogan Hall, Sloane Square, London SW1X 9DQ. (nearest tube Sloane Square) Box Office: 020 7730 4500. Show starts 7:30pm, bar opens 6:45pm.
19 October 2024, 6.30pm and 9.30pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Forty years on, Bronski Beat’s defiant debut album, The Age of Consent, is reimagined by queer and trans artists of today at a one-off concert. And just like the original, The Pink Singers will be there to provide backing singers.
Tonight’s show features a powerhouse line-up including Luca Manning, Planningtorock, Tom Rasmussen plus more to be announced, alongside a specially curated queer house band, performing bold new arrangements of the record.
An unashamed portrait of radical queerness in 1980s Britain, The Age of Consent was a pivotal moment in LGBTQIA+ cultural history.
Jimmy Somerville, Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek took the charts by storm with era-defining hits ‘Smalltown Boy’ and ‘Why’, and their new brand of bold, political synth-pop.Under Thatcher’s repressive Conservative government, against the backdrop of the miners’ strike and the early onset of the AIDS crisis, this music acted as a beacon of hope for a generation of disenfranchised LGBTQIA+ youth.
When recording the album, Bronski Beat needed some backing vocals and reached out to the newly-formed Pink Singers. We are thrilled to be asked to play a role in celebrating the legacy and ongoing message of this seminal album four decades later.
For one night only, The Chateau presents this piece of musical and political history from 1980s Britain, live and reimagined through the voices of ground-breaking queer and trans contemporary artists.
A musical celebration, and a collective call to action for the work still to be done in the fight for queer and trans liberation. Plus, join us for a free after-party in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer following the event in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
With current anti-trans legislation and rhetoric in the press, and the ongoing battle to ban conversion therapy, the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights continues. Against this backdrop, The Age of Consent is presented 40 years on, with its message still more relevant than ever.
Luca Manning is an artist who embraces sound as an embodied force, rooted in her fascination for the voice as a vehicle for expression. She has opened for artists Jools Holland, Holysseus Fly and Tom Rasmussen, and has performed in jazz clubs including Ronnie Scott’s as well as queer spaces.
Tallinn-based singer-songwriter, composer, producer, DJ and director Planningtorock has spent over a decade queering sound and sharing visions. They have four critically acclaimed studio albums of queer dance to their name, and have collaborated with artists including Lady Gaga, Robyn, Christine and the Queens and Romy.
Tom Rasmussen is a London-based artist and prominent figure in the LGBTQIA+ community, known for their dark dance music that blends pop, queer club culture, and their experiences as a former drag performer. Their debut album, Body Building, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim.
Standard entry from £25.00 (plus £3.50 booking fee) Early Show: Doors 6pm / Show 6.30pm Late Show: Doors 9pm / Show 9.30pm Afterparty: 11pm – 1am in QEH Foyer (free entry to ticket holders)
Book as early as you can to ensure the best choice of tickets. Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand. Age guidance: For ages 14+. Concessions 25% (Limited availability)
Aunt Nell Ltd has launched the new trailer for their upcoming documentary podcast Sing It Pink – The Story of The Pink Singers.
The series tells the story of London and Europe’s longest-running LGBTQ+ choir, The Pink Singers, who celebrated their 40th-anniversary last year.
The podcast will share the group’s diverse journey that reflects 40 years of change and growth for queer communities in the UK, as well as unlocking hidden stories of LGBTQ+ grassroots community music making from the 1980s to today.
The highly-produced, multi-voice documentary draws from archive news clippings, live recordings and first-person testimonials, as well as interviews with members of the choir past and present. Episodes will feature the following stories:
The founding of the choir in 1983, and the queer grassroots music scene in the 80s
Performing at Stonewall and Terrence Higgins Trust benefits and in London Lighthouse wards at the height of the HIV-AIDS crisis
The diversity of the choir, from women’s rights and inclusion, to the group’s first trans members
Interviews with musical directors past and present on arranging music for queer and trans voices
The choir’s activism in the UK and abroad, including travels to India to march against Section 337, marching in Warsaw and Kyiv Pride 2022, and at London Trans+ Pride
Love, marriage, and the story of LGBTQ+ relationships today told by members of the choir
The series is produced by Rachel Byrne, with assistant producer Marnie Woodemeade, and the executive producers are Tash Walker and Adam Zmith for Aunt Nell, and Chris Scales for the Pink Singers. Tash and Adam previously produced The Log Books, a documentary series that tells the story of Britain’s queer history through handwritten notes made by volunteers at Switchboard. The Log Books won Gold in the Best New Podcast category at the British Podcast Awards 2020.
Tash Walker, Co-director and Co-founder of Aunt Nell, said:
We’re so thrilled to partner with the Pink Singers to tell the full story—in intimate audio—of their incredible history. We’ve made it our mission to produce timeless podcasts filled with improbable connections and human stories.
When we heard about the powerful story of the Pink Singers, and the depth of their archive, we knew it would make for an extraordinary podcast series.
Sing It Pink has been carefully and lovingly crafted by producer Rachel Byrne. We’re so grateful to the choir for working with Rachel and trusting us all to make something special.”
The podcast comes as The Pink Singers received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £94,625 for their Sing It Loud, Sing It Queer project, which will archive and celebrate the 40-year history of the choir, working with the Bishopsgate Institute.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Dynamic Collections campaign has also funded a short documentary film made with Happenstance Films titled A Magical Journey of Queerness, showcasing a brand-new composition to celebrate their anniversary year. In addition the choir has also released a new album of their early live recordings, The Pink Singers: Hope Machine.
Chris Scales, Chair of the Pink Singers at 40 Project, said:
Forty years on, despite great progress for some, others in our community are still fighting for their right to even exist. Raising up our voices together in song for what we believe in feels more important than ever, and by learning about the trailblazers who led the way before us I hope we can find hope and inspiration to build a better future”.
We’re excited to unlock the story of the Pink Singers and look back on our journey, from a small gay group singing for our rights, to a diverse choir of over 90 LGBTQIA+ people today. This new series shines a light on the many wonderful ‘Pinkies’ who have sung with us over the decades, uncovering their grassroots queer activism and bravery striving for a better world in difficult times.
The Trailer for Sing It Pink – The Story of The Pink Singers will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Acast and more on 12th July 2024.
Tickets for The Pink Singers’ summer concert – “Everything’s Coming Up Pinkies A Musical Theatre Spectacular” are out now.
Join the Pink Singers, Europe’s longest-running LGBT+ choir, at Cadogan Hall for a celebration of all things musical theatre!
‘Everything’s Coming Up Pinkies’ will feature songs from a range of musicals, including A Chorus Line, Company, Les Misérables, and Cabaret as well as a celebration of queer musical theatre stories with songs from Rent, Fun Home, Kinky Boots, The Color Purple, and many more.
This concert will be conducted by Olivia Doust, the Pink Singers’ newly appointed Musical Director and will feature a guest performance from Ballet in the Park.
You won’t want to miss this singing and dancing spectacular so get your tickets now! VIP tickets include a free programme, glass of bubble and slice of rainbow cake!
