Join us on Saturday 5th July at Cadogan Hall and let the Pink Singers put a spell on you for Pride weekend with GEEK OUT!
Conducted by Olivia Doust with a live band, this 80-strong LGBTQ+ choir will brighten your evening, showcasing what gives them pride. From pet cats to gaming, Doctor Who to 80s sci fi and AI, including some epic classical numbers (and dancing!), there’s something for everyone.
Join us on a journey into joyful obsessions through iconic songs filled with geeky pride. We’re stirring the cauldron for some choral inspiration, from The Rocky Horror Show to Kate Bush, from Buffy The Vampire Slayer to Agatha All Along.
We’ll be joined by the Proud Marys, Chester’s LGBTQ+ Choir, led by musical director Matt Baker, bringing queer joy down from the north featuring some of their own guilty pleasures.
You won’t want to miss this fun and empowering night of queer music, so get your tickets, on sale now.
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 Lulu 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.
Lulu 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!
As part of our 40th year celebrations we are running a series of ‘Hometown Concerts’. The idea behind the series is that choir members take The Pinkies home to towns and cities that we have not visited before but have a special place in the hearts of our members. Kicking off the country-wide tour, our scouse duo Rachel and Darren took us to Liverpool for an amazing weekend. Over to Rachel…
Rachel, Soprano
Growing up in Liverpool definitely gave me a strong sense of social justice and an appreciation of good music, so it’s no wonder that, since living in London, I’ve found a home in this choir. Recently I had the joy of bringing these two things I love together, taking the Pink Singers to visit my home city.
The idea of a hometown visit came about when planning celebrations for the 40th anniversary of our choir. Members of the Pink Singers have come from all kinds of different places across the world and across the UK. The idea was to take our choir’s message, music and vision of an LGBTQ+ community back to the hometown of one of our members. We would connect with local LGBTQ+ choirs, foster solidarity and reach communities and audiences that we wouldn’t otherwise encounter. So over the last year, I’ve been working with Darren, another scouse Pink Singer, hatching plans to visit Liverpool.
On the march with our 40th Anniversary banner
After months of planning with two local LGBTQ+ choirs, the Liverpool Rainbow Chorus and the Proud Marys in Chester, and Liverpool Pride, our weekend in Liverpool began on a Friday evening where we brought the three choirs together to get to know each other and rehearse ahead of our performances on Saturday. As we welcomed and introduced members of the choirs, and finally met our fellow organisers from the other choirs in person after months of planning as a team spread across three cities, Darren and I couldn’t quite believe we had really made all of this happen. But it was when we began singing together that the magic really started. I don’t think there’s anything more uplifting and bonding than singing together in harmony, knowing we all have this experience in common – and by the end of the evening we had made new friends. The atmosphere was amazing, and it sounded great.
On the march!
On Saturday we had the honour of kicking off Liverpool’s Pride March together on the steps of the iconic St George’s Hall. This year Liverpool was also hosting Kyiv Pride, a poignant reminder of how we must not take for granted the safety and security that allows us to celebrate and protest together as a community, and sending a message of solidarity across borders. It was an emotional moment being joined by our friends from the other two choirs in our Pink Singers’ rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone to send off a record-breaking colourful crowd of 20,000 people on Liverpool’s Pride march.
The energy was high as we sang and danced our way along the parade through Liverpool’s city centre and down to the waterfront. In the afternoon, we had our second performance, in the beautiful venue of the Museum of Liverpool, where we shared some of our Pink Singers favourite songs, cheered and danced along to brilliant performances from our friends in the Liverpool Rainbow Chorus and the Proud Marys, and sang together as a joint choir. Having my family and friends in the audience made this a particularly special moment for me, and it was while singing Chosen Family that I reflected on how grateful and proud I felt to have this opportunity to bring together so many of the people I love in one of my favourite places and share this music.
Performing in the Museum of Liverpoool
The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying all that Liverpool has to offer and soaking up the party atmosphere of Pride. I loved making these memories with my fellow Pinkies and enjoying my home city together. This hometown visit was a wonderful experience to bring the music of the Pink Singers to a new audience, come together with two fantastic LGBTQ+ choirs and spread our message and positive vision of a joyful LGBTQ+ community connecting through music. A powerful reminder that You’ll Never Walk Alone.
