While Brighton Pride was in full swing, the Rainbow Chorus, Brighton’s only LGBT chorus were sharing the Brighton Love as part of Europride in Amsterdam.
Europride’s theme this year was diversity and our strength in numbers fighting discrimination – remembering there are still 74 countries where it is a criminal offence to have same-sex sexual contact and 78 where gay marriage is still not recognised.
The Rainbow Chorus was one of only four UK choirs invited to take part in AmaSing, an LGBT Choir Festival featuring fourteen choirs from all over Europe and an official part of the Europride celebrations.
Arriving in Amsterdam at the crack of dawn on Thursday August 4, by lunchtime the Chorus were performing beneath the glass roof of Amsterdam’s National Maritime Museum. Performances followed in a public square and a beautiful leafy park.
Friday August 5 was taken up by preparations for the main event – the festival itself being held at the magnificent Royal Concertgebouw, acoustically regarded as one of the finest concert halls in the world and where the likes of Maria Callas and Tchaikovsky have performed.
Under the direction of its dynamic music team—Mojca Monte on piano and Aneesa Chaudhry (certainly the only MD there sporting steampunk ankle boots!), the Rainbow Chorus were led through a varied and fun repertoire that included Sign Supported English earning a cheering, standing ovation from the sell-out audience of over 1,600 spectators.
The hard work over, it was time to relax and Amsterdam certainly knows how to celebrate – the beautiful party city literally pushed the boats out for Europride—with the Rainbow Chorus more than happy to get involved and lend a helping hand.
Almost every street corner, canal and building was covered in rainbow balloons and Pride banners. The Europride parade itself on the city’s canals saw over 80 party barges decked to the nines, celebrating diversity and unity in fabulous style, watched by thousands of spectators crammed along the banks and bridges where the cheers, beers and sometimes tears all flowed freely.
The Rainbow Chorus send thanks to the AmaSing organising team who invited them to sing, looked after them wonderfully and made them all feel very welcome.
Chorus Chair, Finola Brophy, echoed the feelings of the 90 strong Rainbow Chorus contingent of singers and supporters when she said: “As the most diverse and representative LGBT choir at the festival and one of the very few non-audition choirs, we were very proud to represent Brighton.
“Our internal organising ‘A-team’ was brilliant and our bursary scheme meant that all members who wanted to attend could travel with the chorus regardless of income.
“The Rainbow Chorus motto of Strength in Harmony was demonstrated loud and clear in Amsterdam with a real sense of support, solidarity and pride”.
During their time in Amsterdam, The Rainbow Chorus got to meet and mingle with their peers from the UK, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and France with many friendships being forged providing an unforgettable experience that the Rainbow Chorus feel privileged and fortunate to have been a part of.
View the video of the trip produced by Chorus tenor, Hannah Brackenbury:
Earlier in the year, on June 25, the Rainbow Chorus summer concert Songs Without Borders, played to a full house and raised through a raffle and bucket collection £638 for Brighton Voices in Exile, a registered charity reaching out to refugees, asylum seekers and those with no recourse to public funds within Sussex.
Arthur Law, of the BVIE Cookery Team, said: “The Rainbow Chorus lifted all our hearts and reminded us how universal love is and how powerful the bonds of soul and heart that recognise no borders.
“Voices in Exile is really pleased to have joined with the Chorus in raising the profile of LGBT people fleeing war and persecution and seeking refuge in the UK. We want to continue to improve our service to LGBT refugees. The generosity of the audience at Songs Without Borders was awesome. Thanks for the songs and the love, we look forward to working with you again”.
To tie in with their aim to become more involved in the wider Brighton and Hove community, just before the chorus left to sing in Amsterdam, they accepted an offer from Tesco, to sing at its Hove store in the lead-up to Brighton Pride.
On Saturday, July 30, 20 members of the choir assembled at Tesco Superstore in Hove to sing from 1 to 4 pm in the main entrance. Employees wore Pride T-shirts, Pride flags and banners were displayed around the foyer and Tesco arranged a fruit and veg display in the rainbow colours.
The Chorus sang the repertoire that they would be taking to Amsterdam less than a week later and were thrilled with the reception from shoppers.
Justin Hillier, Media and Comms lead for the Rainbow Chorus, said: “It can be presumptuous to assume people will want to hear an LGBT choir sing, even in the bubble of Brighton and Hove, but passers-by seemed genuinely delighted to take a pause in their Saturday routine and listen to our performance, really heart-warming!”
Your next chance to hear The Rainbow Chorus sing will be at their winter concert, at St George’s Church, St Georges Road, Kemptown on Saturday, December 10, 2016, starting at 7.30pm
Keep an eye on the Rainbow Chorus website for tickets going on sale as the show is always a sell-out.
In August 2017, the Chorus will be heading north to take part in Hand in Hand, a choir festival hosted next year by the Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus.
The Rainbow Chorus has grown considerably in recent years and remains determined to be fully representative of the LGBT communities in Brighton and Hove. They are looking for even more men at a new members night on Monday, September 12. If you think you have what is required to be part of the chorus you can register your interest and get further information by contacting the membership team by email: membership@rainbowchorus.org.uk .
The Rainbow Chorus is the only Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) choir in the South outside of London. The chorus aims to provide an enjoyable and supportive environment for LGBT people to sing together, make new friends while developing their community spirit, individual talents and confidence. Through performance, the Rainbow Chorus raises the profile of the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove, provides top quality entertainment and is supported by the Big Lottery and Rainbow Fund.
Photographs by Liza O’Malley.
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