London Gay Men's Chorus is a gay

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

that was founded in 1991 by a group of nine

gay men Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may also dually identify as gay, and a number of young gay men also identify as queer. Historically, gay men have been referred to by a number of different terms, includin ...

. The group now has around 150 singing members at any one time and almost 300 members in total.

Introduction

With a widely varying repertoire from classical music to folk, jazz, pop, R&B or show tunes, and often including choreography, the Chorus's mission is one of 'social justice through song' - aiming to challenge preconceptions - both musical and social - in society, whilst also providing a social network for its members. The Chorus operates an open access policy, allowing anyone to join. New members are simply voice-tested and not auditioned when they join the group. The Chorus often rehearses at

Cecil Sharp Cecil James Sharp (22 November 1859 – 23 June 1924) was an English-born collector of folk songs, folk dances and instrumental music, as well as a lecturer, teacher, composer and musician. He was the pre-eminent activist in the development of t ...

House,

Camden Town Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as ...

and has offices at Kemp House in London, England.

Structure

With approximately 190 voices, the London Gay Men's Chorus has four singing sections, bass, baritone, first tenor and second tenor. Each section is divided between upper and lower voices supported by a music support team drawn from the ranks. SemiTones are non-singing members who help support the chorus, primarily with serving refreshments during break and Front of House activities during a concert. A group of auditioned members constitute the 'ensemble' (LGMCe), a small group which works as an ambassadorial and fundraising entity and performs at corporate events, civil partnership and wedding ceremonies. The Music Team including the artistic director their deputies and assistants are all professionals employed on freelance contracts by the Chorus. The Chorus also employs a company manager but mostly draws on volunteer work from its members to support its activities. As of 2022, the Chorus is governed by an elected charitable board composed of a chair, secretary, treasurer and head of membership with additional members drawn from both the membership and externally, filling key skills and expertise. This is complimented by an Executive Committee of volunteers that is operational. This new structure was brought in by then chair Peter Ptashko FRSA, who introduced a major set of governance reforms to the organisation that included the recruitment of External Trustees, the creation of an Executive Director post for the first time, the expansion of the music team, the hiring of a new Company Manager, the development of new charitable, corporate and international partnerships, the creation of the basis for a new youth chorus, and the framework for a 5-year strategy Revenue is drawn from membership subscriptions, ticket and merchandise sales, donations, and performance fees. The Chorus has had a number of commercial sponsors, both monetary donors and providers of pro bono professional services, including the former pioneering gay website Queer Company, design firm Marsh and Malone who developed a new corporate identity in 2005–6, and fundraising consultants Brakeley. The Chorus also enjoyed a commercial relationship with

Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited, part of the Selfridges Group of department stores. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridg ...

, and has sung carols in the

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...

store during the Christmas season for five years (between 2004 and 2008). Further relationships with Baker McKenzie and ARUP have more recently been established. The London Gay Men's Chorus is a

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

(Reg. No. 1092827) and a

private limited company A private limited company is any type of business entity in "private" ownership used in many jurisdictions, in contrast to a publicly listed company, with some differences from country to country. Examples include the ''LLC'' in the United St ...

registered in England (No. 4390145) The most recent chairs of the organisation include: *David Batten *Steve Bustin *Martin Brophy MBE *Dr Greg Battle *Richard Broughton *Anthony Fordham *Alisdair Adams (Low) *Jim Robertson *John D Carrion *Mark Kember *Anthony Hull *Peter Ptashko FRSA (current)

Historic overview

After humble beginnings in 1991 at Angel Underground station (where the station had to be closed due to the crowd that had gathered), the Chorus has performed around the UK and toured overseas in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

and sung with the Helsinki Gay Men's Chorus in the summer of 2009. The chorus has made many TV appearances and radio broadcasts including ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'', ''So

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comed ...

'', '' Loose Ends'', Ruby Wax Christmas special, ''

London Tonight ''ITV News London'' is a British television news service broadcast on both ITV London and the ITV Hub. It is produced by ITN. History London News Network The programme launched on Monday 4 January 1993 as ''London Tonight'', after Carlton ...

'', the Paul Ross weekend breakfast show on

LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadcast ...

, and ''

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

'', and has sung and performed with stars including Sir

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...

Heather Small Heather Margarita Small (born 20 January 1965) is a British soul singer and former lead vocalist of the band M People. Her subsequent debut solo studio album, ''Proud'', was released in 2000. Career 1987–1998: Hot House and M People Small ...

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...

, Simon Callow, Alison Jiear,

Jocelyn Brown Jocelyn Lorette Brown (born November 25, 1950), sometimes credited as Jocelyn Shaw, is an American R&B and dance singer. Although she has only one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entry solely in her name, she has an extensive background in the musi ...

Toyah Willcox Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English musician, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Willcox has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays an ...

, k.d. lang,

Rula Lenska Rula Lenska (born Róża Maria Leopoldyna Łubieńska, 30 September 1947) is a British actress. She mainly appears in British stage and television productions and is known in the United States for a series of television advertisements in the 19 ...

Sandi Toksvig Sandra Birgitte Toksvig (; ; born 3 May 1958) is a Danish-British writer, comedian and broadcaster on British radio, stage and television. She is also a political activist, having co-founded the Women's Equality Party in 2015. She has written ...

, Dame

Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

and The

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo ...

. Over the years the Chorus has raised thousands of pounds for charity (the Food Chain, the Royal Marsden Hospital, Crusaid, the

RNIB The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss. History The RNIB was founded by Thomas Rhodes Armitage, a doctor who had ey ...

, Changing Attitude, he National Autistic Society the Terrence Higgins Trust, the Orchid Cancer Appeal, Cara and others), and sung everywhere from the tube station of its beginnings to pubs and street corners, XXL,

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

, the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I li ...

and

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The Q ...

, the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

and the

Aussie Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier recta ...

, the

Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium. As of 2022, it is the ni ...

in the presence of HM The Queen,

La Cigale La Cigale (; English: ''The Cicada'') is a theatre located at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex connected to the Le Trabendo concert venue and the Boule Noi ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, The

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

in Washington, D.C., the

National Concert Hall The National Concert Hall (NCH) (An Ceoláras Náisiúnta) is a national cultural institution, sometimes described as "the home of music in Ireland". It comprises the actual concert hall operation, which in various chambers hosts over 1,000 ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, the Gianni Agnelli Auditorium in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

, the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

(for the centenary of the building), the

Palau de la Música Catalana Palau de la Música Catalana (, en, Palace of Catalan Music) is a concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in the Catalan '' modernista'' style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for ...

in Barcelona, the

Congress Hall Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United State ...

in Warsaw, Poland and the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

. Most recently it has once again raised funds for the Terrence Higgins Trust, who it partnered with back in 1991 when it was founded, as part of both their 30th and 40th anniversary celebrations.

Recent history

2022

In 2022 the LGMC marked the incredible contribution of Stephen Sondheim to music and theatre through its 'Sondheim Songtime' performances at Cadogan Hall, followed by a return of the Halloween Ball at the Alexandra Palace Theatre - a reboot of 2013's Ball at the Hackney Empire.

2021

This year saw it's triumphant return to stage with performances of 'Perfect Day' at Cadogan Hall, celebrating its return to stage, and its 'Big Birthday Bash' performance at the Clapham Grand, marking the official 30th birthday.

2020

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic live, in-person performances were paused but member-focussed activities continued, with online performances also held throughout one of the most challenging year in the LGMC's history.

2019

On Saturday 15 June, in a show celebrating the iconic sound of

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

, the Chorus presented Hitsville – a concert penned by some of the all-time greats of popular music. The show took place again at London's Troxy. At the show, the Nigerian gay-rights activist Bisi Alimi was announced as the chorus' newest patron. For the Christmas season, the chorus tackled the idea of 'home'. Finding Home took audiences through a moving, uplifting and thoroughly entertaining show at

Cadogan Hall Cadogan Hall is a 950-seat capacity concert hall in Sloane Terrace in Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. The resident music ensemble at Cadogan Hall is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), the first L ...

2018

On 15 June, the LGMC performed the first of two Summer concerts at

, Polyphonica. The chorus travelled to

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

in May 2018 as part of the Various Voices LGBT chorus festival where they sang repertoire from the show along with some other favourites, including a duet with

Conchita Wurst Thomas Neuwirth (born 6 November 1988) is an Austrian singer and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst (or simply Conchita). Neuwirth came to international attention after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 as with t ...

on Rise Like A Phoenix. On 5 September, the Chorus performed at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards at

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery located in London. It houses the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art, and forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It ...

and introduced

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

to the stage as he accepted The Editor's Lifetime Achievement Award For Services To Philanthropy. On 20 December, the LGMC performed the first of four Christmas shows at the

Clapham Grand The Grand (previously The Grand Theatre) is a Grade II listed building on St John's Hill, near Clapham Junction in Battersea, South London. It was designed by Earnest Woodrow and was first opened in 1900 as The New Grand Theatre of Varieties. The ...

, Oom-Pah-Pah! which took its inspiration from the Victorian music hall.

2017

In January 2017, the Chorus started rehearsing for their next show, ''Agitpop'', at

. The chorus also took the show to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in May 2017 where they performed at the city's

Skirball Cultural Center The Skirball Cultural Center, founded in 1996, is a Jewish educational institution in Los Angeles, California. The center, named after philanthropist-couple Jack H. Skirball and Audrey Skirball-Kenis, features a museum with regularly changing ex ...

alongside the

New York City Gay Men's Chorus The New York City Gay Men's Chorus is a choral organization in New York City that has been presenting an annual concert season for more than four decades. History The New York City Gay Men's Chorus (NYCGMC) was founded in August 1980 by Ed Weav ...

before decamping to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

to perform with the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus. The chorus also performed AgitPop at the Snape Festival in

Snape Maltings Snape Maltings is an arts complex on the banks of the River Alde at Snape, Suffolk, England. It is best known for its concert hall, which is one of the main sites of the annual Aldeburgh Festival. The original purpose of the Maltings was the m ...

in August. During this season, the chorus also collaborated with the cast of ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...

'' to sing a version of "

Circle of Life "Circle of Life" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated film ''The Lion King''. Composed by English musician Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice, the song was performed by Carmen Twillie (the deep female lead vocals) and Lebo M. (opening vocal ...

" to coincide with Pride in London. In December, the Chorus presented Tinseltown, a tribute to Hollywood featuring Rachel Tucker and Dylan Turner. On 6 May, members of the LGMC performed at the wedding of Tom Daley and

Dustin Lance Black Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. He is known for writing the film ''Milk'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2009. He has also sub ...

2016

In 2016, the Chorus celebrated its 25th anniversary and Silver Jubilee, with its first show of the year at

for 'History' a retrospective of both the Chorus' own history and key events since it formed in 1991. In the wake of the

Orlando nightclub shooting On , 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. Orlando Police officers shot and killed him after a three-hour standoff. In a ...

, the LGMC attended a vigil on London's

Old Compton Street Old Compton Street is a road that runs east–west through Soho in the West End of London. History The street was named after Henry Compton who raised funds for a local parish church, eventually dedicated as St Anne's Church in 1686. Th ...

, singing Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water to the waiting crowd. Due to the public reaction, the Chorus released the song as a single on Friday 24 June, with all profits going to the Orlando victims fund and GALOP UK, a Uk-based charity combating hate crime. The Chorus also undertook a regional tour of the UK, travelling to Brighton in August to sing with the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus for Brighton Pride, and singing with Gay Abandon and The Deep C Divas in Leeds in October. They performed at Newcastle the next day. In October, the Chorus also returned to Union Chapel to take part once again in the Robert Grace Trust fundraiser. On 27 November, the Chorus performed a special show, UGotMale at the

. The show celebrated the Silver Jubilee and also closed the Southbank Centre's Being a Man festival. For this special show, the Chorus was joined by patron

Hannah Waddingham Hannah Waddingham (born 28 July 1974) is a British actress and singer. She is best known for playing Rebecca Welton in the comedy series '' Ted Lasso'' (2020–present), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actre ...

and Hannah Peddley, as well as members of the Orion Symphony Orchestra and the London Gay Big Band. To finish the year, the Chorus performed at Angel and Tottenham Court Road tube stations on 1 December to celebrate the Jubilee and commemorate World AIDS Day. The LGMC Ensemble also performed a Christmas show in December (''Homo Alone: A Christmas Story'') at the Lost Theatre, and the Chorus released ''XXV'' - celebrating 25 years (see below).

2015

This year's performances focussed on the theme of Love, for summer at Cadogan Hall; the winter then played host to the Big Gay Swing at the Roundhouse.

2014

2014 saw a collaboration with the New York City Gay Men's Chorus with 'You Say Tomato' at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, as well as 'We Are London' at Union Chapel as well as a traditional Christmas concert at Cadogan Hall.

2013

The Chorus performed and unforgettable set of Halloween performances at the Hackney Empire - a move away from its more traditional Christmas themed performances in the second half of the year.

2012

In February, the Chorus sang at 10 Downing Street in the presence of Prime Minister David Cameron for an event against homophobia in sport. The Chorus performed its 21st anniversary show, ''A Band of Brothers'', at the

(for the first time) on 6 May 2012 in support of the Kaleidoscope Trust with participation of the

Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nati ...

's Voicelab and London school children. The compere for the show was

Paul Gambaccini Paul Matthew Gambaccini (born April 2, 1949) is an American-British radio and television presenter and author in the United Kingdom. He has dual United States and British nationality, having become a British citizen in 2005. Known as "The Grea ...

. They also performed the show at the Grand Opera House in Belfast on 20 May. The repertoire for this show includes

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...

and a new commission with music by

Conor Mitchell Conor Mitchell is a Northern Irish composer, librettist and theatre-maker. His play, ''The Dummy Tree'', was commissioned by the Royal National Theatre for their 2009 New Connections series. Conor has been a great supporter of Youth Music Theatr ...

and book by Mark Ravenhill entitled ''Shadow Time''. The piece explores the evolution of mentalities in respect of homosexuality in the lifetime of the Chorus. As part of an outreach project the Chorus worked with two London schools (Stoke Newington School, Riverside School). The pupils involved in this (some of them with special needs) took part in the show at the Royal Festival Hall. A short film about the project, introduced by Jon Snow, was produced by the Media Trust and shown on the Community Channel as part of the Untold Stories series. The Chorus also performed at

Southwark Cathedral Southwark Cathedral ( ) or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge. It is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark ...

on 6 July as part of

World Pride WorldPride, licensed by InterPride and organized by one of its member organizations, is an event that promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ pride) issues on an international level through parades, festivals and other cul ...

while members took part in various events linked to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Members of the Chorus also feature in episode 5 of a new BBC Three sitcom. The show, '' Dead Boss'', is written by

Sharon Horgan Sharon Lorencia Horgan (born 13 July 1970) is an Irish actress, writer, director, comedian and producer who co-wrote and starred in the comedy series '' Pulling'' (2006–2009) and ''Catastrophe'' (2015–2019). She also created the HBO comedy ...

and features

Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of ...

Caroline Quentin Caroline Quentin (born Caroline Jones; 11 July 1960) is an English actress, broadcaster and television presenter. Quentin became known for her television appearances: portraying Dorothy in ''Men Behaving Badly'' (1992–1998), Maddie Magellan in ...

and

Susan Calman Susan Grace Calman (born 6 November 1974) is a Scottish comedian, television presenter, writer and panellist on a number of BBC Radio 4 shows including ''The News Quiz'' and ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue''. She has written and starred in two se ...

. Episode 5 also features

Tony Blackburn Anthony Kenneth Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey, singer and TV presenter. He first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s, before joining the BBC, on the BBC ...

and Carl Barât. The show aired in June and July.

2011

The Chorus performed the summer show, ''Sound: An Aural Adventure'' on 24 and 25 June at the Union Chapel. Guests performers included members of the

London Bulgarian Choir The London Bulgarian Choir (LBC) is a London-based amateur choir specialising in Bulgarian folk music. Dessislava Stefanova has led the choir since its formation in 2000. Primarily a performing choir, the LBC perform around twenty concerts a y ...

. The repertoire included a Bollywood medley and a 16-part version of

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

's Triumph of the Heart, complete with beatboxing. The Christmas show, ''Make Mine a Snowball'', was performed on 16 and 17 December to a sold-out crowd at Cadogan Hall.

2010

The summer show, ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' was performed at the

Camden Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...

on 25 & 26 June 2010. The Chorus performed in the

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

, Poland on 16 July 2010 and took part in the Europride 2010 parade. Members of the Chorus appeared on the (originally eponymous) track "Introducing The Business" in

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

's album ''

Record Collection Record Collection may refer to: *Record Collection (record label), a Los Angeles-based music studio * ''Record Collection'' (album), a 2010 album by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. *"Record Collection", a song by Kaiser Chiefs on the 2019 album, ...

''. The Christmas show ''Make Your Own Kind of Christmas'' was performed on 10–11 December 2010 at the Cadogan Hall with its trademark mix of fabulous pop hits and stunning classical pieces, all laced with a generous splash of festive spirit. Taking inspiration from gay men's relationship with what's traditionally a family celebration, expect a funny, moving and memorable journey to an eclectic soundtrack including music by

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

the Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

and

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include " Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Th ...

. A share of the proceeds from these concerts supported the Samaritans UK.

2009

Members of the Chorus spearheaded the bid for London to host the European choir festival Various Voices 2009, which was awarded the Inspire Mark by the organisers of the

London 2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. The festival took place at the

in May 2009 in collaboration with the 2 other London LGBT choirs ( The Pink Singers and Diversity), and with the support of Visit London and the

Greater London Authority The Greater London Authority (GLA), colloquially known by the metonym "City Hall", is the devolved regional governance body of Greater London. It consists of two political branches: the executive Mayoralty (currently led by Sadiq Khan) and t ...

. The Chorus visited Helsinki in June and performed with Out and Loud the Finnish gay male voice choir in a one night concert in Helsinki. The LGMC also marched in Helsinki gay pride and sang on the main stage. The Chorus's repertoire for that season brought together a selection of songs about London. The show at the

Shaw Theatre The Shaw Theatre is a theatre in Somers Town, in the London Borough of Camden. It is a part of the Pullman London St Pancras hotel, located off Euston Road. St Pancras library Before being refurbished in 1998, the Shaw Theatre originally open ...

on 16 July was called ''Songs of London''. On 30 October the Chorus together with members of the LGBT choirs of London, Brighton and Hove, Birmingham and Reading as well as the London Gay Symphonic Wind took part in a vigil against hate crime in

in memory of Ian Baynham who died after a homophobic attack near the Square. The event gathered several thousand people and was hosted by Sandi Toksvig. It featured contributions by Richard Barnes (Deputy Mayor of London),

Chris Bryant Christopher John Bryant (born 11 January 1962) is a British politician and former Anglican priest who is the Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges. He previously served in government as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons fro ...

MP (Minister for Europe) and Maria Eagle MP (Minister of State for Equalities and twin of the only out lesbian MP), Stephen K Amos and Sue Perkins. The Chorus's winter performances, which included panto elements and titled ''Singderella'' took place at the Cadogan Hall on 4 and 5 December. The performances were in support of

Everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin The term ''everyman'' was used as early as ...

Marie Curie Cancer Care Marie Curie is a registered charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which provides care and support to people living with a terminal illness and those close to them, and campaigns for better support for dying people. It was established in 19 ...

and St John's Hospice. The Chorus was also invited to be the lead choir at the annual

GLA GLA or Gla may refer to: Entertainment * ''GLA'' (album), by Scottish alternative rock band Twin Atlantic * Great Lakes Avengers, a fictional comic hero group Science and technology * Alpha-galactosidase, a glycoside hydrolase enzyme * GLA ...

Carol Service at

on 15 December.
London Gay Men’s Chorus to sing at mayor’s Christmas carol service
'', PinkNews, 11 December 2009 The Chorus appeared as one of the many guests of Sandi Toksvig's Christmas Cracker series of shows at

The Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I li ...

. The performance on 22 December 2009 was broadcast live on Sky Arts 1.

2008

LGMC at Trobada Internacional de Cors d'Homes

In July, the Chorus performed a selection of songs based on the work of

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of t ...

, ''Songs of Innocence and Experience'' at the Cadogan Hall on 4 and 5 July. Later in the month, the Chorus was invited to take part in the second edition of the Trobada Internacional de Cors d'Homes in

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

(

). The Chorus, one of the five male voice choirs taking part, performed at

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

with the other choirs, in La Garriga with the Societat Coral L'Aliança,

Castellar del Vallès Castellar del Vallès is a Spanish municipality of Catalonia in the comarca of Vallès Occidental. It is located 7 km from Sabadell and 11 km from Terrassa, the comarca's two capitals. Other villages near Castellar del Vallès are San ...

with the Coral Sant Josep, and in Vila-Seca. The Christmas show, ''For Christmas' Sake'', took place at the Cadogan Hall and was in support of the

National Autistic Society The National Autistic Society is the leading charity for autistic people and their families in the UK. Since 1962, the National Autistic Society has been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, serv ...

2007

On 26 and 27 May, the Chorus made its first visit to Scotland with performances at the Usher Hall in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and the Strathclyde Suite at the Royal Concert Hall,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

. They were performing with one of Scotland's LGBT choirs, Loud & Proud. The show, directed by Julian Woolford, was titled ''Bad Boys'' and compiled rock anthems with classical/operatic pieces. It also featured the premiere of ''My Friends'', a song by Julian Woolford and Richard John, which was performed by Far From Kansas. It is a tribute to those who died in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis. There were also two sold-out performances at the Cadogan Hall in London on 20 and 21 July. At the end of the summer season, Charles Beale, the Musical Director left to become Musical Director of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. Andrea Brown also had to leave to Chorus after having been offered a teaching job at Morley College (south London). On 16 December, the Chorus appeared on the stage of the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

. The show, ''Accentuate the Positive'', directed by Stuart Burrows, marked the 25th anniversary of the Terrence Higgins Trust. Alison Jiear appeared on stage with the Chorus.

2006

To celebrate its fifteenth anniversary, the Chorus organised celebration concerts at the

, London, and in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

in July as well as a party at

, London. The Chorus also took part in the Europride celebrations held in London, and performed at Europride 2006, The Show was produced by Sir

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

at the Royal Albert Hall in July. In September, the Chorus was invited to take part in the prestigious international music festival, Settembre Musica in

. The Chorus, still collaborating with Raymond Gubbay Ltd, sold out the Barbican Hall once again with their third Christmas show there (20 December). The show was hosted by

2005

In December, the Chorus returned with a second edition of their Christmas show, ''Make the Yuletide Gay'' promoted like the previous year by Raymond Gubbay Ltd and hosted by

who sang and danced as well as hosting the show. The Chorus performed at Symphony Hall in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, The Concert Hall in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

and the Barbican Hall in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. At the same time, they released their fifth recording, and first Christmas CD, ''Make the Yuletide Gay''.

2004

In December the Chorus sold out the Barbican Hall with their Christmas show ''Make the Yuletide Gay'' hosted by Simon Callow. This was the fastest ever sell-out concert for the venue. In May 2005, the Chorus took part in the Various Voices festival in

. In July of the same year, they gave three performances of ''You'll Do For Now'' at the Cadogan Hall, London. The show, devised by a Chorus member, charted the lives of four gay men in London over the second half of the twentieth century. The inclusion of a narrative thread to a show was a new artistic challenge for the Chorus.

Online presence

In addition to its corporate website, the Chorus has a wide online presence on social media. Its recordings can be found on most music download websites.

Discography

''XXV'' (2016)

A studio recording to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the LGMC. Featuring live recordings from the History show at Cadogan Hall in June 2016, and studio recordings at Henry Wood Hall.

''Accentuate the Positive'' (2009)

A studio recording of the LGMC sell-out show ''Accentuate the Positive''. First performed at the London Palladium, December 2007

''Make the Yuletide Gay'' (2005)

The LGMC Christmas show from 2005.

''From the Ritz to the Anchor & Crown'' (2004)

LGMC's collection of audience favourites.

''Showtime'' (2003)

This CD is a selection of songs from the LGMC 2003 touring production, ''Tying the Knot''.

''Moving Ahead'' (2002)

Recorded (mostly) live in front of the capacity audiences for the ''Golden Reign'' concerts staged in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, July 2002.

''Hear the Difference'' (1998)

LGMC's first effort in CD production mostly recorded at the Croydon Lesbian and Gay Forum show held in 1998.

Introduction

Structure

Historic overview

Recent history

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Online presence

Discography

''XXV'' (2016)

''Accentuate the Positive'' (2009)

''Make the Yuletide Gay'' (2005)

''From the Ritz to the Anchor & Crown'' (2004)

''Showtime'' (2003)

''Moving Ahead'' (2002)

''Hear the Difference'' (1998)

References

External links