Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus is a space where people can celebrate music, celebrate their sexuality, enjoy the fellowship of other like-minded people and contribute to the local communities which we are part of.
The Chorus is a registered charity with three guiding principles, our “three S’s”: Singing, the celebration of life and music through male voice harmonies; Socialising, using this activity to develop social bonds that help people to feel connected with a sometimes lonely world; and Support, to be there for each other – both collectively and individually – when the chips are down, and to be there for the communities in which the chorus operates, too.
Membership is open to anyone who self-identifies as a gay or gay-friendly man, and currently has around 60 members.
Structure
We are a democratically-run, charitable organisation, annually electing a board of trustees. Each trustee is an officer or co-ordinator with a portfolio and a place on the Management Team, which meets every month and guides the work of the chorus. After every season, there is a chorus forum to gather the views of all chorus members, which are then discussed by the Management Team and fed back, and individual members can address the Management Team at any time with their ideas and issues. Trustees manage teams of willing members, the MD and accompanist, which perform specific chorus tasks; trustees are accountable for the team to which they delegate. All member posts are entirely voluntary.
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus hopes that in sharing the joy of music with the public we can make the world a better place by brightening people’s lives, challenging the prejudices that still exist today, and raising awareness of the issues at the heart of our communities.
We already give a lot ourselves, but can do more if we have the funds to support our work. We are grateful to all contributors for any donations they can make, physical or financial, and we are sure that your help will have wide-reaching effects.
The Chorus Year
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus operates an 11-month calendar, comprised of three seasons, each of which culminates in a one or two night show. The Spring season runs from January and finishes in May with our Brighton Festival show. The Summer season runs through to the end of July/beginning of August where our show traditionally kicks of Pride Week. We then have a month off in August, to enjoy the sun and see other people, and then it’s back in early September for the Winter season, which finishes with our Christmas extravaganza (which, for 2011, was held, for the first time, in Brighton’s very own Dome Concert Hall).
History
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus began in January 2005, when a small group of friends who loved singing and were disappointed at the lack of a non-scene space in which to socialise, decided it was high time Brighton had a gay male voice choir. So, they got together to create a space where gay men could sing and socialise. Since then, Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus has grown steadily and for the last two years has consistently numbered over 50 voices, making us the largest gay chorus outside London. In this time, we have featured on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing, starred at the Barbican, and developed a three season calendar, each season culminating in finale performances.
Alongside this, we have developed our support for the community. We give our time with charity and community performances and have a great gift to give in our choral performances of much-loved music, which can bring light into even the darkest places. From our initial involvement with IDAHOBIT and Brighton & Hove Pride, we have deepened our involvement with the local community, supporting both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ causes and events with our voices, and the local media with our words. We organise the annual World AIDS Day concert in Brighton, bringing the community together in remembrance, solidarity and contemplation, joined by other local LGBTQ groups.
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