10th Anniversary for MLGC

Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus celebrates 10th anniversary

If you’ve ever watched the Manchester Pride Parade, or been to the Candlelit Vigil, or just been ‘guerilla busked’ on a sunny day in Canal Street, you’ve heard the Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus in action. Manchester’s community choir for LGBT people has been making music and making friends for 10 years this year and they’re in the mood for celebrating. Over the last decade they’ve won hearts – and prizes – both at home and abroad with their signature ‘a cappella’ harmonies and infectious style. This August they can been seen walking in the Pride Parade, chatting up potential new members at their Expo stall and performing on the main stage on bank holiday Monday.

But the biggest event of the MLGC year will be their 10th anniversary celebration concert at the RNCM on Saturday 3rd September. It promises to be a fun-packed evening as the chorus revisit some old favourites from the last 10 years as well as introducing a few brand new numbers.

It’s been quite a journey! The chorus started out as a small group of friends meeting informally at Taurus bar, who have been long-terms supporters, but quickly got the bug for performing in public and after their 2006 trip to Montreal where they competed in the cultural strand of the World OutGames and came home with a bronze medal, began to grow rapidly and expand their musical ambitions. Reaching out to make links with other LGBT choirs led to further trips and joint concert projects in Berlin in 2008 and Paris in 2010, as well as a silver medal at the Copenhagen OutGames in 2009 and third place at the Manchester Amateur Choirs Competition 2010, which attracts some of the best choirs in the country.

Something the MLGC are particularly proud of is how much they have achieved in musical terms whilst remaining a community organisation which welcomes members of all levels of ability. Most members have had no formal training or experience of performing before joining the chorus. If they become a regular attender at Monday night rehearsals however, their confidence and skill will develop quickly under the coaching of Jeff Borradaile who has been the MLGC’s Musical Director since 2002. His approachable style and wealth of teaching experience make it possible for everybody to learn even complex pieces of music, in manageable steps, so that the chorus is able to confidently tackle a wide range of music.

Members value the camaraderie of the choir just as much as the opportunities to share music with other people, and anyone who has heard the MLGC perform will have felt the warmth of the atmosphere that is created when they sing. This sense of community doesn’t stop when the chorus comes offstage either, as the life of the choir is punctuated with social events and parties. Always open to new members, the chorus has become a much-loved part of Manchester’s LGBT community and intends to be around to fill the air with song for a long time yet.

Get in touch at membership@mlgc.org.uk if you’d like to know more, or visit our Expo stall over Pride. We’re also on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube!

Published: 11-Aug-2011: (647)