It’s been a busy time for your favourite fabulous queer choir! Over the past months, we’ve been working hard on our new repertoire: during three (or actually four) performances spread across two weekends, you could finally enjoy the results.
Winter Wonders
The concert series began on November 28th at the opening of Winterpret / Plaisir d’Hiver in Brussels. After a quick warm-up in the Brussels City Hall, we made our way through the stalls selling Glühwein and Tartiflette towards the steps of La Monnaie opera house. For unsuspecting passers-by and loyal fans, we started with ‘Love Yourself’. The warm tones of our voices even caught the attention of two glowing polar bears, who instantly became temporary choir members. Together with them, we then performed ‘Freedom! ’90’.
Afterwards, we found a cosy spot under the enormous Christmas tree on the Grand Place. When the tree lit up, we added an extra touch of magic to the square with our version of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’. We followed this with the mash-up ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us’, and once more ‘Freedom! ’90’. Not your typical Christmas repertoire, you say? Well, everyone experiences this time of year in their own way.
December 1st
These two performances were a great warm-up for our appearance at La Nuit Positive the following day. Since 1988, the 1st of December has been World AIDS Day, a day on which we draw attention to the epidemic and to everyone affected by the disease. That’s why Ex Aequo organised this evening event at La Madeleine concert hall for the second time, a fundraising night featuring a wide range of artists giving their very best.
Sing Out! was, of course, more than happy to contribute. In front of a packed audience at La Madeleine, we took to the stage and performed ‘Love Yourself’ and ‘Freedom! ’90’. The second song in particular felt completely at home here, taking us right back to the era when HIV and AIDS were rapidly on the rise. It was also the first time we performed ‘Freedom! ’90’ with choreography that added even more power to the number. Afterwards we heard Sing Out! received the loudest applause of the evening — although that might also have had something to do with us bringing the biggest fan club?
Did you miss the performance? No worries: you can rewatch it in the video below.
Seven in a Row
The final performance in this series took place the following weekend at Grand Hospice, right in the middle of the Christmas market happening there. The setting was more intimate than La Madeleine, and that made us extra generous: we performed no fewer than seven songs in a row. Alongside the earlier pieces, we revisited *Pink Pony Club* from last season. We also tried out two brand-new songs: ‘Dag Vreemde Man’ and ‘Sexual Revolution’. A varied setlist with a wide range of moods and messages.
For the new choir members, these were their very first performances with Sing Out!. Strengthened by the experience of those who have been with us longer, this series of concerts became a real success. We would also like to thank all the organisations who gave us the opportunity to perform, and everyone behind the scenes who helped make these moments happen.
Another Chance
Dear reader, you might now be thinking: what a shame I missed all of this! How could such a concert series have slipped past me? No worries! You’ll get another chance on 30 January, when Sing Out! performs at La Tricoterie. Tickets are already available on this page. See you then?!
More about Sing Out! at La Tricoterie: Sing Out in La Tricoterie