COME TO OUR NEW QUEER CHOIR TASTER SESSION
WE’RE STARTING A CHOIR IN BIRMINGHAM
We are hosting a taster session on Monday 20th Jan at 7pm at the Old Joint Stock Theatre to come and try it out, start learning some music together, and get to know each other a bit. We will also be using this as an opportunity to have a chat with you about what you want to get out of this experience.
please RSVP using the form at the bottom of this page.
***PLEASE NOTE THE TASTER SESSION IS NOW AT CAPACITY - EMAIL HELLO[@]FATTPROJECTS.ORG TO JOIN THE WAITING LIST***
WHAT IS IT?
The Fatt Projects Choir (we will come up with a proper name soon) is going to be a semi-professional* queer choir specialising in performing contemporary and popular music.
The aim of this choir will be to bring together queer singers (and allies) from across Birmingham with the aim of coming together to make a beautiful collective sound, packed with sexy harmonies and good vibes. This is not a community choir (there are already great community choirs in Birmingham and we’re not trying to step on their toes).
We really want to emphasise the performance of choral music, this isn’t going to be a traditional formal choir. Our ideas at the moment include live instruments, DJs, dancing, and bringing audiences together with a gig-like atmosphere - our aim is for the choir to perform at nightclubs & festivals as well as more traditional and community settings.
The music we will perform will draw on a wide range of genres from club-classics to folk, rock, R&B, jazz, soul, pop, and original compositions pulled together around a particular theme or idea. The music we choose to perform will be shaped by the members of the choir, their interests, the sounds we make, and the various contexts we might perform in.
This is very much the beginning of a thing, and we’re looking to develop it, see what happens, and be responsive to what we make together. We are delighted to say that the choir is being supported by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) as part of a new partnership.
below you’ll find loads of information about the choir, if you’d like to join us for the taster session please fill in the sign-up form at the bottom of this page.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHOIR
Why are we doing this?
We recognise that for a lot of queer singers it’s rare to have a space to be together and make music, despite this being essential for our development and wellbeing. Lots of choral environments are very traditional, or are attached to religious practice which we know can be difficult for queer people to navigate.
We’re living through increasingly hostile times and on a personal level, there’s something that feels really important about having a space to come together, sing, and be part of a collective queer sound right now. So it feels like there’s a space for a new choir to emerge.
We’re hoping to use our performances as ways to fundraise for local queer causes (eg. gender-affirming surgeries, individuals in crisis etc.), so we hope that the choir can be a way to directly support our local community.
What do we mean by semi-professional?
To start with, the choir will be unpaid. Everyone involved is giving their time voluntarily to make it happen because they want to do it and want to be a part of it. However, we are aiming for a professional quality sound and performance.
Our intention is that we will work to a point where we are able to pay singers for gigs (eg. if we’re booked at festivals/events) - but we want to be upfront that it will take some time to get to that stage, so it’s an intention rather than a promise.
Do I need to be a professional singer to join?
No, you don’t need to be a professional singer to be part of the choir (although you absolutely might be).
We understand that people sing for lots of different reasons and everyone will be coming from different kinds of experience, so you don’t need any formal singing training or experience to be a part of the choir. Here’s what you do need:
to be confident singing in a group setting (no-one will have to sing solo who doesn’t want to).
to be able to sing to a good standard in tune, have good musicality, and to feel comfortable singing a harmony line.
to be able to bring your personality to singing and feel comfortable performing in front of other people.
To identify as LGBTQ+ or consider yourself an active ally to our community.
This choir might not be the place to try singing for the first time.
We want to be ambitious with the music we perform and the sound we make together. Anyone can come along and try a few rehearsal sessions to see if it’s right for them, but anyone wanting to join the choir will be asked to do a short informal audition to become a member (see the ‘how do I join’ section for more).
Please note you must be over the age of 18 to join the choir, there is no upper age limit.
What kind of voices are we looking for?
We don’t have a fixed idea of who can or should sing in a choir, we want to do lots of different styles of music and create different vocal sounds so we’re going to need a range of singing styles. Don’t worry that you sound too much like one thing or another, we want this choir to be a place where the unique qualities of your voice are celebrated.
Our initial plan is for the choir to be split into four voice parts - Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Bass, although this might change once we have formed the choir and got a sense of the voices we have. If you aren’t sure which voice part you sing, we can help you figure that out in rehearsal.
We particularly want to connect with singers who haven’t felt comfortable in other choral settings including trans, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming singers whose vocal ranges may not match traditionally gendered voice parts - we hope this will be a space where you are able to bring your full self to singing. Voice parts will be based on range only and are open to people of any gender to sing with the part they are most comfortable with.
Do I need to be able to read music?
No, you do not need to be able to read sheet music - although if you are able to read music this will be helpful. We will provide everyone with sheet music and lyrics to follow, but we will teach the parts by ear and repetition. No-one will be expected to sight-read.
What is the rehearsal commitment?
We will rehearse once a week on Monday evenings from 7-9pm at the CBSO Centre, Berkley St, Birmingham B1 2LF. The first rehearsal will be Monday 10th Feb 2025.
How do I join?
There will be a short and informal audition process to join the choir, this is so that we can ensure that everyone involved is of a similar standard and that we have a good balance of singers across the four vocal parts.
Anyone who is interested in joining the choir can come to a couple of rehearsals to get a sense of what the choir is like before deciding to audition. Auditions will be informal and short (usually before or after a rehearsal), we will ask you to sing a verse and chorus of a song of your choice with a backing track and there will be an opportunity to have a chat about the choir and ask any questions.
Is there a cost to being in the choir?
No, there isn’t a membership fee or a cost to being in the choir. However, as the choir is currently running without funding we will ask for people to either print their own sheet music, bring it with them digitally (eg. on a tablet) or to cover the costs of us providing printed music.
Is the rehearsal venue accessible?
The CBSO building has good accessibility, and step free access throughout. Our rehearsal space is on the 1st floor, which can be accessed via a lift. If you have any specific questions about access please email hello@fattprojects.org and we’ll get back to you asap.
***PLEASE NOTE THE TASTER SESSION IS NOW AT CAPACITY - EMAIL HELLO[@]FATTPROJECTS.ORG TO JOIN THE WAITING LIST***
