Connection . . .

by Tenille Flower

The last time I went to Out and Loud Festival it was 2007 in Melbourne, and I was a self-described “token straight girl” singing with the Gay & lesbian Singers of WA. A lot has changed since then (well everything actually), but I can still remember the buzz of singing in the mass combined choir at the final concert and how I felt in that moment. Connected. Because that is what singing in community choirs like Brisbane Pride Choir really is about. Adding your voice, creating a beautiful sound together, and sharing that with an audience is an experience like no other.

The act of going to a festival like Out and Loud with a choir is about connecting in other ways too. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like travelling with people to really get to know them, and the shift from acquaintance to friend is pretty fast. When I went to Out and Loud in 2007 I didn’t consider myself part of the LGBTIQ+ community, but I was an ally. I loved my choir because we were connected by music, however that weekend we also forged connections through shared experiences, whether it be skipping workshops to go to the art gallery, singing loudly in restaurants (four part harmony of course) to the bemusement of unsuspecting staff, or deciding to risk the extremely dubious looking pool late at night at the dodgy hotel we were all staying in. I value those moments as much as the official performances and workshops the festival offered. This year I’m excited to sing in the National Gallery as well as at the final Gala, and I may even attend a workshop or two, but really it’s all about hanging out with my choir family. I look forward to getting to know my BPC peeps through shared experience, catch up with my WA choir friends who will be there, and maybe make some new friends in choirs all over this region. Are we there yet?!


Out and Loud Festival is being held in Canberra from 24th October to 28th October 2019.

Check out the range of performances in Canberra as part of Out and Loud Festival:
https://www.facebook.com/outloudCBR/

Come along to the Out and Loud Gala performance in Canberra on Sunday 27th October at 5pm. For more information and to book, click this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2506812259377486/?ti=icl