Canberra is Out and Loud with love, hope and compassion

Posted on 17 September, 2019

I have to admit, I’d always thought singing in a choir, or even attending a choral concert, was incredibly daggy and only for those who were a tad on the eccentric side.

As a member of the Canberra Queer community, I humbly confess to being a somewhat reluctant spectator at many of the Canberra Gay and Lesbian Qwire performances.

Recently, however, I have changed my tune, and my perspective on the whole ‘singing in a group thing’ has been transformed into a much more appreciative one.

Canberra Gay and Lesbian Qwire. Image supplied.

The transformation involved a ‘singing deep-dive’. That is, I did some research into why people like to sing in groups, perform for communities, and raise their voices harmoniously.

According to neuroscience, group singing makes us happier, healthier, smarter and more creative. Every time we sing, we fire up the right temporal lobe of our brains and release endorphins including oxytocin, resulting in heightened states of pleasure, bliss, bonding and love.

All that sounds pretty cool and quite enticing, and given I do enjoy a hearty road-trip sing-along to the likes of Cher or ABBA…maybe I should join the Qwire*?

I realise that it is quite a leap from ‘I’d rather die than sing in public’ to a full choral commitment, so I think before I jump in the deep end, I’ll be checking out the Out & Loud Festival in October.

Held from 24-28 October, The Canberra Gay and Lesbian Qwire will be hosting the 2019 Out & Loud Choral Festival, which celebrates pride in the LGBTIQ+ community through music.

Canberra Gay and Lesbian Qwire. Credit: Peter Hislop. Image supplied.

First held in 2001 and occurring every three years, the 2019 Out & Loud Choral Festival will see Canberra host choirs from around Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and East Timor.

Across four days, performances will be held at a number of significant venues including the Museum of Australian Democracy, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Gallery of Australia.

The Out & Loud Festival celebrates the joy of singing, socialising, inspiring and learning from each other whilst giving the participants and their audiences the opportunity to very create happy and healthy brains.

The final performance will unite all of the choirs and festival-goers at the ticketed Gala Concert to be held in Llewellyn Hall on 27 October and will feature a world premiere performance of a new composition by the award-winning composer and musician Sally Whitwell, along with performances by all the participating choirs and a massed choral event.

The theme this year is love, hope and compassion and I will be there in the audience participating and feel the joy. Just maybe I’ll be inspired to finally join my community choir–stay tuned!

the essentials 

What: 2019 Out & Loud Choral Festival
When: 24-28 October 2019
Where: Various locations across Canberra
More information: outandloudcbr.org.au