Features / trans pride south west
Sing to celebrate trans inclusion
Ahead of 2019’s Trans Pride South West, the organisation is looking for singers to voice their love and inclusion through song.
Organised by Francis Myerscough, 28, a music therapist and musician, the choir will perform a 30-minute set as part of a longer showcase during the event.
“As a music therapist I have learnt about the value of shared music a sense of wellbeing and community,” says Francis. “But singing can be a difficult area for a lot of trans people to engage with so we may shy away from choirs, unless we can see they are explicitly inclusive and supportive of our unique voices.”
is needed now More than ever
It is important for Francis that the ensemble know each well and are able to build connections, so they hope that the choir can have enough members by mid-June.
For Francis, it’s important that trans choirs become more well-known within the queer community, saying: “There’s a lack of repertoire for choirs that can relate to trans experience, which can be disheartening in wider LGBTQ groups.
“Choral projects around trans experience could be one way of building this repertoire, which would then become available also for others.”
Francis is predominantly looking to recruit people for the choir that have some musical experience but adds: “I have had contact from folk interested in singing, but with less of a pressure to be of a certain standard or to perform, so I am thinking of developing a kind of vocal exploration group for trans people at a later date.”
Inclusion is key in the LGBTQ+ community and specifically within trans life, so Francis is asking for people to contact them if they want to take part in the Trans Pride South West pop-up choir or in a trans vocal group at a later date.
Anyone interested in taking part should email fjmyerscough@gmail.com to find out more.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Kleckner.
Read more: Singing it loud and proud
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