Join Us

Join the ranks of the London Gay Men’s Chorus

Join the board of the London Gay Men’s Chorus

Having previously only had Chorus members as trustees, in 2021 the LGMC welcomed two External Trustees onto our Board for the first time. We are now looking for additional trustees from outside the Chorus to join us; people who will bring fresh eyes and experience at the highest level of decision-making.

We were founded in 1991 when nine brave singers first performed as “The Gay Choir” at Angel tube station. We have since evolved into a performing arts charity with more than 300 members including over 200 performers. Our first performance was to raise money for the Terrence Higgins Trust, and we are proud to continue this tradition and work regularly with many other charities and partners.

The skills and experience that we are looking for would ideally be in one or more of the following key areas:

  • Creative Partnerships / Music & Performance

  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and/or HR

  • Fundraising / Development

We would particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Chorus and at board level.

Please take the time to view our recruitment pack. It contains lots more information about us, the role and expectations we have of trustees, and the skills and experience we’re looking to bring on board.

Applications close on Sunday 24th March.

We hope you’ll consider joining us on the journey.

Join the Chorus as a singing member

For many, the idea of joining a chorus can be quite a daunting one – a scary decision, and one they tend to put off for years. If you do make the decision to reach out and become a member of the LGMC, you won’t be disappointed. Just take a look at some of the comments below from our chorus members about their experience.

The Chorus usually takes on members twice a year (in January and around August). While we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to join the chorus, we also need to ensure it does not become too large or unmanageable. Membership is therefore reviewed at the end of each season to see if an intake is possible.

The most important thing to note about the joining process is that you do not audition to become a member. You will be invited to a Voice Assessment Evening where your voice will be tested to decide which vocal part you would be most suited to, should places become available within that section of the Chorus.

For more information about how the process of joining up works, please see ‘Frequently asked questions’ and details about the waiting list below.

To sign up to the waiting list, send an email to intake@lgmc.org.uk. We’ll get in touch with you to confirm your details for the waiting list and then we’ll keep you updated on what’s happening, and let you know as soon as a Voice Assessment Evening is arranged.

Shower Singer?

Not a problem! We welcome everyone, regardless of skill, because we’re a community chorus. Together, we learn and grow. It’s time to put down the shower head!

Music in your soul?

Do you live for the music? Is it with you always? Share that passion with us, and grow with us in our Band of Brothers! You’ll be amazed how many new songs you learn.

New friends!

Being a member of the Chorus opens up opportunities to meet hundreds of new people. Our members have made friends and some have also met their life partners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Every week from 7pm to 10pm on Monday. We also have a monthly all-day weekend rehearsal. Towards a performance, members are also required to attend a dress rehearsal/band call(s), usually held during the week before the performance.

The Monday rehearsals are usually held in Camden. Our full day monthly rehearsals are also usually based in North London. Occasionally it’s necessary to rehearse elsewhere, but the rehearsals are always in London.

Due to the level of interest we get in becoming a member of the Chorus we need to operate a waiting list. For more information about how the waiting list works, please see below.

We have 4 voice sections – Bass, Baritone, Second Tenor and First Tenor. Additionally, there is a small group called the LGMC Ensemble. This is a group of 16 members auditioned from within the current membership. For those who want extra involvement, you can also volunteer to get involved with one of our committees – Marketing, IT & Internet, Music, Production, Membership and others.

There is a monthly fee we ask our members to pay in order to cover the costs of running our organisation. The exact cost will be confirmed with you when you are confirmed as a member.

You don’t need to be able to read music to join the chorus. You will notice on your Taster Evening that sheet-music is handed out. Don’t worry about it though, most of our new members can’t read music, but you’ll pick it up very quickly!

The Ensemble is an auditioned group from within the existing membership. Positions come up every so often and when they are available, are usually auditioned very quickly to ensure we have sufficient vocal balance.

Yes, both internationally and locally. For example, in 2016 we toured to Brighton, Leeds and Newcastle, and the year before we performed at Prague Pride.

If you don’t want to sing with the Chorus, there are still opportunities to join as a ‘Semitone’ – a non-singing members who helps out in various ways, such as front-of-house at one of our shows, or on one of our committees (music, marketing, etc.).

Hear from the Chorus

How Does the Waiting List Work?

Due to the level of interest we get in becoming a member of the Chorus we operate a waiting list. The way the waiting list works is described below.

Once we receive your email to intake@lgmc.org.uk, your name will be added to a master list of ‘delegates’ in the order in which their request to join was received.

You will receive a confirmation that your email has been received. This is not an automated process so if you haven’t heard from us within a few weeks of registering your interest, please contact intake@lgmc.org.uk to confirm that your request was received.

We’ll need to assess your vocal range in order to know which voice part you belong to, so initially you are on a waiting list for a voice assessment. We conduct several Voice Assessment Evenings throughout the year at which time we invite a group of delegates to join us for an evening which will be conducted as a chorus rehearsal, and during which all the attendees will have the opportunity for their voice part to be assigned as well as to learn more about what it means to join the LGMC.

Delegates will be invited to a voice assessment in wait-list order (i.e. the order in which they registered their interest to join the chorus). If you can’t make the date for which you have been invited, don’t worry, you’ll maintain your position on the list and you’ll be invited to a voice assessment at a later date.

Once we know your voice part, your name will be added to a wait-list for the individual section to which you have been assigned. Once we have made a decision as to how many vacancies there are in your section for a new season, we’ll send invitations to join as a singing member. Again, delegates will be invited to join their section in date-order based on when they originally placed their name on the master wait-list (not in the order that they were assessed to the section). We have two concert seasons each year, one beginning in January, the other usually in September, so we will invite new singing members to join a maximum of twice a year, shortly before the start of a new concert season.

If you are unable to join the chorus at the time that you are invited (for instance because you are unable to commit to the rehearsal schedule for that particular season), you will retain your position on the wait-list for your section.

In the meantime we will do our best to keep you informed of how things are coming along, including advanced notice of voice assessment dates and the schedules for upcoming concert seasons.

So, if you’re ready to sign up, just send an email to intake@lgmc.org.uk and we’ll be in touch soon.