London Gay Men’s Chorus announce Clare Cook as first-ever Executive Director

The London Gay Men’s Chorus – the UK’s biggest male voice choir, and Europe’s largest gay men’s chorus – is excited to announce the appointment of its first-ever Executive Director. Clare Cook will be joining the organisation this summer, bringing her wealth of experience and expertise to the renowned group which has now become something of an institution in London.

Much of Clare’s professional life has been spent in charity leadership roles, from Great Ormond Street Hospital and Child Bereavement UK to Missing People and most recently as CEO of Soundabout, a small national charity which uses music to give a voice works to create musical communities without barriers, giving a voice to people with severe and profound learning disabilities, creating musical communities without barriers.

Her passionate belief in the life-changing power of choirs led her to create a network of 14 Soundabout Inclusive Choirs for people of all abilities which celebrate that everyone has their own unique way of sharing their voice. Previously, while at the charity Missing People, she co-founded the Missing People Choir of families with missing loved ones and supporters, who reached the finals of Britain’s Got Talent 2017, which brought global attention to the issue of missing, and resulted in two people coming home to safety.

Clare said: “I’m thrilled to have been given the opportunity to join the fantastic team behind the London Gay Men’s Chorus, and to work with the Trustee Board and Artistic Director to develop and deliver a new business strategy that will ensure the choir is in a strong position to reach ever further in its mission to educate, entertain and inspire through song.”

Peter Ptashko, Chair of the London Gay Men’s Chorus, said: “We are delighted to have someone of Clare’s experience joining us in what is a new era for the London Gay Men’s Chorus. She will bring invaluable commercial and fundraising experience to our organisation as well as a background in ‘Social Justice through the Arts and Music’ that makes her the perfect match as we continue to push the boundaries of what a gay male voice choir can deliver musically and to new and diverse audiences into the future.”

The Chorus recently celebrated a milestone birthday, hosting a series of concerts – The Big Birthday Bash! – at the Clapham Grand to mark their 30th anniversary. These concerts marked 30 years since a group of nine men, who met through London Friend, decided to sing some Christmas carols at Angel Tube Station in December 1991 to raise some money for the Terrence Higgins Trust.

Their next major shows are taking place this weekend as they present Sondheim Songtime, a tribute concert to the late, legendary Broadway composer. They will be joined on-stage by special guest Jenna Russell, an Olivier Award-winning actress and singer renowned for her performances
of Stephen Sondheim’s work.

The Chorus’ 30th anniversary celebrations will also see them renew their partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust, and launch their own archive at London’s Bishopsgate Institute. As well as the Big Birthday Bash! and Sondheim Songtime concerts, the Chorus will be performing further shows this summer at the Mighty Hoopla festival, at King’s Place as part of Voices Unwrapped, with another major production scheduled later this autumn.