Sydney Opera House 2002

You never know when an experience may turn out to be life-changing.

Recently posted to Facebook, this is a picture of my first gig with the London Gay Men's Chorus at the Sydney Opera House in 2002 (give or take the John Dankworth big band gig at the Albert Hall a few days before). That trip to Australia was the very start of my journey with LGBTQ choruses. I remember how daunted I felt, my biggest conducting gig to date. We sang my arrangement fo Kylie’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’, I remember.

What I was doing for the first time in that photo has since taken over my life completely!  I am now in New York conducting New York City Gay Men's Chorus full time.

And here's something else. The group sitting behind us in that picture includes the Sydney Lesbian and Gay Choir, who sang with us there, and also at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Gay Games in 2002. I was recently invited for a return visit to Australia as guest conductor of an all-Australia LGBQ chorus in August 2013. Many of whose singers were in today's Sydney group, and a number were in this photo!

Strange how things come full circle.