The prevailing message for the Johannesburg Queer Chorus this Pride Month is loud and clear: “We will conquer together and grow together. We’re not scared and we won’t back down.” And their fierce, uncompromising spirit is one that’ll blaze through their first show of the year, LANDSCAPES, happening at the UJ Arts Centre on the 28th of June.
But before we get into the show, let’s dial it back. Who are the Johannesburg Queer Chorus?
Founded in 2019 with only 20 members, the group has grown tremendously. “Joburg doesn’t have many safe spaces for queer people,” says Wynand Strydom, Vice-Chair. Music Director Faye Prinsloo echoes this, saying, “The choir is a community that serves as a vital place where queer people can go and be themselves — completely, authentically and without apology.”
For Wynand, the choir’s impact hit home from his very first performance, when he was told, “We’re going to go and show some kid sitting in the audience who think it’s not okay, that it is okay.”
Curated by Prinsloo, the night will feature pop songs transformed through different arrangements. On why landscapes was chosen as a theme, Faye explains, “It represents the full landscape of queerness. It is a powerful representation of the journey from the anxiety of being different to coming to terms with being beautiful and safe.”
LANDSCAPES will be a celebration of life, a show that allows attendees to walk away feeling joyful. Those keen to experience something new can follow the choir on socials and are encouraged to attend one of the two shows on the 28th!
