RESONANCE: Celebrating 35 years of music, pride and community

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir celebrates its musical legacy in a special anniversary concert

For 35 years, the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir (SGLC) has brought people together through music, creating performances that celebrate identity, build community and move audiences. On Saturday 5 December, the choir will mark this milestone with Resonance, a special anniversary concert revisiting the music and memories that have shaped its remarkable journey.

Presented at Paddington Town Hall in two performances at 3pm and 7pm,  Resonance celebrates the songs arranged specifically for the choir throughout its history, while paying tribute to the key figures whose creativity, leadership and dedication have helped it thrive.

The concert brings together a rich and eclectic repertoire spanning musical styles and generations. Audiences can look forward to the exuberance of ABBA’s Dancing Queen and Fernando, the enduring appeal of California Dreamin’ and Moon River, and the emotional power of I Can’t Make You Love Me and Only Love Can Hurt Like This, plus many more.

Accompanied by Quart-Ed String Quartet and piano, the choir will bring fresh energy to these songs, celebrating not only the music itself but also the people, friendships and shared experiences behind them.

“Every song in Resonance was arranged for this choir, for our voices, at particular moments in our history.” says Adam Majsay, SGLC Music Director. “Singing them again is like opening up our family album: we remember who was in the room, what we were living through, and what kept us singing. Thirty-five years on, these arrangements still fit us. That says everything about the people who made them, and the community that keeps turning up. Resonance isn’t nostalgia. It’s proof that our songs and our stories live on.”

For the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, Resonance is about more than looking back. Over three and a half decades, the choir has helped create a space where LGBTQI+ people and allies can connect, express themselves and share the joy of singing. Its commitment to inclusion, community and musical excellence continues to shape its work today.

As the choir honours those who have contributed to its past including our Founding member Rob Holland and our accompanist Gareth Chan, Resonance also looks to the future: celebrating the enduring power of collective voices and the connections that music makes possible.

The concert will include Auslan interpreters, supporting access for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members.

Whether they have followed the choir for years or are experiencing it for the first time, audiences are invited to join this celebration of music, memory, pride and the promise of what comes next.