Out of the closet, singing loud

Helsinki's Out ‘n Loud: Finland's first gay choir

print this

By Tuomo Väliaho
     
      I could be a statue in the Louvre,
      on a pedestal to be admired.
      Come and look, you too
      at this beautiful, naked flesh!
      Choir director Tommi Varis hammers away at the piano in the auditorium of Arbis, Helsinki's Swedish language workers' educational institute, as a men's choir sings along to Tahdon voimaa ("Will Power") by composer Tuula Saarela.
     
The men on the stage are members of Out ‘n Loud, Finland's first choir whose singers are all homosexuals.
      One might imagine that the song in question is about love between men, but this is not the case. It tells a story about exercising in a gym.
      Out ‘n Loud is a Helsinki-based choir set up a year ago. It has 13 members, and has held five concerts.
      "We had to start from scratch. First we had to find out if we could ever get enough people together, and if they will make a commitment.", recalls Pasi Risberg, the chairman of the choir.
      Many who would like to sing have nevertheless been unwilling to come out of the closet and join a gay choir.
      "Some would have liked to come to the rehearsals alone. I took a negative view of that. What is the point of joining a choir if you do not want to perform?" Risberg wonders.
     
Taking the post of musical director was Tommi Varis, who agreed right away to accept the job. He directs a couple of other choirs as well, and teaches piano. He also studied music at the Sibelius Academy.
      From the point of view of Out ‘n Loud, Varis is a member of a sexual minority.
      "I also had the preconception that gays are strange and eccentric. I was surprised at how ordinary the guys are, and that they know how to laugh at themselves", Varis notes.
      "Great, we have educated Tommi", Risberg laughs.
      When Risberg is asked why gays should have a choir of their own, he looks with amazement.
      "Why not? This is the kind of fun that one particular group likes to have. There are choirs at work places as well", Risberg says. Tenor Mathias Creutz chimes in:
      "I just wanted to join a good group. Now it looks like the time is right for something like this, and people are willing to join in.
     
Director Varis still remembers the choir's first rehearsals.
      "For a gay choir the group was quite heterogenous. Some of them had a long background in choral singing, while others were singing for the first time. The howling was just terrible." After a year of rehearsing, Varis says that the voices are starting to resonate together. They are gradually finding an image, and a repertoire of songs. The association set up for the choir has stepped up its activities in other ways as well.
      Out ‘n Loud recently brought the Stockholm Gay Choir to Finland, and performed as their guests' warm-up act.
      The idea of a gay choir is a new one. In the United States, the oldest ensembles are more than 30 years old. The Stockholm choir has been around for more than 20 years.
      "There was an electrified feeling in the concert. The Swedes were undoubtedly better technically, but a one-year-old person will also sound different from someone who is 20. It takes time for a choir to develop", Varis observes.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 13.10.2005

More on this subject:
 BACKGROUND: Helsinki gay community has multitude of activities

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Gay culture flourishes in Helsinki (10.8.2004)

TUOMO VÄLIAHO / Helsingin Sanomat
tuomo.valiaho@hs.fi