I JOINED A CHOIR!
And it knocked me out for 2 days.
In September, Queer Chor Schweiz put out an ad for new singers. I watched the choir perform this past June at Neubad, our local swimming pool-turned-community center. The choir sang in the deep end of the emptied pool while the audience sat on the swimming pool steps, cushioned and covered with blue tarp.
Queer Chor Schweizâs performance at Neubad in June 2025.
I was mesmerized by the the song choices: A mix of popular gay anthems, Swiss folk songs including some beautiful yodeling, and a noise piece where the singers made sounds reminiscent of nature. Oh, and during the one hour performance, some of the singers baked a chocolate cake on stage in between songs. Simply put, it was theatrical, it was camp, and it was exactly what I needed in my life.
So imagine my delight when I saw the ad on Instagram stories. I immediately went on the website and got to work. An audition was required, but more as a placement of where you would sing rather than how well you sang (at least, thatâs what they said). I started mentally perusing my personal songbook: Which song would be the best to audition with?
After days of stressing, recording Hozierâs âTake me to Churchâ at my desk and even at the piano, I found out that they had a list of predetermined songs to sing from, and emphasized that no fancy equipment should be used to allow everyone a fair trial.
I sang the required pieces (after feeling a bit sheepish since I had made a big deal out of it by texting my friends), and submitted my audition three weeks before the deadline.
When I arrived home from Bali, I found an email in my inbox letting me know that I had made it, and Iâve been placed as a soprano 2. We were asked to practice several pieces before our first rehearsal which took place last Sunday in Bern.
We sang for 7 hours.
Ok, there was a one hour lunch break, but still. My god. I woke up at 6:30 to take the 8:00 train. By 16:00 I could no longer hit any of the high notes. I also felt self-conscious because, even though I had practiced before, it wasnât enough. I relied on my fellow soprano 2s to make sure that I was singing on key. I can sight-read quite well when playing the piano, but using my voice as an instrument without any reference is difficult for me, so Iâve learned.
I sang in a choir before, back in Hong Kong. That choir felt like kindergarten compared to this one. I was a soprano then too, but we sang Christmas songs that were easy to follow along to and had weekly practices, so there was no need to prepare beforehand.
At Queer Chor, most people I spoke with had some sort of advanced musical background: One person was studying to be a sound producer, another was a piano teacher. Most had sung in previous choirs but left due to the vibes. It was easy for me to feel self-conscious in such an environment, but I reminded myself that I too have a musical background, and further, I made it into the choir so I deserved to be there just like everybody else.
The advanced nature of the choir is an exciting challenge for me. Weâre singing pieces Iâve never heard of, sometimes in German, with complicated rhythms that stray from the usual major* melodies.
*Major melodies refer to the song being in a major key (i.e. happy, positive sounding). The opposite would be in a minor key (i.e. sad).
The musician in me is thrilled that I get to exercise this muscle again, and thereâs something about making music as a group, following along to the conductorâs gestures. I grew up playing in orchestras, and as much as I detested playing the violin (it wasnât my decision), I loved how it felt to be part of an ensemble, where everyoneâs contribution creates something beautiful.
We donât practice often since members are from all over Switzerland. Our next rehearsal is at the end of the month, and we wonât have another one until January. Hence the 7-hour choir âbootcampâ as my sister put it.
After the rehearsal last Sunday, I was pretty much bedridden all of Monday and half of Tuesday. I was exhausted. But I canât wait for our next practice.
To be part of something larger than myself, in a space where I am accepted and can do what I love is just wonderful, isnât it?