On any given evening, the village of Candelo on the New South Wales Far South Coast is noticeably quiet, apart from the odd corellas squawking in the trees.
But on Wednesday evenings, voices echoing from the town hall have become a welcome addition to the soundscape.
The melodies do not fade into the background; they form part of a community that wants to be seen and heard.
The choir has been gathering in Candelo weekly since May. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
“When I moved here five years ago, I knew there were LGBTQ+ folks here, but I didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of visibility,” April Davis said.
“Historically, LGBTQ+ voices have been oppressed, silenced and left out.
“I think a lot of activism and advocacy can be kind of heavy, whereas this just felt so filled with joy and delight.”
April Davis — pictured with her dog, Cashew — dreamed of creating an LGBTQ+ choir for some time. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
Mx Davis, along with fellow local Pip Treloar, shared a dream to start a dedicated LGBTQ+ choir to foster representation and connection of the queer community in an isolated town with a population of 780 people.
“In this area, there’s a lot of choirs … but I think this choir is unique,” Ms Treloar said.
Choir co-founder Pip Treloar (centre) sings along with other participants in Candelo. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
The pair approached Candelo singer-songwriter Robyn Martin to lead the project.
Inspired by the calls and colours of rainbow lorikeets, the choir was called Pandemonium.
“It’s got this grassroots, groundswell of love and energy behind it,” Ms Martin said.
“It feels really meaningful.”
Musician Robyn Martin is leading the choir. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
Just like magic
The first rehearsals began in May, with more than 20 people — and their dogs — attending each week since.
The sessions begin with a vocal warm-up before the singers tackle three tunes, with regular breaks for tea and biscuits.
Olivia Dean’s Man I Need is a favourite, although it has been changed to One I Need by the choir.
The choir has more than 20 members turn up each week on average. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
Member Kalpa Goldflam admitted she was nervous about singing in a room with others, but soon managed to overcome her fears.
“I felt so welcome and excited that I just threw myself into it,” she said.
Participant Kalpa Goldflam says she felt welcomed by the choir. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
The choir will now break for the term, with plans to return in August and potentially host rehearsals in different towns, such as Bega.
Ms Goldflam said joining a queer-friendly group in a regional area has meant a lot to her.
“There are concentric circles of community and this is one of them,” she said.
“We need each other and we need to have fun and make beautiful, creative things together.”
