In May 2022 at Choral Canada’s national conference, Podium, I had breakfast with a wonderful group of conductors from across Canada who conduct women’s choirs.
As we went around the table introducing ourselves and our choirs, I was the first to make the distinction that I don’t conduct a women’s choir. The choir for sopranos and altos that I founded in 2019 is called Winnipeg Upper Voices. It was a very intentional choice to not call this group a ‘women’s choir,’ because it is explicitly not just for women. The choir welcomes all people who sing in the soprano/alto range, regardless of their gender identity.
As I expected, this brought up quite a lot of conversation in the group about the language that we use, and why/why not some choirs are having conversations about their names, their mission, and their members. It was interesting to hear all the different viewpoints, and how each group has approached the subject, or if they had ever considered it.
Sometimes when this kind of conversation comes up, there can be defensiveness: “Women’s choirs are important places for connection and community and sisterhood. How can we just throw that away?”
I believe this kind of thinking is fairly narrowminded. As the title of this post states, there are infinite choir pies available in the world. There is space - and need - for all kinds of choirs.
There is absolutely a place for the kind of community that women’s choirs, or men’s choirs, create and provide. But by their nature, they are exclusive. If someone doesn’t fit the expected gender to join, then they won’t have a choir to sing in.
New ensembles, like my Winnipeg Upper Voices, aren’t trying to do away with women’s or men’s choirs that are thriving and are important communities. Instead, we want to expand the choir world so that we make space for all singers who are looking for the wonderful community that singing together provides.
If starting a women’s choir or a men’s choir is your calling, and what your community needs, then please start that choir! If your community needs a choir that defines itself in other ways, then please make that happen!
We can always have more pie, and we can always have more choir.