Thiskha has been singing with the choir since 2023.
What do you like about singing?
‘It makes me feel relieved. I can throw it all out. After rehearsal, I feel completely at peace. And it’s nice to have some kind of obligatory social moment every Tuesday. I am forced to get out of the house.’
How important is it that this choir is a queer choir?
‘For me, it’s pretty important. I’m bisexual, but I’ve never really been part of the queer community. And I just like to get to know more people in it.
‘I also notice how nice it is to be with people who have experienced the same things. There is such an idea that lgbtiq people are a bit of an outcast. Of course, nowadays that doesn’t play as much, but I still have that feeling sometimes. For example, in secondary school, you just had to be very normal. And so I think it’s such a nice idea that all those people come together in a choir.’
You had visited several choirs before choosing Gala Choir, right?
‘Yes, and I really liked the atmosphere at Gala Choir. We just enjoy singing here. It has to sound nice, of course, but those other choirs were very formal and a bit ‘stuffy’ and the age was also a bit higher. Here I just have a good time.
‘In Gala Choir, you actually have different age groups mixed together. I like knowing people of all ages who are also queer. Because in the nightlife scene you only see people my age. But there is also another world that is not just about parties. I actually like that a lot more.’
How did you start singing?
‘At Buitenkunst I did a workshop where we sang Pur ti miro by Monteverdi. And I just loved that. I also realized: oh, I can sing. Because I used to think I couldn’t sing.
‘At New Year’s Eve I always make resolutions and at one point I decided I wanted to learn classical singing. So I took lessons. But that’s quite expensive. My singing teacher said I could also join a choir. That costs a lot less money, but you can still keep learning and applying what you have learnt in singing lessons.’