Utrecht Queer Culture Festival – October 7th 2025
Two days after the Melkweg, Galakoor held a fun and inspiring open rehearsal in the Domkerk in Utrecht as part of the Utrecht Queer Culture Festival. We sang three songs from our last concert and rehearsed two new pieces together with the enthusiastic ‘audience’.
Met REINDIER in de Melkweg – October 5th 2025
Click here for an extensive video recording of the performance interspersed with interviews with Reindier and our conductor Nathan Tax.
Fool Me Twice – September 25th 2025
In the year that Amsterdam celebrated its 750th anniversary, Galakoor, conducted by Nathan Tax, presented an afternoon full of vocal splendour, supported by the warm accompaniment of pianist Gerrie Meijers. A lot has changed in Amsterdam in 750 years. Where queer love was once kept secret, today the same songs are sung again – now freely! We sang songs by Benjamin Britten, Jake Runestad, Clara Mak, Schweelinck, Amy Beach and Samuel Barber, among others. Joost Kleppe wrote a short prelude especially for this concert.
Queerly Beloved – January 14, 2025
‘Queerly Beloved’ celebrated love in all its manifestations. From hushed longing and adoration to the compelling madness to which love can drive us.
In ‘Queerly Beloved’ choir members shared personal stories and poems. We sang familiar repertoire, but also challenged ourselves to explore new vocal territory. With that, this Valentine’s concert was also a contrast to the overly commercial. Of course we also sing pure, soft, and yes, even sweet. But we additionally tried other flavors and timbres: sour, sharp and gritty. That, after all, is the complexity of love.
Workshop Let’s Sing Together – July 30, 2024
For the third time in a row, we organised an ensemble singing workshop during Pride. Led by Nathan Tax, new singers could get to know our choir in an accessible way. As always, we had so much fun!
Give Thanks – June 25, 2024
We celebrated our ten-year anniversary with a large amount of gratitude. To everyone who ever sang with us, but especially to our queer(friendly) audience. Among other pieces, we performed Oh, give thanks by Purcell.
Workshop Include your Queer Voice – August 2, 2023
Some pictures of our Pride Workshop, led by Sha’iesta Badloe:
Freedom – May 7, 2023
Our first concert post-corona sold out in no time. We sang about moments of oppression and silence, and we celebrated freedom. With cellist Jan Willem Troost and organist Henk Verhoef. Photos were taken by Katy Barnard.
Workshop ‘Finding your Queer Voice’ – 31 July 2022
As many as 80 singers participated in our workshop during Pride 2022. How proud we are! The first two photos were taken by Jeroen Ploeger.
Stabat Mater – 16 February 2020
Storm Dennis was raging outside but we looked ahead to the Passion period. In February 2020 we sang two Stabat Maters: one from the 18th century by Franz Joseph Haydn, and one from over 100 years later, composed by Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger. Also, two songs by Anton Bruckner: Christus factus est and Vexilla regis.
Wrong friendship – Queer voices – 29 June 2019
The Stonewall riots, the beginning of the global struggle for equal rights for the LGBT+ community, was exactly fifty years ago today. Galakoor celebrated this with the programme Verkeerde vriendschap – Queer voices. Featuring stories of gay, bisexual and trans people and their love for and with each other. We sang songs by composers who know this from their own lives, complemented by music from their contemporaries. Between songs, we told striking stories from LGBT+ history, and featured texts by Anna Blaman, Louis Couperus, Agatha Deken and Jacob Israël de Haan, among others.
That’s Amore: queer opera at the Muiderslot – 12 July
On Friday 12 July 2019, the Muiderslot was the setting for an opera concert as part of Amsterdam Pride. Galakoor collaborated in an opera concert with a pink edge put together by Opera per Tutti: That’s Amore. In the opera genre, transvestites singing a duet or women filling male roles have been common for centuries.
Weihnachtsoratorium – December 2018
Galakoor experienced a warm December month. We opened the COC song festival from the balcony in De Duif on 8 December. The highlight, of course, was the Weihnachtsoratorium the 15th in a packed Dominicus Church. With the Promenade Orkest.
Ein deutsches Requiem en mini-concert – 2018
Galakoor began the year with Brahms’ moving Requiem. This was also the first concert with our new conductor Joke Geraets. With soloists Sinan Vural and Marene Elgershuizen and pianist Gerrie Meijers. Just before the summer, Galakoor sang at an intimate concert in Cantina Vocaal. There, we sang parts from Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium and songs by Lauridsen, Britten, Rheinberger and Poulenc.
Holland Festival – 22 en 23 June 2017
Galakoor as a theatre choir. Composer Huba de Graaff asked Galakoor to collaborate on her production with the unusual title the Naked Shit Songs. This opera is based on a 1996 interview by Theo van Gogh with the artist duo Gilbert and George. Featuring Nigel Robson (tenor), Christopher Robson (counter tenor), Xander van Vledder and the ReArt World Music Choir. Performances were int the Stadsschouwburg.
Humanity is an Ocean – 19 May 2017
A beautiful programme around the themes of hope and comfort: before the interval, the extraordinary Requiem for Humanity by Helen Ostafew. After the interval, the serene Lord, Thou hast been our refuge by Ralph Vaughan Williams and, finally, the delirious Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein. For Galakoor this concert wasn’t only special because we sang both a work by a female composer and a gay composer, but also because this was the last full concert with conductor and founder Yt Nicolai.
Double Christmas – 18 December 2016
No less than two concerts in one day! First together with large orchestra Excelsior in the Westerkerk, then at the Pink Christmas celebration in the Keizersgrachtkerk. Galakoor sang the Christmas Cantata by gay composer Pinkham and Magnificat by John Rutter.
Via Dolorosa – 21, 22 October, 12 November 2016
Composer Bernard van Beurden died in May 2016, just months before the world premiere of his piece Via Dolorosa (2015). He composed this modern Passion piece commissioned by Galakoor. It is an impressive composition for two choirs, saxophone octet, soprano, bass and narrator. Extra special was that Katrien van Beurden, daughter of the composer, took on the role of narrator. Also with: the Dutch Saxophone Octet, Irene Hoogveld (soprano), David Visser (baritone). This concert was another successful collaboration with women’s chamber choir Voca Me.
We also sang Fauré’s Requiem, of which Ellen Zijm arranged the accompaniment for saxophone, accordion and double bass. We performed this concert in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Leiden.
Concertgebouw – 5 August 2016
Party! On the occasion of the Europride 2016 that took place in Amsterdam, men’s choir Manoeuvre and Galakoor jointly organised the choir festival AmaSing. 14 LGBTQ choirs from Europe sang in the Concertgebouw on 5 August. An experience we won’t soon forget. Galakoor sang Psalm 42 by Mendelssohn with Gerrie Meijers on piano and soloists from the Fourth Choir, a professional LGBTQ choir from London.
Ay amor – 11 June 2016
A double concert with southern temperament by women’s chamber choir Voca Me and Galakoor: ¡Ay amor! In Amsterdam’s Oranjekerk, we sang about love. The programme included: Negra Sum by Pablo Casals, the Missa Sao Sebastiao by Vitor Heitor Lobos. Then three pieces by Eva Ugalde, Concierto Juglar by Bernardo Julia. And finally, the main work of the evening: the Romancero Gitano by Castelnuovo Tedesco. The lyrics of this last work come from the gay poet Garcia Lorca, whose portrait adorns the poster. Esther Steenbergen accompanied us on guitar, Ellen Zijm on accordion. The solos were sung by choir members.
Pink Christmas – 20 December 2015
At the Pink Christmas in Amsterdam’s Keizersgrachtkerk, Galakoor sang parts of the Messiah. We also sang some traditional Christmas carols. Gerrie Meijers accompanied us on piano and organ.
Händels Messiah – 9 en 10 October 2015
Another great oratorio: Handel’s Messiah. On 9 October, Galakoor gave a concert in Amsterdam’s Oude Lutherse Kerk, a day later in Enschede’s Jacobskerk, home town of conductor Yt Nicolai. As at the last Johannes, Galakoor was accompanied by Concerto Barocco and supported by women’s choir Voca Me. Soloists: Heleen Koele (soprano), Oscar Verhaar (alto), William Knight (tenor), Sinan Vural (bass).
Johannes Passion – 21 en 22 March 2015
Saturday 21 March was not just any day for the St John Passion, because: the first day of spring and the birthday of J.S. Bach. Galakoor sang it in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam; a day later in the atmospheric Bergkerk church in Deventer. Another successful concert, courtesy of women’s chamber choir Voca Me and the orchestra Il Concerto Barocco. Also, of course, with soloists Leonie van Veen, Oscar Verhaar, Henk Gunneman, Harald Quaaden, Erks Jan Dekker and Sinan Vural.
Through a special collaboration with photographer Diana Blok, her Pieta became the supporting image for this concert.
Requiem and Gloria – 16 en 17 january 2015
Together with Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra Con Brio, Gala Choir performed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem and Francis Poulenc’s Gloria. 600 people came to listen to this concert at the Dominicus Church in Amsterdam. Marene Elgershuizen soloed beautifully in the Gloria, and then also in the Requiem with alto Karen Engels, tenor Sam van Nierop and baritone David Visser.
Just before the concert, Laurens Runderkamp, choir member and founder of Gala Choir, had a telephone interview met Lex Bohlmeijer of the Radio 4 programme Passaggio.
Pink Christmas – 21 December 2014
During the Pink Christmas church service at Amsterdam’s Keizersgrachtkerk, Galakoor sang some classical and contemporary Christmas songs, including Joy to the World by G.F. Händel and Maurice Duruflé’s Notre Père.
Dodenherdenking – 4 May 2014
On 4 May 2014, Galakoor sang the impressive Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst during the commemoration at the Homomonument in Amsterdam. Rudolf Mauersberger, cantor of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, wrote this piece in 1945 and based it on the lamentations of Jeremiah. With the piece, he expressed his sorrow as the city was destroyed by bombing, including his own church. Galakoor also sang at this commemoration Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden, from Bach’s Matthäus Passion.
Debut Galakoor – 15 en 16 march 2014
A choir with guts: in a packed Dominicus Church, Gala Choir presented itself to the public for the first time on 15 March 2014 with J.S. Bach’s St John Passion. We were honoured by the positive response. Also in Deventer, where the choir performed the same oratorio a day later in the Bergkerk. Galakoor was joined by the Vrouwenkamerkoor VocaMe and was accompanied by Concerto Armonico.
This first concert earned Galakoor an interview in the Parool. In it, Yt Nicolai and Laurens Runderkamp explain why they set up a choir for LGBTQ people.
