The Auckland Gay and Lesbian Singers Musical Director: Stephen Bowness Craig Blockley, accompanist Guest conductors Margaret Robertson (Musical Director Emeritus), Adrian Kirk GALS, aka the Gay and Lesbian Singers, are the only choir of their kind in the country. Un-auditioned, they are amateurs in the strictest sense – those who do something for the love of it with no hope of financial reward. I the case of GALS, there is double love, for they clearly love being gay and proud and thus declaring, by their participation in the choir, that they are out. I've been to many GALS concerts, and of course part of the advantage of a live performance, many of which have been recorded on this cd, is that their faces, bodies, what they wear and the enthusiastic audiences they always attract, are part of the experience. Listening to them without all of the above is like tasting blindfolded. But not much is lost, and where the technical side of singing is concerned they are no slouches, even if they are not individually or collectively possessed of the best voices. In such items as the opening “Over the Rainbow” Harold Arlen's paean of sentimentality, they show a surprising reticence, whereas later in “Let the River Run”, recorded “live in concert” the sense of thrill is there, maybe produced by adrenalin flow, but certainly more engaging. One problem most choirs fight is faulty intonation, singing out-of-tune. Even the most polished choruses fall prey to flatness, and GALS is no exception. I'm not surprised that it is in the classical items (Vecchi's “Canzonetta” winds up almost a half tone out) that this happens, it usually is, particularly if the number is unaccompanied, as it is here. As usual, it the women who hold the pitch well, as when they sing alone in “Some Enchanted Evening” (and here is another distinction between the live concert and recording, this time not so positive as there is much hilarity in the audience from which the cd buyer is excluded, not knowing the reason for the laughter). The last bit of the cd is given over to excerpts from the “Yay!Boo!Hiss!” concert to celebrate the passing of the Civil Union Bill and even without the visuals needed to fully appreciate how enjoyable the evening must have been, it is possible to join in the celebration by listening. Nice touch the singing of the Lohengrin Wedding March in German! Well done. And the rendering of Ives's “Name that Tune” which was sung as an overture to the “drama” is positively virtuosic. GALS fans and supporters won't want to be without this item, and it should win them a wider audience. Related Links: GALS Website Larry Jenkins - 26th May 2007