Melbourne’s original LGBTIQ+ choir, Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Chorus, will shine under pressure as they sing the hits of Annie Lennox and David Bowie in their new winter show REBEL | REBEL.

For the first time, the show will be hitting the road, with a short tour kicking off in Melbourne in June.  Musical Director Drew Downing said it was a joy for all involved to put their own spin on such well-loved classics.

“We love presenting a variety of new styles and themes for our major concerts and REBEL | REBEL is no exception,” he said.  “The works of Bowie and Lennox are a great vehicle for MGLC; offering musical legacies which continue to inspire and empower.”

Assistant Musical Director Stephanie Teh said the pair were pioneers, breaking new ground in more ways than one.

“Lennox and Bowie were so radical, so different to anyone else who had come before,” she said

“For a lot of people they made it okay to step outside of the norm, to bend gender stereotypes, to be different.”

‘Making it okay to be different could be MGLC’s unofficial mantra. The choir has been using music to champion diversity for three decades. Standing proud together, its choristers have sung their way through the toughest of times — from the Chorus’ foundation at the height of the AIDS crisis to the Marriage Equality Postal Survey and beyond.

REBEL | REBEL kicks off its season at Malvern Town Hall on June 15, before heading to Castlemaine and Ballarat.  MGLC President Rob Grimmer said it was significant that the show would also be accessible to members of the LGBTIQ+ community living outside the city.

 “Part of our mission statement is to serve the community. And community doesn’t just mean Melbourne,” he said.

“It’s so important to us that we reach out to the LGBTIQ+ community right across Victoria.”