IAN AKROYD

Gay Abandon is a LGBTQ community choir based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The choir was formed in 1997 and currently has approximately 75 members. It is a non-auditioning choir,  usually singing in four voice-parts.

25 years on, the choir still has members who attended the first rehearsal in 1997. The choir have performed nationally and internationally in concerts in Manchester, Birmingham, London, Berlin, Paris, Munich, Cardiff and Bologna (to name a few!). We are still a Yorkshire choir at heart, and our favourite performances are actually those that we do locally, including our annual concerts in Leeds.

Singing is about sharing joy and building unique friendships through music.

While we take pride in our singing and performing, the real joy of being a part of the choir is the friendly atmosphere and camaraderie built around our common joy of singing, with our aim to bring people together from all walks of life and sing.

I am delighted to have been appointed Music Director of Gay Abandon, taking up the position in August 2023. My first few weeks of rehearsals have been exhilarating, rewarding and effective as we move towards our first performance at a World Aids Day event on 1st December 2023.

As I move forward with the choir I will be working to extend the repertoire by introducing commissioned arrangements and original compositions to sit alongside the extensive back-catalogue that the choir has built up over 25 years of performance.

I will be working with the choir on performance skills to ensure that our accomplished singing is matched by an engaging and compelling stage presence.