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Musical Director

Jane Edwardson, Gay Abandon's Musical Director

Jane Edwardson has been our musical director since we started in 1997.

Her first experience of conducting and arranging came about by accident whilst singing as a member of the Sheffield Socialist Choir. After moving to Leeds and finding no LGB choir here (or anywhere else in the North of England) to sing with she decided to set one up herself!

Since then she has been trained in choral conducting and music direction with Sing for Pleasure, and is noted for her ability and skill in establishing rapport with both singers and audiences. She is the only person to have been awarded the John Coates Memorial Baton on two occasions - 2000 & 2006.

Despite this, Jane doesn't actually use a baton when she conducts. She does use an upturned milk-crate (suitably decorated) to stand on so those at the back can see her. We're saving up for a fancy folding podium instead, although if anyone has good enough diy skills, we'd settle for a home-made one instead.

As well as conducting Gay Abandon, Jane used to be musical director of the lesbian group Deep C Divas, and in 2002 she conducted them in concert at the Sydney Opera House.

Gay Abandon have yet to sing anywhere so famous, but we do sing several of Jane's arrangements including a set of songs (Now you see us) commissioned for the lgbt History Month performances of 2006.