Newest member of London's Pride Men's Chorus has 'never felt more at home' in his community

When Eric Jamieson joined London's Pride Men's Chorus a year ago, he had no idea how much he'd learn about the LGBTQ2+ community's history and some of their battles over the century.

On Sunday, he'll get the opportunity to use music as a way to share some of those stories in the choir performance titled Brave at the Aeolian Hall. The show is a 12-song and spoken piece celebration of the gay men's rights movement and how the community has evolved throughout the years.

Jamieson is set to perform the song "You will be found" from the Dear Evan Hansen musical, which he said really resonates with his journey as a transgender man. 

"It's about coming together and acknowledging that one has value and that maybe now is not the time, but there will be a time in which a person is found by their community and others," he said. 

Being a part of the chorus has allowed Jamieson to form a brotherhood with his fellow musicians that has served as a rock for him through his transition. 

"I've never felt more at home," he said. It's a general sense of a 'come as you are and no matter what, you're good enough to be there' feeling.

"Everyone has the ability to sing and create sound, and so if you can just learn how to do it in a specific way, everyone has a role to play here."

Jamieson's journey has been filled with ups and downs, and while he's felt loved and supported by those around him, he said there had been moments where he's felt more tolerated than celebrated.

"I definitely have supportive friends and family, but this is just a part of my community in a different way. I've never had people who are like me to look up to, so that's been really cool," he said. 

The most important thing he's learned was how profoundly the AIDS epidemic affected the community. Something that he would like to see discussed more in the education system.

"As someone born in the 21st century, it's something you hear about, but you don't really have firsthand knowledge of, and so really learning how that impacted the people I cared about so deeply and what their experiences were," he said.

A safe space for connection

Sunday's show will feature a mixture of music which both celebrates and commemorates gay rights activism and what the fight has been all about, said its conductor Andrew Rethazi.

"Music is such an integral part of our humanity, and this is an event that is really celebrating resilience and the humanity of people," he said. 

Rethazi said the chorus is a safe space for those who identify as a male to connect while advocating for the Queer community through the performance arts. 

Jamieson said he's really enjoyed sharing experiences with the chorus, and he hopes his enthusiasm inspires others. 

"The term brave means that you're doing something scary or uneasy, and I think it's really a testament to what it's like walking this path of life," he said. "It's very different from what we consider the norm, and so it presents certain challenges."

The concert will start at 2 p.m. and will be live-streamed online. More information can be found on Aeolian Hall's website.