New country choir boosts queer visibility

Rainbow choir Pandemonium raises voices of LGBTQ+ community in Candelo, NSW Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 11:53am On any given evening, the village of Candelo on the New South Wales Far South Coast is noticeably quiet, apart from the odd corellas squawking in the trees. But on Wednesday evenings, voices echoing from the town hall have become a welcome addition to the soundscape. The melodies do not fade into the background; they form part of a community that wants to be seen and heard. "When I moved here five years ago, I knew there were LGBTQ+ folks here, but I didn't feel like there was a whole lot of visibility," April Davis said. "Historically, LGBTQ+ voices have been oppressed, silenced and left out. "I think a lot of activism and advocacy can be kind of heavy, whereas this just felt so filled with joy and delight." Mx Davis, along with fellow local Pip Treloar, shared a dream to start a dedicated LGBTQ+ choir to foster representation and connection of the queer community in an isolated town with a population of 780 people. "In this area, there's a lot of choirs … but I think this choir is unique," Ms Treloar said. The pair approached Candelo singer-songwriter Robyn Martin to lead the project. Inspired by the calls and colours of rainbow lorikeets, the choir was called Pandemonium. "It's got this grassroots, groundswell of love and energy behind it," Ms Martin said. "It feels really meaningful." Just like magic The first rehearsals began in May, with more than 20 people — and their dogs — attending each week since. The sessions begin with a vocal warm-up before the singers tackle three tunes, with regular breaks for tea and biscuits. Olivia Dean's Man I Need is a favourite, although it has been changed to One I Need by the choir. Member Kalpa Goldflam admitted she was nervous about singing in a room with others, but soon managed to overcome her fears. "I felt so welcome and excited that I just threw myself into it," she said. "It feels like home." The choir will now break for the term, with plans to return in August and potentially host rehearsals in different towns, such as Bega. Ms Goldflam said joining a queer-friendly group in a regional area has meant a lot to her. "There are concentric circles of community and this is one of them," she said. "We need each other and we need to have fun and make beautiful, creative things together."