The Sacred Wing
(of Gay Abandon)
The Sacred Wing emerges every December. Like its audience it consists of people of different faiths or none and is inclusive – all we ask is that you can sing in tune! Membership changes from year to year, but a core team gives continuity.
We started in 1999 after some members of Gay Abandon and some members of All Hallows Church wanted to sing choral music. So, we sang Fauré's Requiem and enjoyed it so much that we join together every year to sing other rather lovely things! We also started a tradition of including audience carols and some readings in our concerts – an opportunity for everyone to sing their favourite carols.
We are grateful to be able to rehearse and perform at All Hallows (Regent Terrace, LS6 1NP), which is an open, welcoming, and inclusive church. One year the then vicar, Ray Gaston, introduced us as the ‘sacred wing of Gay Abandon’; it’s not quite accurate, but we liked the name so much that it stuck! And All Hallows is stuck with us, much to the delight of the current vicar, the most wonderful Heston Groenewald.
We are proud to have our roots deep within the Leeds-based LGBT+ choir, Gay Abandon, whilst also welcoming all who want to sing with us.
All you need to have as a member is a love of singing wonderful pieces of music and respect/love for everyone. You can contact Sacred Wing via our Facebook page (The Sacred Wing) or via All Hallows.
Our repertoire so far…
1999 Gabriel Fauré: Requiem
2000 Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria
2001 George Frideric Handel: Zadok the Priest, highlights from Messiah
2002 Gareth Valentine: Requiem for all those who have died with AIDS
2003 Wolfgang Mozart: Requiem
2004 Gabriel Fauré: Requiem
2005 Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man – a Mass for Peace
2006 John Rutter: Requiem
2007 Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria
2008 George Frideric Handel: highlights from Messiah
2009 Howard Goodall: Eternal Light – A Requiem
2010 Giovanni Pergolesi: Stabat Mater
2011 Francis Poulenc: Litanies à la Vierge Noire; Benjamin Britten: Missa Brevis in D; John Rutter: Magnificat (excerpt)
2012 Karl Jenkins: Songs of Sanctuary
2013 Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols
2014 Five Sancti & Two Songs from the Rig Veda!
2015 Gabriel Fauré: Requiem
2016 Wolfgang Mozart: Requiem
2017 John Rutter: Requiem
2018 Howard Goodall: Eternal Light – A Requiem
2019 Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria
2020-2021 The Covid Years
2022 Gabriel Fauré: Requiem
2023 John Rutter: Requiem
