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An evening of pop music & community

Queer Songbook Orchestra uplifts 2SLGBTQ+ narratives
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After a sold-out showing at the 2018 OUTstages Festival, the Queer Songbook Orchestra (QSO) returns to Victoria on January 15 for an evening of pop music, community and unearthed 2SLGBTQ+ narratives, featuring local guest artists and storytellers. Co-presented by the Farquhar at UVic and Intrepid Theatre, the show kicks off the 2023 OUTstages Festival.

Founded in 2014 by artistic director and UVic alum Shaun Brodie, the QSO is a Toronto-based 13-piece chamber pop ensemble, dedicated to exploring and uplifting 2SLGBTQ+ narratives in pop music on stages across Canada. By working with a base of known songs that are uniquely reimagined for the ensemble, the QSO offers listeners new points of entry into familiar works.

A highly collaborative project, the QSO incorporates members of the local community in every performance. From high school students to elders, well-known artists to novice performers, individuals are invited on stage to co-present these narratives, foster dialogue and nurture deepening community.

The QSO is made up of many of the finest musicians in Canada from across the classical, pop and jazz spectrum. They have performed all across Canada and been featured at many of the country’s top performing arts festivals. They have worked with guest artists and arrangers including Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Cris Derksen, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Carole Pope, Owen Pallett, Orville Peck and Allie X. They have released three albums to date: the 2017 collaborative album with Vivek Shraya, Part-Time Woman (longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize); their 2018 solo debut, Anthems & Icons; and the 2019 collaborative EP with Christine Bougie, Love Songs.

Join the QSO on Sunday, January 15 at 7 pm at the Farquhar at UVic for “an act of masterful remembering” (Exclaim! magazine).

Tickets ($38) are on sale through the UVic Ticket Centre at (250) 721-8480 or at tickets.uvic.ca. Masks are optional, though encouraged.