Caroling at Why Not? You must be crazy! That was my initial reaction when Darren first suggested it. The conservative me just couldn't imagine Haveners singing Christmas carols at gay pubs and discos.

However, Darren finally managed to convince me that it would be feasible, and we announced our intention to Safehaven. Although there were people who shared my initial reaction, there were also those who thought that it would be an interesting idea to sing carols at gay joints. About 20 people responded to our call for carolers and we started our rehearsals in November.

 
Our debut performance — opening act at the Boom Boom Room

December 15 marked the date of our debut performance. We were the opening act for MAW's Beary Beary Party held at Boom Boom Room. We started with popular carols like "Joy to the World" and "O Come All Ye Faithful". When we came to the campy version of "Winter Wonderland", the audience was pleasantly surprised by the change of mood, especially when we flipped out our props — fanciful women's g-strings and scarves.

Our actual caroling session at the various gay pubs and gay friendly restaurants was held on 22 December, a week after the Beary Beary Party. We gathered at Edward's house for a short vocal warm-up session before proceeding to our first stop, Broth, where we performed outside the restaurant under the romantic moonlight. The diners were mesmerised by our angelic voices.

Next, we proceeded to Backstage. Due to the limited space, we had to split into two groups, with each group facing opposite directions, so that everyone could hear us. With little room to maneuver, it was really a feat for the seven of us who had to strut our stuff for the "Winter Wonderland" number. Despite all these limitations, the audience still showed their appreciation with thunderous applause and we were greatly encouraged.

Outside Niche (left) looking positively angelic(right)

Before we proceeded to our last stop, Niche, we had a light supper at a nearby coffee shop. With our thirst and hunger taken care of, we were once again ready to belt out more carols. As this was our last stop, we gave our best, singing our hearts out for the Lord.

Our very own decidedly non-traditional version of Winter Wonderland

We ended the Christmas caroling with a little celebration at Amara hotel before retiring back home after a fun and fruitful night. I am really glad that I took up the project with Darren and we couldn't have done it without the whole bunch of wonderful carolers; especially Daniel who played the guitar and conducted us, and Sam who did the arrangements for the songs.

Hopefully, with this project a bit of Christ's love has been shared through us to the gay community.