Belfast Choir Celebrates Women Through Song

From Joni Mitchell to contemporary composers, Belfast’s award-winning Quire choir is using music to celebrate women and showcase Northern Ireland on an international stage.

There was something special happening in Belfast this week as Quire, Northern Ireland’s only LGBTQIA+ choir, performed a programme built around a simple but powerful theme: celebrating women.

Every piece in this year’s set has been written, composed or inspired by women, creating a performance that was moving and uplifting.

The quality of the singing was exceptional, but it was the sense of community in the room that truly stood out.

Founded in 2005, Quire has spent more than two decades bringing people together through music. Today, its members come from all walks of life, united by a shared love of singing and a sense of belonging.

Under the direction of musical director Niall O’Flaherty-Lynch, the choir has enjoyed significant success in recent years, picking up awards at festivals across Northern Ireland and receiving the Margaret McDowell Award for Best Northern Ireland Choir at the Bangor International Choral Festival.

Next week, the choir will take that talent to an international audience when it travels to Brussels for Various Voices 2026, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQIA+ choir festivals.

For the singers, it is an opportunity not only to perform but also to represent Northern Ireland on a major stage alongside thousands of voices from across Europe.

Their Brussels programme reflects this year’s theme of celebrating women, featuring music inspired by artists and composers including Joni Mitchell and Australian composer Sally Whitwell. One particularly beautiful piece is Whitwell’s setting of Lord Byron’s poem She Walks in Beauty.

While Quire was founded to provide a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ people, it is also a choir that welcomes allies and anyone who enjoys singing.

In fact, one of the messages members were keen to share is that you do not have to be gay to join.

What matters is a love of music and a willingness to be part of a supportive community.

The atmosphere throughout the performance reflected exactly that. There was warmth, genuine connection and some seriously impressive harmonies.

As Quire heads to Brussels, it does so carrying not just songs but a message about inclusion and community.

And if this week’s performance was anything to go by, Northern Ireland will be very well represented indeed.

Anyone interested in joining Quire can find out more through the choir’s social media channels. New members are always welcome.

Instagram @quirebelfast