Latest news with #GarethMalone
Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Joining a choir is good for you and for the country
T his month, Estonians held their quinquennial Song and Dance Festival, a massive celebration of choral singing and folk dancing at the highest level. Over the days-long festival, Estonians projected joy and unity, not to mention delightful sounds. In the UK, meanwhile, community choirs are ageing and shrinking. That's a shame, because singing with others brings friendships and health benefits alike. More than 32,000 singers, nearly 11,000 dancers and some 80,000 spectators (in mostly pouring rain) were actively involved in this year's festival in Estonia: roughly 9 per cent of the country's population. And that's despite an application process for performers and ticket limitations for spectators. Countless others watched the televised performances at home, as they always do, because they were seriously impressive. • Playboy model turned Tory activist clashed with neighbour in street The UK, too, has an extraordinary choral culture. Our cathedral choirs are the envy of the world. But community choirs, once mainstays of social engagement, have fallen on harder times. The Bowling Alone phenomenon in the US, described in the book of that name by Robert D Putnam, has hit this most communal of activities, leaving choruses with ageing memberships and struggling to recruit. Gareth Malone's TV show The Choir got people excited about singing together but the high notes failed to last. Covid delivered a further blow. Not even Wales's famous male choirs have been spared. Meanwhile, loneliness is increasing and so is societal fragmentation. To itself and the world, Britain often projects a culture of bickering. • Sally Lindsay and the Style Council's Steve White on their blended family That's a shame, because we've got choirs at every level of ability and joining one brings an instantaneous social network. It also offers the opportunity to meet people from every walk of life and to collaborate with them on a worthy project. Choral singing even brings health benefits: it exercises the brain, helps relieve pain and is thought to aid the immune system. Imagine what choral singing could do for us individually, for our communities, for the NHS, even for foreign policy. David Lammy, a former boy chorister at Peterborough Cathedral, ought to know. Do a good deed for yourself and the country and join a choir. Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council
Scotsman
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Britain's choirmaster Gareth Malone to bring singalong tour to Glasgow and Dundee
Britain's choirmaster Gareth Malone to bring singalong tour to Glasgow and Dundee Sing-Along-A-Gareth 4: 50 Years of Songs features songs from Whitney Houston, Taylor Swift and Queen Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Britain's choirmaster Gareth Malone OBE has announced a UK-wide tour, bringing his show Sing-Along-A-Gareth 4: 50 Years of Song to 20 cities across the country this autumn. The show, which features iconic songs from the 1960s to today, will come to Dundee Whitehall Theatre on 12th November and Glasgow Pavilion Theatre on 13th November. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gareth will be backed by his live band and signers, as well as local choirs, as he guides the audience through a setlist that includes Single Ladies by Beyoncé, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey and more. Famous choirmaster Gareth Malone to bring singalong tour to Glasgow and Dundee Speaking on the tour, Gareth said: 'I'm thrilled to be hitting the road again with my fourth singalong tour. The audiences have been incredible, and these special evenings are my absolute highlights of the year. 'I can't wait to get on stage and celebrate my fiftieth — and fifty incredible songs that are guaranteed to make you sing.' Known for his work on multiple BBC series including 'The Choir: Military Wives' and 'Sing While You Work', Gareth Malone OBE has inspired the nation through his award-winning TV programmes, concert tours and recordings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sing-Along-A-Gareth 4: 50 Years of Song celebrates the simple joy of singing together and promises the 'ultimate feel-good night out'.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carol Vorderman unveals brutal 'competitive' streak as she stars in new game show
Carol Vorderman, best known for her extraordinary maths skills, couldn't suppress her competitive side while participating in the show Celebrity Puzzling. "At first, I thought I'd be very gracious and allow my fellow guests to answer the question so the world can see how clever they are," she says. "But after about half an hour, the genteel lady aspect went out of the window. I'm very competitive." Series host Jeremy Vine was impressed by Carol's tactics, commenting, "During the final round, Memory Bank, Carol had a technique that I'm still trying to work out," and adding, "But the look of concentration she had - it was like Roger Federer, a laser!". READ MORE: Coronation Street spoilers see party horror as Aadi Alahan's exit storyline 'confirmed' READ MORE: Coronation Street 'to bring back' icon 33 years after first episode as Lou's mum 'revealed' In this new Channel 5 competition, with Jeremy at the helm, team captains Carol Vorderman and Sally Lindsay tackle brain-teasing challenges, joined each episode by a roster of celebrity brains ready to test their intellect. The lineup kicks off with Gareth Malone and Ore Oduba, followed by stars such as Scarlett Moffatt, Stephen Bailey, Melvin Odoom, Miles Jupp, Dom Joly, and others determined to put their cognition to the test. Host Jeremy admits he often felt tempted to jump into the action himself saying, "I didn't always have the answers," but recognises the restraint needed in his role. "I quickly realised that, as the quiz master, you feel locked out. You can't shout the answer out. That's the price you pay for watching these competitors do battle." Some guests on the show also took him by surprise. "I knew Shaun Williamson would be nervous about it," he commented, highlighting how different this was from Shaun's comfort zone. "It's not his usual territory. But I could see he knew stuff and was having a good time." He found former England goalkeeper David James' approach to the challenges fascinating: "Sportspeople's brains just work differently. It was enjoyable to watch." Every episode's six-round structure meant there was never a dull moment, yet Carol particularly struggled with one part: Cinema Cypher, where film titles were disguised as cryptic symbols. Carol explained her difficulties with the game, "I found it hard because I had to go backwards," revealing her weakness when it comes to recalling movie titles. "I'm absolutely rubbish with movie titles. I know The Godfather series, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars but I couldn't tell you what their names are, though I've probably seen all of those multiple times." She got especially tripped up on School of Rock, despite the hints. "When the clue said it was a Jack Black film, I thought of all the movies I knew and tried to make them fit," she confessed, acknowledging that she might have been too forceful in her attempts. Even though she stumbled, Carol relished the challenge, "That's the worst thing I did but I really enjoyed trying to work it out," she expressed. Aside from the brain-teasers, for Carol, becoming a team captain brought unexpected joy. "I can't remember ever being a team captain before and I really enjoyed it." TV legend Carol Vorderman spilled the beans on her recent game show experience, revealing she was starstruck by the knowledge of fellow contestants. "This was interesting because I was with Scarlett Morfatt on one show and then Paul Sinha another show. In terms of general knowledge, that's vast - Paul is one of the top quizzers in the country!". She also praised the show's format for playing to celebrity strengths. "The questions were totally geared to those celebs," Carol shared, "I didn't know pop bands but Scarlett did. It was brilliantly done." Carol gushed about working with her close pal Sally Lindsay, adding a touch of personal warmth to the set. "Sally is just a joy," she beamed, "She's actually one of my best friends so it was a joy to be with her even though the way our brains work is different. We're both Northern, feisty women and we like a laugh. So I loved being in that studio." Reflecting on her lifelong puzzle passion, Carol reminisced about her childhood hobbies. "I've always loved puzzles. When I was a child, I used to buy old maths books," she recalled. Those books were her early challenges, as she raced against time with pencil in hand. "They were my puzzles. I would sit at home with my pencil and go against the clock. Chess is one of the big ones." Her enthusiasm for chess even led her to host a historic match in 1993 between chess giants Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short. The event marked a milestone as the Kremlin's first commercial venture, a speed chess championship. Nowadays, Carol is an avid Sudoku enthusiast, finding joy in solving complex grids during her train journeys back to Bristol after filming. Jeremy's bond with puzzles holds a special place in his heart. "My dad, who died about six years ago, was a big fan of Carol's," he shares, "He was a mathematician and he spent his life in higher education and he was obsessed with one thing which was aligning the prime numbers, only divisible by one. He spent half a century with notepads trying to work it out. That's my memory of holidays - my dad sitting with a pad and a pencil, trying to work it out this living secret." Celebrity Puzzling is fundamentally a show about human connections. Expect competitive spirits, fits of giggles and genuine matey vibes that make for utterly delightful viewing. So fetch your favourite brew, plump up those pillows and get cosy - Celebrity Puzzling is the perfect chance to tune out the world and give your grey cells a workout.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Choirmaster Gareth Malone to conduct 100 Latitude Festival-goers
Music fans at a major festival have been invited to join a celebrity choirmaster in a performance on the main Malone OBE previously organised a choir of 150 at Latitude at Henham Park near Southwold, Suffolk in year he will conduct 100 attendees on the final day of the festival, which is expected to welcome more than 40,000 people between 24 and 27 49-year-old, best known for appearing on BBC Two's The Choir, said returning to Latitude felt "incredibly special". He said: "I can't wait to work with a brand-new group of voices and create something extraordinary together. "This is truly a one-time-only performance - a celebration of unity, music, and the incredible atmosphere of Latitude."The choir, which will be created "entirely on-site", will be rehearsed over three days of the festival prior to the Sunday performance, starting with an initial meeting with Malone on Thursday, 24 July. The choirmaster has previously led acclaimed musical projects including the Military Wives Choir, whose debut single topped the UK charts, and the All Star Choir's Wake Me Up for BBC Children in Need. He was awarded an OBE in 2012 in recognition of his services to music and founder and managing director Melvin Benn said: "Gareth Malone's return to Latitude after a decade is something we are all eagerly anticipating. "His ability to bring people together through music is unparalleled and we know that this performance will be a highlight of the festival." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Easter on iPlayer and BBC TV
Looking for something to watch this Easter weekend? Whether you're seeking drama, entertainment or family fun, there's something for everyone on iPlayer. Here's just a selection of the Easter delights... Read more: BBC announces content for Easter and other key Faith Festivals as the Faith and Hope season returns for 2025 Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps, follows celebrity pilgrims, as they take a personal journey along a revived medieval Catholic route, travelling from just outside Innsbruck on the Austrian Camino and finishing near Lake Zurich in Switzerland. Taking part in this physical and spiritual journey are; agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer from boy band, The Wanted; actor and comedy legend Helen Lederer who is from a mixed heritage background, with a culturally Jewish father and a Protestant mother; practising Catholic, Harry Clark - The Traitors (series two) winner; standup comedian Daliso Chaponda, who grew up in a Christian family but is exploring the Baha'i faith; presenter Jeff Brazier, who went to Catholic schools but now is spiritual and meditates as part of his everyday life; retired Paralympian and practising Christian Stef Reid and journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim. Watch Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps on iPlayer and BBC Two from Sunday 20 April. Watch Pilgrimage on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist More: Meet the Pilgrims of 2025 Gareth Malone's Messiah Gareth Malone coaches eight people with no experience of classical choral music to sing Handel's Messiah, alongside the world-class BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Chorus of Wales, at Cardiff's Llandaff Cathedral, in aid of BBC Children in Need. In the series he whittles down hundreds of applications to the chosen eight - Foo Seng, Nia, Harry, Rosie, Aaron, Ami-Louise, Naomi, and Richard. All eight have their own personal stories and motivations, including Naomi, who has been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, and Richard, who recently lost his wife to the disease. Interwoven with the singing, the series sees Gareth dig deeper into the history of Messiah, its religious meaning and its place in British culture over many generations. He visits Halifax Choral Society which has performed the work annually for 206 consecutive years and meets early music expert Dr Hannah French at Handel's home in London's Mayfair. He also spends time with Cardiff vicar, Father Jarel Robinson-Brown, looking at artworks that help explain the theme of Handel's Messiah: the life of Christ. The two one-hour documentaries will broadcast on BBC One and BBC One Wales on the mornings of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The two-hour broadcast of the performance will be shown on the evening of Easter Sunday on BBC Two and BBC Two Wales. All three episodes of Gareth Malone's Messiah will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Easter Sunday Service A joyful celebration for Easter Sunday, broadcast live from the glorious setting of St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol. Led by the Rev Laura Verrall-Kelly, the traditional service features beautiful choral music and much-loved congregational hymns, including Jesus Christ Is Risen Today. The church choir is directed by Joe Cryan, and Canon Dan Tyndall gives the sermon. It's followed by Urbi et Orbi, live from Rome at 11am. On the 12th Easter of his pontificate, the Pope's Easter message and blessing is delivered live to the city and to the world. Petroc Trelawny sets the scene. Watch on iPlayer and BBC One from 10am on Sunday 20 April Doctor Who The Doctor's quest to get Belinda home takes the Tardis to Miami in 1952, where an abandoned cinema is hiding a terrifying secret. Can the Doctor uncover Lux's power? Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Saturday 19 April Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist More: Doctor Who season 2 - Everything you need to know Our Changing Planet Our Changing Planet is an ambitious natural history series exploring the issues facing the planet's most threatened ecosystems and meeting the scientists and local conservationists fighting to make a difference. This year, we follow efforts to protect and revive our dying rivers. Two ambitious river restoration projects are aiming to bring life back to the Klamath in northern California and the Seine in Paris, France. Watch Our Changing Planet on BBC iPlayer with new episodes from Sunday 20 April Read more: Liz Bonnin and Ade Adepitan discuss Restoring Our Rivers Bluey: The Sign Bluey's longest ever episode The Sign launches on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer on Good Friday (18 April). Even more families across the UK will have the opportunity to enjoy this warm, heartfelt and extra-long episode of Bluey over the Easter weekend. In the extended episode, the Heeler family home is up for sale and Bluey's unhappy. But Bluey's comforted when Calypso tells her a proverb about a farmer who trusts everything will turn out the way it's meant to be. The next day, the Heeler home is prepping for Frisky's wedding, but when it's revealed Rad is planning a move out west after the wedding, Frisky runs away. Now Bluey has to experience her own farmer's proverb. Bluey: The Sign is available on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer from Friday 18 April Watch Bluey on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist Super Happy Magic Forest On Bank Holiday Monday, brand new episodes of fun-filled comedy quest adventure series Super Happy Magic Forest launch on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. The all-star voice cast are back, including Judi Love (Loose Women, Taskmaster), Julian Barrett (The Mighty Boosh, Moominvalley), Greg McHugh (Fresh Meat, Gary: Tank Commander), Spencer Jones (Ted Lasso), Jules De Jongh (Thomas & Friends, Lilybuds) and Oliver Chris (Rivals, The Crown). The series features five heroes united by their mutual love of questing, picnics and frolicking! From Monday 21 April new episodes will be available on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. The series also enjoys success beyond the screen, with four CBBC web games, including physics game Picnic Puzzler, and on Roblox with its own platform game as part of BBC's Wonder Chase experience. Watch Super Happy Magic Forest on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist CBeebies Bedtime Stories CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be making sure that you and your little ones can't wait for bedtime over the bank holiday weekend, with an egg-citing line-up of celebrities reading some cracking new stories! CBeebies Bedtime Stories favourite Tom Hardy leads the Easter weekend fun on Friday 18 April with a reading of Milo's Monster: A Big Bright Feelings Book written and illustrated by Tom Percival. Singer and YouTuber Talia Mar will then read Nature's Toy Box by Wenda Shurety and illustrated by Harriet Hobday on Saturday. BBC Radio 2's Good Morning Sunday co-presenter, Rev. Kate Bottley, has a bunny-tastic adventure in store for family audiences, with a reading of The Hot Cross Bunny written by Carys Bexington and illustrated by Mark A. Chambers on Easter Sunday. Then rounding off the weekend of fun, comedian Mo Gilligan reads Oh No, George! written and illustrated by Chris Haughton on Monday 21 April. CBeebies Bedtime Stories is on each weekday at 6.50pm on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer Snooker World Championship The biggest event in the snooker calendar is back, as the 2025 World Snooker Championship takes centre stage at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 19 April to 5 May. Reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson will be out to retain his crown, but with fierce competition, the battle for the title is set to be tough as the steel city itself. BBC Sport will once again provide extensive coverage of the World Championship ensuring fans won't miss a moment of the action. Watch live coverage on BBC One, BBC Two, iPlayer and evening sessions on BBC Four. Matches will be shown in full from the opening round to the final, with every ball potted shown on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website/app. Women's Six Nations You can follow live coverage of the Women's Six Nations across the BBC over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. On Saturday, Italy faces France in Parma on BBC iPlayer while England hosts Scotland on BBC Two and iPlayer, with Gabby Logan and guests Simon Middleton, Deborah McCormack, Heather Lockhart and Katy Daley-McLean. On Sunday, Catrin Heledd is joined by former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap and Sioned Harries as Wales welcome Ireland to Rodney Parade on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer. Movies on iPlayer If you're eager for an Easter movie night you won't be short of films for all ages. From family fun with Lightyear, Peter Rabbit, Dumbo and more (Shrek 1, 2 and 3, anyone?) to Classic Films and Musicals including Easter Parade and new arrivals like Priscilla (from Sunday 20 April), there's something for everyone. Watch Feel-good Family Fun Films on BBC iPlayer Watch Classic Films and Musicals on BBC iPlayer
