Gareth's Best In Britain - The Choir is back!

Gareth Malone OBE returns with brand new series for BBC  Two

 THE CHOIR: GARETH'S BEST IN BRITAIN 
Tuesday 25 October 9pm on BBC Two

Britain's favourite choirmaster is on the hunt for the U.K.'s most entertaining amateur singing group.


The nation's favourite choirmaster, Gareth Malone O.B.E. - at the heart of award-winning series like Sing While You Work and The Choir: Military Wives - returns with a brand new show for BBC Two, THE CHOIR: GARETH'S BEST IN BRITAIN.


The series follows Gareth as he travels the length and breadth of the U.K., from the Scottish Highlands to the Channel Isles, scouring the country to find Britain's most entertaining amateur choir.

Having crowned the nation's most entertaining amateur a cappella group in last year's hugely successful The Naked Choir with Gareth Malone, this year Gareth is opening up his contest to groups from all musical traditions.  Whether they're gospel groups or school choirs, sea shanty bands, university singers or collectives made up of pensioners, all are united by a passion for music and performance.

Gareth Malone said: "I'm thrilled to bring a fresh search for the musical rough diamonds among the British public to BBC2. Having discovered the best a cappella groups the nation has to offer last year, this series goes one step further, pitting groups from all types of music head to head."


Gareth will audition a diverse mix of groups and choirs in towns, cities and villages across the country, before selecting four to go head-to-head in the contest stages of the series, each representing a different part of the U.K.


He'll work with the four handpicked groups, offering his expert guidance, advice and encouragement, before they perform in front of a live audience and a jury of musical experts, who'll vote on which choir they found most entertaining.  In the semi-final, the choir with the fewest votes will be eliminated.


In the grand final, the three choirs left standing will compete to receive the most votes from the invited jury.  Vocal prowess alone won't secure the title – the competition will be fierce and groups must find the extra entertainment factor to secure victory. The choir who emerges triumphant in the grand final will receive the honorary title of Britain's most entertaining amateur choir.


Gareth Malone has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award and numerous other accolades for his previous series, and he was awarded an O.B.E. for his services to music in 2012.  He has quickly become a national treasure thanks to his ability to nurture otherwise hidden musical talent from a broad demographic of the British public.  In 2011, the singers Gareth brought together in The Choir: Military Wives secured the U.K.'s Christmas number one, with the single Where You Are.  His most recent series, Gareth's Invictus Choir - following his efforts to assemble and mentor a choir of wounded ex-service personnel for a performance at the opening of The Invictus Games - drew widespread acclaim.

THE CHOIR: GARETH'S BEST IN BRITAIN is a Twenty Twenty Television production; the series producer is Zoe Page and the executive producer is Lee McMurray.


THE CHOIR: GARETH'S BEST IN BRITAIN will be on BBC Two this autumn.