The Choirmaster comes to Preston

Choirmaster and broadcaster, Gareth Malone, is making a stop at The Preston Guild Hall as part of his 2018 tour, writes Emma Brereton

Following the resounding success his 2017 tour Gareth Malone OBE is bringing his choral excitement to areas he missed first time round. Performing at The Preston Guild Hall on Wednesday 6th June, the audience will be in for a choral show like no other.

One of the reasons Gareth added Preston to the tour is because Lancashire is one of his favourite parts of the country. Preston, Blackpool, the Dales and Lancaster have been his family’s choice for seasonal holidays for years. He also has relatives who live in Lancaster and has been visiting the region since he was eight years old.

“I haven’t performed at The Guild Hall before but Lancashire holds a very special place in my heart,” says Gareth, “I know my family are happy that, on this occasion, they don’t have far to travel to see the show.”

This limited run of new dates will see TV’s favourite choirmaster truly in his element as he curates an evening of music that matters to him. Gareth is delighted to welcome back The Swingles, the undisputed rulers of British close Harmony, to present popular songs you know and love in a way you have never heard them before.

The Grammy award winning group are infamous for their close harmony and distinctive solos. Gareth says: “I met The Swingles through some work I was doing with The London A Capella Festival. I was absolutely blown away with their talent and thought it would be a happy partnership.

“I can’t wait to get back on tour with them they have an incredible tenor and soprano to complement their collective of extraordinary voices. Hearing them perform live and singing with them is a real honour.”

Gareth is well known from the copious amount of television work he has been involved with such as The Choir and Pitch Battle yet has taken some time off recently to spend time with his family. “From 2011 to 2016 I worked relentlessly. I absolutely love what I do, I’m addicted to music but it’s important to take some downtime and have a break between projects.”

And there are lots of projects in the pipeline but nothing he can tell us about at the moment. “I will be working on a new television programme in a couple of months that is more documentary based and I am really looking forward to that. Programmes like Pitch Battle are a real treat but working with the general public and sharing my passion for music is what I enjoy most.”

Sharing his passion for music is also at the heart of this tour. Gareth explains that the show is not a classical choral concert, as some may expect, but more like a musical variety show with lots of audience participation.

“During the show we write a song with the audience and perform it as well as lots of upbeat songs like Superstition by Stevie Wonder, which is guaranteed to get the audience on their feet and singing along.”

This tour is also an opportunity for Gareth to showcase his other talents and a different side to his usual repertoire.

“I used some of my time off to write my own original songs and I will be performing some within the show. I took part in BBC One’s ‘Who do you think you are?’ and learnt about an ancestor from Liverpool which sparked inspiration for a song called Paradise Street. It’s a great sing along number and a point in the show I really look forward to.”

Gareth will be joined by some exciting guest choirs and singers along the way and these are yet to be confirmed. Gareth and his team are still on the lookout for local choirs and is encouraging choir masters to get in touch. “We want the show to include community choirs from Preston and the surrounding areas. The chosen choirs will perform three songs with us including Heroes by David Bowie so if you want to be involved send me a Tweet @GarethMalone for more information.”

The evening will also include repertoire from his TV series The Choir – songs as sung by the Invictus choir, Military Wives and the ‘Boys Don’t Sing’ episode. There is also an opportunity to book tickets that include a meet and greet session with Gareth but it’s a meet and greet with a difference. “The meet and greet is more like an introduction to the show, a session where you can learn the songs we will be performing, take part in a vocal warm up and know all the audience participation before the curtain call.”

This musical extravaganza will take place on Wednesday 6th June 2018 at 7:30pm Tickets: Band A £39, Band B £29 and can be purchased at: www.prestonguildhall.co.uk

Charter Theatre
Preston Guild Hall
Box Office: 01772 80 44 44
www.prestonguildhall.co.uk

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