Gareth Malone never intended to become the 'Nation's Choirmaster,' but the BBC star has embraced the title that came with his reality series The Choir. In a new interview, he reflects on life on the road, devoted fans, and his television acting debut ahead of his latest UK tour.
The Power of Song in Football
Malone, who knows the power of song intimately, had doubts about England's World Cup chances after witnessing Argentina's passionate national anthem performance. 'I felt like you could tell the Argentinians were going to win from the way that they sang,' he said. 'They were just like, “this means everything.” There was just a sense of rawness about the way that they sang – no-one cares about the quality, but I really was impressed by the passion of it. And our lot are always so English and sheepish about it.'
His view is backed by a 2018 study from Staffordshire University, which analysed all 51 games at UEFA Euro 2016. Researchers concluded that teams who sang their anthems with vigour conceded fewer goals and performed better overall in the tournament.
Malone also highlighted the impact of crowd energy, citing his experience at Wimbledon watching Arthur Fery's match against Flavio Cobolli. 'It was awesome, you could feel the crowd’s energy and see him getting pumped up,' he said. 'So I think when you add music into that, you add something emotive and significant, it must have an effect.'
From Accidental Choirmaster to National Icon
Malone fell into his role as Britain's top choir leader almost by accident while working for the London Symphony Orchestra in the early 2000s. The 50-year-old had 'never, ever called himself a choirmaster' until a 2006 press release for his first TV series, The Choir, dubbed him as such. 'It said “choirmaster from the London Symphony Orchestra”, which made me sound like I was the conductor,' he recalled. 'Like I was incredibly high-faluting. Actually I was someone who’d been in bands and wrote music, wrote songs, and yes, I’d studied classical singing. Probably about 10 per cent of the work I was doing was with choir – and obviously that swung really fast.'
Despite the unexpected fame, Malone appreciates the opportunities. 'It’s been great, no shade at all. But it’s strange when I get people stopping me in the street, making assumptions that must be what I’m doing every weekend.'
Sharing the Limelight and Rock 'n' Roll Admiration
Malone has performed with diverse groups, from moody teens in The Choir: Boys Don’t Sing (2008) to the wives of Afghanistan veterans in The Choir: Military Wives (2011). He never saw himself as the star of his own show, admitting that as a teenager in a band, he thought he might become Chris Martin – 'although he didn’t exist at that point.'
He enjoys the 'enthusiastic supporters' he has gained, describing it as 'very gratifying for the ego.' His upcoming tour, Sing-A-Long-A-Gareth: At The Movies, starting in October, allows him to interact with fans directly. The shows feature karaoke-style lyrics on screens for audience participation.
Tour Highlights and Future Plans
The tour focuses on songs from the silver screen, including 'Singin’ in the Rain,' 'Moon River' from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and 'Stayin’ Alive' from Saturday Night Fever. 'Not every single person sings, but pretty much everyone does,' Malone explained. 'Even if they think they're not going to, they normally do by the end. It's absolutely joyful. Everyone's standing up, waving their arms, dancing around, you know, it's got a real party atmosphere. It works best on a Friday night, I have to say, but then I suppose most shows do.'
When not touring or caring for his three children with wife Becky, Malone is exploring acting, having recently completed a role in a television project. 'I’m doing some acting,' he said. 'I have nothing to announce, but I’ve just done a little role on a TV thing. It’s my first post-television acting, I guess, so that’s really fun.'
Reflecting on his career, Malone added, 'I'm just really enjoying where I'm at.' His Sing-A-Long-A-Gareth: At The Movies UK tour runs throughout October and November, with tickets available at myticket.co.uk.
