Rock Choir is described as being the United Kingdom's original, and the world's largest, contemporary choir. It holds three

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

– 'biggest hit act in the UK',Guinness World Records website
accessed 19 July 2012 'largest musical act to release an album (signed)'Guinness World Records website
accessed 19 July 2012 and 'largest song and dance routine held at multiple locations'.Nurse, Jon ''Get Wokingham'
'Rock Choir Join Forces in World Record Attempt'
28 June 2012Unk. ''The Scotsman'
'Choir Rocks the Capital'
17 July 2012 Rock Choir offers teenagers and adults the chance to sing contemporary songs without the need to audition, read music or have any previous singing experience. In November 2017 it had more than 25,000 members rehearsing in 400 locations throughout the UK. In August 2011
Coutts Woman Magazine
described Rock Choir as "a community singing phenomenon that is sweeping the country," and "one of Britain's biggest brands."Walshe, Barbara ''Coutts Woman Magazine'
'Caroline Redman Lusher – Rock Star'
accessed 19 July 2012

History

Rock Choir was established in 2005 by musician and singer Caroline Redman Lusher. The Sunday Times Culture magazine said 'its formula is unique. Learning by rote (repetition, not sheet music), amateurs rehearse harmonies and choreographed movements to those hits that everybody knows and impulsively sings along to'.Boase, Tessa 'Singing is Believing' ''The Sunday Times Culture Magazine,'' 22 March 2009 Redman Lusher first came up with the concept in the 1990s, while teaching music and performing arts at Farnborough 6th Form College, Hampshire. To help students pass their singing modules, she introduced weekly group singing sessions in which she taught three-part harmonies to well-liked songs. In 2005, Redman Lusher placed an advertisement for Rock Choir in a coffee shop in Farnham, Surrey, which initially attracted the first 70 members.

Public performances

Rock Choir's first local public performance was in November 2005, at the Farnham Maltings, Surrey, raising money for

Age Concern Age Concern is the banner title used by a number of charitable organizations ( NGOs) specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people (defined as those over the age of 50) based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kin ...

. More Rock Choir performances followed in 2006 and 2007 at a wide range of local events, including the annual music festival, GuilFest. The growing success of Rock Choir has led to increasing regional and national press interest. Rock Choir have performed en-masse at iconic venues such as 02 Arena, London, The Liverpool Echo Arena, Wembley Arena, Hammersmith Apollo and the Royal Albert Hall. Rock Choir celebrated its 10th Anniversary by inviting thousands of members to perform at the NEC, Birmingham alongside special guests, Chesney Hawkes, Kiki Dee and Kim Wilde.

Album recording

On 1 April 2009, BBC Breakfast showed a pre-filmed clip of a Rock Choir rehearsal and interviewed Redman Lusher live in the studio. Afterwards Redman Lusher was contacted by

Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

, who offered Rock Choir a multi-album record deal. A few months later, 987 Rock Choir members aged between 6 and 70 recorded Rock Choir Vol. 1. With no recording studio able to accommodate such a large number of singers,

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

hired a school in Cranleigh, Surrey and sent a mobile recording studio. Rock Choir Vol. 1 was released in July 2010 and reached number 1 in the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

charts, entering the top 20 in the UK album charts. Tom Lewis, Head of A&R for

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

's label, Decca Records, described it as "The feel-good album of the year." On the release of the album, Redman Lusher said to

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

; "To have the opportunity of making an album that will be released worldwide is extraordinary. I am so very proud of all of them. Rock Choir has turned into a bit of a fairy tale." To celebrate the album launch, every member of Rock Choir was invited to sing at a special celebratory performance at the Hammersmith Apollo, which also helped raise awareness for the charity Refuge. Over 3,000 Rock Choir members attended.

The Soldiers tour

In 2010 Rock Choir supported

The Soldiers The Soldiers is a singing trio consisting of serving British Army soldiers, whose debut album, ''Coming Home'', was released on 26 October 2009, and who have since continued their singing career whilst remaining full-time army personnel. Signe ...

– a singing trio consisting of three serving British Army soldiers – on their UK-wide 'Coming Home' tour. Redman Lusher sang as a solo artist on their album, which reached double platinum status. She joined them and Rock Choir as a soloist on the tour, which culminated in a performance at

the Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

'The Choir That Rocks'

In 2010, Redman Lusher was approached b
10 Star Entertainment
and ITV, who wanted to produce a documentary following the Rock Choir story. By now Rock Choir had over 8,000 members across the UK. In January 2011, the TV crews filmed Redman Lusher, her team and the members as Rock Choir prepared for its biggest ever show at

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-s ...

. The filming featured new choirs as they opened in Yorkshire, Scotland and Dorset, and resulted in a three-part ITV1 documentary 'The Choir That Rocks', which was aired in June 2011, and repeated in September 2011. After the first episode, 23,000 people logged on to the Rock Choir website, crashing the server, and 8,000 people emailed with membership enquiries. The second Rock Choir album, 'Rock Choir Deluxe', was released at the same time as the TV show.

Awards

In 2015, Rock Choir was awarded the Sun Mark Big Heart award at the Red Ribbon Awards, which recognises businesses which are intrinsically generous and passionate about volunteering, fundraising and having an impact on the local community.

Charity work

Rock Choir is a small family-run organisation, not a franchise. Since its beginning, it has raised millions of pounds for local and national charities through its performances and membership events, including its chosen charity, Nordoff Robbins. In March 2012, Rock Choir carried out a series of nationwide flash mobs and performances in support of

Sport Relief ''Sport Relief'' was a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, established in 2002. It was the idea of Kevin Cahill, CBE, who had joined Comic Relief in 1991 to establish a new department as Director of Educat ...

, which raised over £11,000 for the

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

charity.

Recordings

The first Rock Choir album, ''Rock Choir Vol. 1'', was released in July 2010 and reached number 1 in five different Amazon charts, entering the top 20 in the UK album charts. The album cover contains the name of every Rock Choir member that year. Tom Lewis, head of A&R for Decca Records, the

label releasing the album, said, "Rock Choir is a phenomenon. When you hear them sing, it makes you feel fantastic. It's totally infectious stuff." ''Rock Choir Deluxe'', was released digitally and featured seven new tracks, some of which made up elements of the musical content on ITV1's documentary, ''The Choir That Rocks''. These include Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr Blue Sky" and a Teen Rock Choir version of Florence and the Machine's "You Got the Love". Rock Choir Deluxe'' also features a recording of

Labi Siffre Claudius Afolabi Siffre (born 25 June 1945) is a British singer, songwriter and poet. Siffre released six albums between 1970 and 1975, and four between 1988 and 1998. His best known compositions include " It Must Be Love" which reached number 1 ...

's " (Something Inside) So Strong", sung live at Wembley Arena by around 7,500 Rock Choir members, with Redman Lusher taking lead vocal. When

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...

and

were looking for tracks for the double-album compilation, ''Perfect Day'', the Rock Choir track "(Something Inside) So Strong", was selected.

Discography

* ''Rock Choir Vol. 1'' (2010) * ''Perfect Day'' (various artists) (2010) * ''Rock Choir Deluxe'' (2011)

Notable achievements

Rock Choir has achieved three

to date: 'the largest musical act to release an album (signed)' on 20 June 2010 followed by 'the biggest hit act in the UK' just a month later on 17 July 2010. On 23 June 2012, a total of 7,914 Rock Choir members successfully completed a synchronised nationwide performance of the

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...

and Melanie C duet 'Baby When You're Gone', winning them the record for 'the largest song and dance routine held at multiple locations'.

Notable performances

* First appearance at GuilFest, 15 July 2007 *

Disneyland Paris Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, Seine-et-Marne, Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disney ...

, 12–13 July 2008 * BBC Breakfast Show, 1 April 2009 *

The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, a ...

, 15 April 2009 * BBC's

The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...

, 16 July 2010 * Songs of Praise, 25 April 2010 * St David's Hall, Cardiff (The Soldiers Tour), 1 April 2010 *

The Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

(The Soldiers Tour), 4 April 2010 *

Symphony Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue in Birmingham, England. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 June 1991, although it had been in use since 15 April 1991. It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hos ...

(The Soldiers Tour), 7 April 2010 * vInspired National Awards, Indig02 O2 Arena (London), 17 March 2011 *

Get Connected UK Get Connected UK is a support service for under-25s in the United Kingdom. Young people can contact the helpline in confidence with any problem and a trained volunteer will find them the most appropriate help using a directory of over 10,000 ser ...

dinner and charity auction, the UnderGlobe, 7 March 2012 * Miles for Missing People, in support of

Missing People A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, d ...

, 17 March 2012 * Indig02 Rocks, O2 Arena (London), in support of Living Paintings charity, 24 March 2012 * Saracens F.C. v Harlequin F.C. match,

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...

, 31 March 2012 * Saracens F.C. v Leicester Tigers match,

, 15 September 2012 *

(The Winter Whites Gala), 8 December 2012 *

The Alan Titchmarsh Show ''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2007 until 14 November 2014 and aired on weekday afternoons. The show's main focus is the "Best of British" the ...

, 20 February 2013 * The

Echo Arena Liverpool Liverpool Arena, known for sponsorship reasons as the M&S Bank Arena, and previously Echo Arena, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the city centre of Liverpool, England. The venue hosts live music, comedy performances and sporting events, and ...

, 29 June 2013 * The O2 Arena (London), 6 July 2013 * The Winter Whites Gala,(Kensington Palace), 26 November 2013 * Saracens R.F.C vs Harlequins R.F.C 28 March 2015 * The

Genting Arena The Resorts World Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena located at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull, England. It has a capacity of 15,685 seats. The venue was built as the seventh hall of the NEC complex. After 18 months of const ...

(Birmingham), 6 & 7 June 2015 * Saracens R.F.C vs Harlequins R.F.C 16 April 2016 * Saracens R.F.C vs Harlequins R.F.C mid-2017

Rock Choir trademark

The Rock Choir name and website are trademarks of Rock Choir Ltd. All rights are reserved. The following is a complete and exhaustive list of the groups, companies (profit and not for profit) or general entities that are legally licensed by Rock Choir Ltd to use its trademarks: #

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

# Decca Records
10 Star Entertainment
# ITV Rock Choir is committed to using music fairly, in line with the Musicians' Union Code of Fair Practice, and has licensing agreements with the following publishers including their subsidiaries to use music under their control:

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

; ATV Music Publishing;

Universal Music Publishing Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram. Universal Music Publishing is the worl ...

; Music Sales; PRS for Music; MCPS; Carlin America;

Warner/Chappell Music Warner Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company and a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group. Warner Chappell Music's catalogue consists of over 1.4 million compositions and 65,000 composers, with offices in over 40 countries. ...

; Alfred Music Publishing; Bocu and Faber Music. Rock Choir is committed to using newsprint and online news content fairly and respecting newsprint copyright. Rock Choir and rockchoir.com are licensed by the NLA (Newspaper Licensing Authority) to reproduce news articles.Official Rock Choir website
accessed 8 January 2013

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control British choirs Musical groups established in 2005