The King’s (terrified) singers! Hundreds of amateurs have been chosen to perform live at the Coronation Concert, and nerves are jangling…
- A 300-strong band of amateur singers from across the UK will perform at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle
- Read more: BBC launches ‘X factor’-style hunt to find singers for the King’s Coronation Choir
Jake Bacon is clearly a man of courage. As a member of the volunteer lifeboat crew based at Portishead, Somerset, he regularly faces gale-force winds and stormy seas when he sets out to save lives in the Bristol Channel.
That courage will be tested in a different way on 7 May when Jake takes his place in the Coronation Choir, a 300-strong band of amateur singers from across the UK brought together to perform in front of the newly crowned King Charles III at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.
And of course it won’t be just the King in the audience. There’ll be 20,000 revellers at the concert, which will also feature appearances from Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Sir Bryn Terfel and Take That, as well as millions more watching and listening live on BBC1 and Radio 2.
‘In some ways it’s a terrifying prospect, and as my day job is a university lecturer I’ll be totally out of my comfort zone,’ admits Jake. ‘But it’s also exciting and an honour. The six members of the Portishead crew who perform sea shanties as The 85ers are tight-knit and we’ll support each other – whatever the challenge!’
The build-up to the big night is captured in BBC1 documentary Sing For The King: The Search For The Coronation Choir, shown two days before the concert.
The Coronation Choir, a 300-strong band of amateur singers from across the UK brought together to perform in front of the newly crowned King Charles III in Windsor. Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse, pictured, together with Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden and TV choirmaster Gareth Malone, will offer advice to the choir members as they sing together for the first time
Gareth Malone, star of BAFTA-winning TV series The Choir, has been pulling no punches when it comes to helping the singers
Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, TV choirmaster Gareth Malone and Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse will offer advice to the choir members as they sing together for the first time.
‘It’s the most wonderful opportunity for hundreds of very dedicated singers,’ says Amanda.
Also involved is Rose Ayling-Ellis, the deaf former EastEnder and 2021 Strictly winner, who’s been concentrating her efforts on UNIFY, an all-deaf group of singers set up just a year ago.
‘I’m here to give them the confidence to perform on stage. It’s nerve-racking to perform to the world so I can give them advice on that because I’ve done loads of nerve-racking stuff now!’
Over 700 amateur singing groups applied to be a part of the Coronation Concert. Those chosen include Northern Ireland farmers, Hull NHS workers, London firefighters and cabbies, a Welsh male voice choir, Yorkshire’s only female South Asian choir and Gaelic singers from Scotland’s Western Isles.
Gareth Malone, star of BAFTA-winning TV series The Choir, has been pulling no punches when it comes to helping the singers.
‘I mean business,’ he laughs. ‘I know they’ll be nervous, but it’s important to make people aware of the challenges while also setting them realistic goals. I know we can pull it off.’
The Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle and will feature appearances from Sir Bryn Terfel and Take That
Katy Perry and Lionel Ritchie, who are both judges on American Idol, will also be performing at Windsor Castle on 7 May
Among those working hard are the Just Sing choir from Northern Ireland. ‘It started with a sing-song in my home,’ says choir manager Tori Hannath. ‘This was in 2021 and we were homeschooling our four children and my husband was working from home during Covid.
‘Things were stressful but when we put on some songs and all the family sang along to them, everyone seemed happier.’
Tori suggested to her friend Heather Burns that they start a choir and Just Sing, comprising 70 women from Portadown, was born. Twenty of them will be at Windsor.
‘Gareth’s overriding message has been, “Practise, practise, practise“,’ says Tori. ‘It helps that the song we’ll sing is brilliant and once we’ve got it into our heads we’ll be able to sing for anybody. Including the King!’
Sing For The King: The Search For The Coronation Choir, Friday, 8pm, BBC1.
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