Following up from Gareth Malone’s Passion, aired last year, the nation’s favourite choirmaster is tackling composer Handel’s Messiah for another once-in-a-lifetime performance to be aired over Easter.
For his new TV project, Gareth Malone teamed up with eight novice singers. But getting them ready for their big day wasn’t easy. “One person collapsed during Thou Shalt Break Them” Gareth says. “It was at the point where the music was the most intense. Doctors even turned up.”
But Gareth notes another, even bigger challenge. “There was also quite a lot of people doubting themselves.,” he says, “That was kind of the major thing, they were doubting their capacity to do it.”
Airing on Good Friday and Easter Sunday on BBC One and BBC Wales, Gareth Malone’s Messiah follows the 49-year-old as he prepares his recruits for a performance at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral, raising funds for BBC Children In Need.
For Gareth, Messiah was a no-brainer – it was one of the first concerts he attended as a child with his parents. His Welsh grandmother also sang Handel’s Messiah in a choir.
But when it comes to his singers, the choirmaster is more meticulous. “You know quickly whether someone’s going to have a musical memory for learning vast swathes of music,” he says, “It’s more of a mind thing than a vocal thing.”
Even for him, the process of filming for the show was exhausting. “One day in Halifax, we started at 8 am and finished rehearsal at quarter to ten at night,” he says. “You’re wired from working all day, I couldn’t sleep until 2 am. The next morning, I hit the wall.”
Last year’s performance provided the crew with a better understanding, allowing them to approach the experience a second time with a fresh perspective. “Bringing the choir together with the orchestra can be challenging,” Gareth says.
“This time, there was more understanding from the orchestra, because they’d seen last year’s performance. But when they did it, they didn’t know these people’s stories,” he adds, “They all watched last year’s and found it moving, so I felt that they understood the whole thing. It’s also my job to act as a bridge between the amateur singers and the professionals.”
Long commutes from Cardiff, where most of the show was filmed, to his North London home offered some respite from the intense rehearsals. “During the three-hour journey, I’d reflect on the day, read, or listen to music. I was obsessed with Dune, it’s an awesome film.”
However, his long filming days sometimes prevented him from keeping up with the movie. “Dune’s soundtrack is great,” he says, “But I can’t sit and watch it through – I’m too tired to concentrate!”
Balancing work and wellbeing is crucial for Gareth. “Running a choir rehearsal is physically demanding, you’re using your muscles. So when you come out of it, you’re ready for a seat” he says. But he still finds the time to stay active. “I’ve just taken up hot yoga. I’ve done about 20 sessions of hot yoga in the last few weeks, and I love it.”
At home, music is constant. Gareth lives with his wife Becky and their three children – Esther, 15, Gilbert, 12, and Dvora, 6 – all music lovers. “There’s no special music time in my house, there’s just music permeating the walls,” he says, “They’ve even introduced me to Chappell Roan!”
Some critics frown at his accessible approach to classical music but Gareth shrugs it off. “Some people do this at an elite level and that’s amazing – those are the people I want to see. I’m better at popularising and advocating for music,” he says. And to those who think they could do it better? “Go on. There’s plenty of space for people. If it’s better – fantastic!”
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