It’s time to warm up your vocal cords and practice those falsettos, as one of the UK’s most inspirational musical figures, Gareth Malone, will be returning to Latitude after a decade to create a once-in-a-lifetime festival choir! The Latitude Choir will be created and rehearsed entirely on-site during the festival weekend with 100 of this year’s attendees, culminating in a breath-taking live performance opening our iconic Obelisk Arena on Sunday; an incredibly special and unrepeatable opportunity for participants and audiences.
Gareth Malone’s previous appearance at Latitude made an indelible mark on festival history. In just three days, he assembled and trained a choir made up entirely of Latitude audience members. The result was one of the most heartwarming and memorable moments Henham Park has ever seen, with participants ranging in age, background and musical experience. Among them was a then 14-year-old Amy Davies from Suffolk, who performed in front of thousands while her parents watched proudly from the crowd, and Carrie Fitton, a 57-year-old journalist from Bury St Edmunds, who described the choir as “a complete mixed bag of people from all over the country.”
Speaking to the crowd in 2015, Gareth captured the spirit of the moment: “While you’ve all been sunning yourself and enjoying Latitude, these people from the Latitude audience have been rehearsing and learning their parts. They’re here to entertain you for this 10th anniversary festival, and it’s really quite a special thing, the audience has taken over the stage. I feel incredibly blessed to work with such a great group of people.” This is a rare opportunity to share the stage with one of Britain’s most celebrated musical leaders and open Latitude in the coveted Sunday afternoon slot.
100 singers will be selected. All rehearsals take place live at the festival – there are no pre-festival sessions:
➡️ Thursday 24th July – Initial meeting with Gareth.
➡️ Friday 25th and Saturday 26th July – Full rehearsals in the morning and afternoon.
➡️ Sunday 27th July – Live opening performance on the Obelisk Arena stage.
