Scotland and the North

Meet the choirs from the Scotland and the North of England region.

From: Moray, North East Scotland

Ages: 35-64

Set up seven years ago by Kate, all-female choir Too Many Kooks pride themselves on singing songs with heart and passion. The choir has been a source of comfort and support for the ladies in tough times and they'd love to represent their small but vibrant Highlands community in the contest.

The kooky line-up includes pink-haired karate teacher Heather, primary school teacher Mairi, former Broadway performer Sara and former biker chick Jackie. They love to sing anything from pop, to gospel, Bluegrass to doo wop, and traditional Scottish folk.

From: All across Scotland

Ages: All ages

Established by Iranian-born Maryam in 2012, Got Soul started with just eight members but now boasts 400, from all walks of life, including single mums, a laughter therapist, and a brain surgeon. Maryam’s aim was to celebrate her love of soul music and provide fun and friendship for those who might be finding modern life in Scotland’s bigger cities a little lonely.

The choir’s ethos is all about letting go, being free, and not being afraid to sing a bum note, so long as you’re enjoying yourself. They love singing tracks by soul legends like Aretha Franklin and Angie Scott, as well as songs by modern stars such as CeeLo Green.

From: Malton, North Yorkshire

Ages: 63-89

This bluff bunch of Yorkshire retirees is ruled with a rod of iron by the choir’s only female member, Viv, a former school mistress, who proudly brands them “her men!” 63-year-old Graham has nicknamed himself 'the baby' of the group, while Roger turns 90 on his next birthday.

Viv once worked the group so hard that she passed out, but the lads joke that this didn’t stop her trying to conduct them from the floor! Their favourite songs include Broadway classics and Beatles numbers.

From: Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Ages: 20s – 70s

With an impressive repertoire, that ranges from Disney numbers to Bon Jovi, classic rock to pop songs, this feisty all-female choir was set up in 2014 by full-time mum Kate. Looking for a creative outlet after having her first child, Kate was inspired after watching one of Gareth’s performances.

Their performance uniform is often black and yellow to tie in with their bee-themed name, and the choir love to dress up whenever they can. Founder Kate describes the choir as “loud and lairy, with hecklers at the back.”

From: Durham

Ages: 25 - 44

This choir started life just over a year ago, when founding member Rachael put an ad on the local 'Mums in Durham' Facebook group, which is there as a forum for mums to chat and share stories or advice.

The members juggle busy family lives and work commitments to make time for the choir, but despite their love of singing and their dedication to the group, their audition for Gareth is the first time they performed for anyone in public.

The group describe themselves as normal women, who represent many who watch Gareth’s shows. They entered the contest to motivate other parents, saying “if only one mum watching at home was inspired by us that would be amazing!”

From: Manchester

Ages: 17 – 83

The Rhythm of Life choir was started by Macmillan nurse Ros just over a year ago, for women being treated for breast cancer at The Christie, a leading cancer care centre in South Manchester. It’s since grown to become a group that welcomes patients dealing with all types of cancer, as well as their relatives and Christie staff members.

Members say that, performing has become a sort of therapy, a way to forget what’s going on and a means of coming together to feel uplifted; some of them think singing in the choir also brings added health benefits.

Musical director Carol will usually bring along an instrument to inspire the group, whether it’s an accordion or some African bongos.