The Semi-Final The Choir

-Are you going to be the best choir? ALL:

-Yes!

Come on then.

'Choir master Gareth Malone has got five of Britain's biggest workplaces singing.'

This is Gareth Malone here and I'm here to start a choir.

-'Birmingham City Council.'

-The only way is up

Whoa!

P&O Cross Channel Ferries.

She's there

'Citi the bank.'

ALL CHEER

This proves that bankers can rock.

'Sainsbury's.'

-La-la

-That's the highest note of the day.

SHE SCREAMS

'And Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.'

Come on up for the rising

'Last time all five choirs competed against each other singing classical music.'

Cinderella, Cinderella!

They were all fabulous, but we were better.

I don't know if it's enough.

'After a close sing-off, one choir, for the first time, left the contest.'

The choir leaving us is...Sainsbury's.

Music does bring people together.

Just because we're out of the competition, we're definitely not going to stop as a choir.

Power to the Lord!

'This time, the four remaining choirs will immerse themselves in gospel.'

And let my little light shine!

I want my choirs to have a sense of the excitement that gospel has.

-Take the shackles off my feet

-Take the shackles off my feet

'They're competing to become this year's best workplace choir.'

-I hope it was enough.

-We've done our best.

This contest is not just about music, it's about who's got the spirit.

Who can do it on the day in front of the judges

and in front of the audience,

and one choir really did that tonight.

I'm excited about gospel music

cos I think it's a challenge for everyone.

It's a challenge for me and for the choirs.

My background is not in gospel music at all but to me it's just music.

You know, whether I'm doing Bach or Mendelssohn or gospel music,

I don't think it matters,

as long as you believe in what you're doing and you give it everything.

There's no doing gospel music by halves.

I'm going to go and see the London Community Gospel Choir

who are one of the greatest gospel choirs in this country,

and they're conducted by a man called the Reverend Basil Mead,

and if anyone can tell me how to do it, it'll be him.

-Swing low

-Swing low sweet chariot

You can really hear the power. There's such conviction in their faces.

This is where the doors are vibrating.

'After the technical challenge of classical music,

Gareth's now looking for soul and conviction in the four remaining choirs.

Gospel music offers the perfect test.'

Home...

Oh, you've raised my spirits anyway.

-Hi, Gareth, come and join us.

-Hello, Basil.

-You gonna lift me?

-Yeah, yeah, come on.

Hello!

-Please come and join us. Join the tenor section.

-Gareth. Hello.

So I notice, Basil, you're pointing at people.

Are you choosing people to extemporise at random?

Yes. It's amazing skill.

Some ad-libbers in gospel they're using one word or one line

and they take the song to another level and so...

Do you not live in fear the whole time?

ALL LAUGH

But what advantage does that have because, you know,

in classical music that absolutely never happens. You plan it to the nth degree.

It's about performance. I think it's even more exciting

when you can just pull someone out at random,

cos they'll bring something different, and when we step out on the stage

we want the audience to hear, to see, to feel that unity,

-that power of unity coming at them from the stage.

-And that conviction.

-Yeah, that connection. Absolutely.

-Let's do some more singing.

ALL LAUGH

OK.

-Swing low

-Swing low sweet chariot

-Coming for to...

-Coming for to carry me home

-Swing low

-Swing low sweet chariot

-Coming for to carry me...

-Coming for to carry me home

Last two.

-If you would get there before I do

-Coming for to carry me home

Tell all my friends I'll be coming there too

Coming for to carry me home

-Swing low

-Swing low sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

-Swing low

-Swing low sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

Coming for to carry me...

Yeah

Home and...

Home

All right, Gareth.

Yeah, I like that. It's exciting when you point.

You gave me a little warning there. I was like, Oh gosh!

That was so much fun.

There's such energy in there, and there's such electricity in the air when they're singing,

and real power as well, and I want my choirs to have a sense of the excitement that gospel has

and my heart is literally racing. It's brilliant.

Swing low, sweet chariot

'Gareth's on his way to each company to set their next challenge.'

This is a workplace choir contest

and it's about finding a choir that has the spirit

to show who their company are through singing

and that is entirely what gospel music is about.

'His first port of call is Dover,

and Britain's largest ferry company.

This is the first time I've seen P&O Ferries choir since the quarter finals and they did really well.

I would expect them to be riding high at the moment.

You're going to be singing gospel.

ALL CHEER

Praise the Lord, it's gospel.

Don't kid yourselves, it's tough.

It's a really tough kind of music because it's about energy, it's about rhythm.

It's about getting those harmonies absolutely blended

and singing with conviction and soul.

What does gospel mean to you? Laura.

When I think of gospel music I think about the heritage.

I think about where it's come from, which is rooted in black music and slavery.

It makes it really powerful and beautiful.

The song that you're going to be performing is famous in a version by Nina Simone

-and it's called Sinnerman.

-Yes!

-Grant, do you know it?

-I do know it, yeah.

-Could you sing it for us?

-No.

-No, OK. You haven't got the spirit of gospel down that end?

-No.

No, fine.

Well, look, we're gonna learn it, so quite upbeat, this.

Oh sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

All along that day

Certainly higher than I was expecting to be this morning.

Oh sinnerman

From the beginning, two, three and...

Oh sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Listen to piano.

-Sinnerman, where you gonna...

-No.

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

OK, with altos, no tenors.

Basses and sopranos. One, two, three, four.

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

All of that day

Basses, that final phrase. Two, three and one.

-All of that day

-Good, good.

I love this song. This is great.

Really fun. It's just got... Sinnerman... It's got real pulse.

It's got loads of energy. It's fun. They love it.

You know, they don't have gospel but they do have soul.

Gospel music, I think it's just another job that we've got to get sorted, and that's it.

'Gareth's next stop is Europe's biggest council, Birmingham,

an organisation grappling with budget cuts and job losses.

The choir narrowly avoided being sent home in the last round.'

I think Birmingham are lagging behind the other choirs

and they've got a lot of ground to make up and they've got a lot of confidence to find

and they've got to get that sound back. They've lost their mojo.

-Hello, everyone! ALL:

-Hello!

How did you think it went at the Royal Academy of Music?

-We didn't give our best performance.

-What do you think, Mandy?

-I struggled, yeah.

-Do you think it was close? Do you think you were nearly out?

I think the right choir went out but we weren't very far behind them.

-Would you like to hear what I thought about it?

-Yes.

I felt like fear overran you and fear is cancerous.

I mean, it really spreads through a choir.

Don't let that happen again.

I'm not sure whether it's because we're public service

but we have a tendency to withhold ourselves. To hold back a little bit.

-That's right.

-I think we need to reassure ourselves.

-It's a confidence issue.

-That we're good at what we do.

I think, with the right work, you can turn this round.

We can, yeah.

Your challenge now is to move and sound like a gospel choir

so I've chosen a song for you that I think is very, very interesting.

It's a work song, a slave song,

a spiritual, and it's called Down To The River To Pray.

It's just a simple song sung by people who are in the midst of real tribulation

but are being made to work, so I think it's absolutely perfect for you.

As I went down to the river to pray

Studying about that good old way

Why don't you stand up? And go!

As I went down to the river to pray

Studying about that good old way

And who shall wear the starry crown?

Good Lord, show me the way

Good. It's going to sound nice.

I think gospel's a really good choice for this choir.

I think this could be their week. This could be their chance to shine.

Bringing gospel in at this time could save us, definitely.

Spirits were low and stuff like that, morale was low.

If this song don't get us up and going and get us together then nothing will.

My impression, from what everyone was saying about a gospel song,

is a song that comes from the heart and soul.

There's lots of emotion and it's a real song

that workers will sing and get united

and it brings a real team spirit

and even saying that now makes me think, oh, and it will. We're gonna show that on stage, aren't we?

We're gonna move with it.

HE HUMS

-RADIO:

-'Cameron and Ed Miliband diverge on this issue.

We'll hear what they say live on the programme.

Just to let you know that members of the fire brigades union have voted in favour of industrial action.

The move could trigger the first national firefighters' strike in over a decade.'

'To the north west is Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Recent events now threaten their chances in the contest.'

The firefighters have voted to strike.

And my worst case scenario is that there's a strike on the day of the performance.

This is a really critical time so I don't want the strike to get in the way.

There they are. Hello! Fire service.

Does anyone mind telling me what's going on?

It's pension related.

There was a fundamental change which may mean that people will have to work up to ten years more.

-Which is serious if you're a firefighter.

-Which is serious, yeah.

It's only the fire brigade's union members, which is probably about 50 per cent of the choir I guess.

And even mentioning the S word now kind of brings me down.

They say does it have an effect? Yeah, it absolutely does. It's a nightmare scenario.

The other union, which covers the officers, they're not striking,

so they've been trained up on front line and appliances.

So are you having to dust off the old fire boots?

I mean, myself and Stuart were at our hot fire training facility yesterday,

inside a metal box that was on fire,

getting used to how hot a fire feels.

I did tell them I could remember anyway

and we've been getting refresher training to upscale,

to bring us up to date with the latest techniques,

but the fundamental principle of putting the cold blue stuff on the hot red stuff still applies.

Can I lift your spirits by talking about what we're going to do next?

In two weeks' time, in fact two weeks today,

you will be performing in the semi final

in front of a large audience of people who know about gospel.

The song that you're going to sing, it's called This Little Light Of Mine.

Oh, brilliant!

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Two, three, go.

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

-Every day

-Every day

-Every day

-I'm gonna let my little light shine

So now we've just got to get it feeling like gospel and we're away.

I that's gonna be a challenge for some of us.

Some of us are quite stiff at the moment. We need to get into the groove a bit more.

Their openness, talking about the strike, translates into their singing.

They've got nothing to hide, these guys.

They're like an open book and that is so important for gospel music, to have that spirit of sharing.

'Gareth's final stop is London's Docklands,

home to one of the world's richest investment banks,

with an annual revenue in excess of 77 billion.'

I'm not sure how Citi are going to do with gospel.

I think they've got some people who will understand gospel music,

but they've also got some people who are quite straight-laced

and who are used to reading music and doing everything by the book.

They're a bit swotty.

So, have you recovered from your experience at the Royal Academy of Music?

Immediately post performance we just knew it wasn't anything like as good as we could do.

The perfectionist in you.

We came out off stage and we sort of collectively thought we'd probably done an eight out of ten.

-The pressure of going on to stage is going to make you dip a little bit but I think...

-Or is it?

-And I'll tell you who didn't dip, and that's the fire service.

-Yeah.

Because what they do every day of their lives is step up,

and I think that's your challenge as a choir.

So onwards, upwards, the next challenge awaits you.

Are any of you religious? Do you mind telling?

Pretty much most of the choir.

That's very interesting.

Well, that could be an asset because you're going to be singing gospel music.

ALL CHEER

Key feature of many gospel choirs is that it's not often done with sheet music

so you're going to do everything by ear.

You are not allowed to see the sheet music. There is sheet music.

I've got it here. Here it is!

Oh that's it, that's as much as you're seeing of that, thank you very much.

You're going to be singing a song that was a big hit in the charts a couple of years ago.

It's called Shackles.

GIRLS CHEER

You know it? It's an absolute banger. It's brilliant.

-I listen to that like every morning.

-Really? To get you going for work?

Yeah, it wakens you up.

I just wanna praise you I just wanna praise you

Oh, fantastic!

So here we go. Let's do a sing back. Three, four.

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just wanna praise you

Some of you weren't rhythmically excited enough about "I just wanna praise you!"

One, two, three, four.

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I, as it happens, am quite religious.

I come from a more traditional church background,

so I absolutely buy the religious fervour of gospel.

I love the way they express themselves

and feel really deeply about the music and the words

and what that means and they seem to sing with their whole bodies.

'As head of private banking, David only deals with clients worth at least 25 million.'

We work in a pretty stressful environment in financial services, in banking.

It's been a pretty stressful place to work for the last few years

as we've tried to confront some of the challenges that we've seen,

and therefore to have just a few moments,

or a day or two of singing gospel,

to really feel that sense of spirituality,

that gospel singing brings, I think we'll have a good time.

Praise you through my circumstance

Perfect. Have a seat. Well done.

It's very groovy. It makes you want to dance

and just, you know, like let loose

and to be honest I think we need that in this choir.

'As usual the choirs will be judged on their technical ability.'

-Praise the Lord

-On your feet, on your feet!

'But this time it includes close harmonies, rhythm and conviction.'

Hey, come on now!

Yeah, yeah

'Gareth has enlisted four of the country's best gospel choir masters to help them achieve this.

And to rehearse with them between his visits.'

Two, three, four and stop.

'Gareth is back in Dover.'

-Morning, all.

-'This time on the hunt for soloists.'

-I think it's time for your next challenge. You ready?

-Yes.

'Because it's gospel, he's looking for singers confident enough to improvise with emotion and belief.'

One of the key features of gospel performances is extemporisation.

It's a fancy word for improvising

and I think that the hallmark of a really good gospel performance

is a feeling that anything could happen

and that some of it is happening spontaneously right in front of your eyes

so I would like us to have a go at improvising gospel style.

We're gonna improvise

You're going to tell me what your job is

-My name is Jeff the chef

-Jeff the chef

-Better than all the rest

-Better than all the rest

-I like to sing a song

-He likes to sing a song

-Though this feels kinda wrong

-Kinda wrong

My name is Angus

ALL LAUGH

Captain on the Kent

And who are you?

My name is Sophie

I work in finance

ALL LAUGH

My name is Stacey, yeah

I work in marketing

My name is Grant, man

I steer the ship, yeah

I do it reasonably well

Deborah?

I can't do it!

This might bring on the baby

My name is Joha

I'm a call centre agent

And I take in bookings

I pick up the phone and say

You're through to P&O

ALL CHEER

Well done, everyone.

Something happened there. The energy went through the roof.

So I would like to choose four extemporisers

and two will be called on the day,

and the reason for this is that to keep it really fresh

I don't want anyone to know who¹s going to be doing the extemporisation

until really the very last minute cos that is the way it works in gospel.

So I would like from the sopranos, I would like Julie.

The person in the altos, I don't think it'll come as any surprise to you, Stacey.

Thanks, Gareth!

In the tenors, I would like Joha!

And the person I'd like from the basses to do it is Jeff.

Extemporising is an integral part of gospel music

and it makes it feel fresh and slightly dangerous,

in a way that sometimes classical music doesn't.

Shall we have a little go at improvising, extemporising?

-Yes.

-Oh sinnerman

-Where you gonna run to?

-Where you gonna run to?

-Sinnerman.

-Where you gonna run to?

-Where you gonna run to?

-Sinnerman...

Where you gonna run to?

-All on that day

-That day

I like that. It's good, you look like...

I was trying to find the note but yeah.

Oh sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Oh yeah!

Oh sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

-I can't look at his face!

-Oh sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

All on that day

-Well, we can't spell it or say it yet.

-We're calling it accessorising.

I called it exemplorise by mistake.

Or exterminating, cos if I get my high notes really badly out of tune

it could be like I'm going to exterminate the audience.

It is a bit like accessorising cos we're adding something.

-We can't even pronounce it but that's we're doing.

-Let alone sing it!

-Ad-libbing, have you heard of, you must have heard of ad-libbing?

-Yeah, I do that a lot.

'Gareth is now heading to each choir to select their extemporisers.

Next to be put on the spot are the bankers.'

Said I woke up this morning

I said my prayer

I said Lord Jesus help me today

This morning I work up myself

Checked my blackberry

And there were loads of emails from Hong Kong

I woke up this morning, I felt so tired

I just couldn't lift my head of that pillow

And as I started to read it my spirit was lifted

And then I came to work

MAN SINGS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Gospel, that's what it's about.

It's a feeling and you know, just appreciating it through music.

Yeah, I think I have some homework to do.

'At Birmingham Council, Gareth has started work with his chosen extemporisers.

-Go!

-Oh sister

Let her down

Oh sister

Down to the river and pray

Let's go down

Let's go down, let's go down

Let's go down, let's go down

Down to the river to pray

When you're there, in front of Gareth,

and you feel like everything you do counts

and that he might think, what was that, it's frightening and that's what it is.

I'd say this is the choir with the most fear, and the most to lose by being fearful.

'Up in Cheshire, music is playing second fiddle to politics.

The potential strike is making the fire service's involvement look ever more doubtful.'

In this room is a crisis management meeting,

which is to discuss the strikes and their strategy for dealing with it.

A lot of serious faces in there.

There's tension in the air, but the fact that this is seven days before the semi final

and the first day of the strikes could be the semi final itself.

Hi, Gus.

-Hiya, how are you?

-I'm all right, how are you?

-Do you want to come in?

-Can I?

-Absolutely, yeah.

-Hello, chief.

-You've met the chief?

-Yeah.

-Nice to see you again.

So what do you in these circumstances?

We are hopeful the government and the fire brigades union

will sit down around the table and come to an agreement.

Just one practical issue,

is there a possibility that, Gus, you might have to cover

somebody who's on strike on the day of the performance?

If there's a requirement for me to be in Cheshire

during the date of the semi final or indeed the final, that will take precedent.

Of course.

I can't speak for the other members of the choir, in what they will or won't be doing,

but I think it's a significant risk to the choir.

Come the day I could find myself without singers.

I'd be gutted for Cheshire Fire Service

if this strike got in the way of them doing well in the contest

because in the long run I think that that will be a regret for all of them.

I'm gonna let it shine

With negotiations ongoing, Gareth has no choice but to push on and audition for extemporisers.

This little light of mine

-Now!

-Shine!

Let the little light shine

-It's hard, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

It's really hard. Anyone else?

-I'll have a go.

-Jenna, OK.

Here we go. One, two, three and...

-Every day, every day, every day

-Oh!

Hey

Hey yeah yeah

I think Jenna's made quite a convincing case.

'Outreach worker Jenna is no stranger to performing.

She fronts a local rock band but gospel improvising means finding the courage to go off script.'

I want you to get psychologically ready for this

because I think this could be your moment.

-I just get really anxious, that's all.

-But what's the worst that could happen?

-Go wrong and everyone looks at me.

-Yeah, but like would you actually die?

-Yeah, probably.

-I don't think you would.

This little light of mine

-Gonna let it shine

-I'm gonna let it shine

-Gonna let it shine

-Every day

-Every day

-Oh, yeah

-Every day

-I'm gonna let it shine

Every day, gonna let my little light shine

Oo-ooh! I can't do anything. I don't know what to do with that.

Everything you've done has been good but you haven't believed in it.

The whole thing is about belief.

This whole thing, gospel, it's about belief,

so we've got to find that belief in you because I believe in you, I really do.

Thanks.

-Go away. Go on, tiger, off you go.

-Tiger!

I feel a bit apprehensive about it to be honest.

I don't want to be the one that's like trying to...

I don't want them to think I'm showing off because I'm in a band, so...

Hello, Wembley.

Hello.

'It's less than a week until the semi final.'

Oh sinnerman... Now if you go "Oh sinner" you're really in trouble.

'Gareth is introducing the choirs to one final gospel technique.'

Singing with microphones.'

I just wanna praise you

OK, I'm gonna stop you there. One more time.

I'm just noticing this, so the mike's there, and your mouth went like...

Let's just drop the moves for a second

and focus on getting the mikes right.

OK, I think I've said this now a couple of times.

Get into the mikes, and again. Two, three and...

Into the mikes!

Yes!

'With the fire service, it's not just the mikes causing alarm.'

FIRE ALARM

Nice and calmly and sensibly, everyone.

Now, microphones.

They're exposing.

They reveal all the idiosyncrasies of your voice.

You can feel very naked indeed, chorally naked,

in front of a microphone.

Let's try it again. In a bit. Show me your mike positions.

'In Birmingham the microphone session is amplifying the choir's problems.'

-As I went...

-I'm slightly unexcited by that start.

Three and...

As I went...

No, I'm hearing, I...I...I...

-As I went...

-No, flat. Here's the note.

Energy.

As I went down

OK and...

As I went...

So sluggish. I know it's a slow piece but it's, As I...

Three, and...

As I went down to the river to pray

Studying about that good old way

And who shall wear the robe and crown?

Good Lord show me the way

I'd love it if people were watching me.

-Tough day today.

-Yeah, I'm finished.

Heavy session. We've worked hard today.

He's made us work, and yeah, I said earlier does he want blood?

-Yeah he blooming well did and I think he got it to be fair.

-Yeah.

But we needed it, a bit of a kick up the backside, because I'm telling you, we'll be out that door.

Bye, ladies.

It was difficult. Today was difficult because I wanted them to do well

and I wanted them to get it but at the same time I don't want them to deliver it today.

I want them to deliver it in front of the judges,

so part of them was holding back but I just don't know if they're gonna do it. I've got no idea.

'With just a few days to go till they face the judges,

Birmingham's struggles are forcing Gareth to try a different approach.'

This choir in Birmingham have kind of lost their heart.

They're caring people. They take care of this whole city,

and I've lost the sense of that in their singing and they're singing such a beautiful gospel song.

They need to reconnect with who they are, and put that into their singing.

They did it in their first performance and they have to do it again

if they're going to stay in the contest.

We're going to go round the circle and I want you to tell me, everyone,

what it is you do, and why you do it. Welcome to choir therapy.

Hi, everybody. I'm Mandy, I work for public services because I care.

Roger?

My name's Roger and I work for the ranger patrol service.

That is just such a cool, that's the best job. Do you have a cape?

No, we've got guns. No, no.

My name's Siobhan and I'm a children's social worker.

I work with the most vulnerable, neglected children in Birmingham,

but I do love my job, you know. I'm crying, but I do love my job.

I work with some absolutely wonderful children.

I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to do that.

If I say one good thing, it's just that we've all got that emotion inside us,

and that's what we need to put in the song. That's what I was going to say.

I think this exercise that we've done, where we've all spoken,

I think it's helped and that's going to build on the foundations of the friendships that we've already got,

and I think if we can put that into our performance, that teamwork, that understanding,

I think we'll be a knockout.

We've climbed a bit of a hurdle as a choir today, and as a city,

you know, appreciating and respecting each other.

If that doesn't get them unlocked and performing as one

then I don't know what else you can do.

Then it will be time for them to go

but there's a chance that they're going to pull something out of the bag here now.

'In London's Canary Wharf, it's togetherness of another kind that's the problem.'

Their gospel conductor, Karen, is worried about their movements. As am I.

Movement has to be defined and rhythmic and energised,

and some of them really struggle with that.

Oh Jesus, what's happening here?

Yeah, well, the dancing is a challenge for some of us. Particularly me.

I seem to have two left feet and although I can sort of rock and roll

and do a bit of this and that,

when it comes to sort of clicking, dancing, clapping, it's really tough,

but what I think I'm learning is you've got to be completely free.

Just let go, do your own thing. Don't be embarrassed.

One of our biggest weaknesses as a team

is some of the dad dancers that we have in the group need to learn how to actually dance.

All right, David, free.

ALL WHOOP AND CHEER

Doing that today just liberated us.

It got some of those dad dancing moves out of the system.

Truly out of the system,

hopefully banished off the 15th floor and down into the Canada Square below.

We've been so straight-laced

about trying to get the music right and not relaxing,

and I think doing that today definitely was awesome,

because people really were just letting loose.

That was funny. I don't think I'm ever going to forget that.

Morning.

'Divided by land and sea, P&O's main challenge is to get the choir in one place.'

To the helipad.

'For their last rehearsal Gareth's chosen a venue of no escape.'

I'm the king of the world!

Gospel is sung with your whole body,

so when you do an Oh it's OOOOOh!

You know, if it's a rock, it's rooo-ooock! You become the rock.

Show me what it's like.

Shall we have a little go at the song and look at what you've got for moves.

I said rock, rock, what's the matter with you?

Rock.

Don't you see I need you, rock

No, no, no

Yeah!

On that day, I cried power

-Power to the Lord

-Yeah!

To the Lord!

ALL LAUGH

It's the biggest challenge. It ain't getting up that mountain, it's dancing.

I tell you what, can we do one last time and can we just freestyle all over the place.

Yeah, you've got the whole helipad, let's go for it.

Ready? One, two, one, two, three and...

-Oh sinnerman...

-Off you go.

Where you gonna run to?

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

All on that day

I cried power, power to the Lord

-Power, power to the Lord

-Oh yeah!

Power, power to the Lord

To the Lord

That was really fun. That was great.

They're embracing it

and I think they've got a little bit too much into the idea that they've got to choreograph it.

They don't, they just need to be free.

They need to be expressive, and just taking the lid off the bottle there

and letting them just do their own thing,

I think it's really starting to work.

My worry is they've had so much fun up there and they really started to embrace it,

the danger is that they've peaked too soon.

'It's the day of the semi final.

Gareth and his choirs are heading to El-shaddai church in north London,

one of the country's biggest gospel venues.'

I'm really excited.

I think every single choir will be really energised about this,

and to be here in a place that really is synonymous with gospel.

There's a sense of it being in the air here. I'm like this.

'This grand old Edwardian theatre

was once the BBC Hippodrome

and played host to stars such as Laurence Olivier, Queen and Monty Python.'

-This is stunning.

-Absolutely beautiful.

It's absolutely incredible. I'm so excited.

-It's Wembley Stadium, isn't it?

-Hello, everybody!

'With still no date set for strike action, Cheshire Fire Service completes the line-up.'

Oh, a little cuddle for the firemen.

This is cool!

CHEERING

Welcome to El-shaddai. This is the gospel venue.

I will choose the extemporisers.

I still haven't made my mind up. I will let you know on stage.

ALL GASP

I actually think this is better in terms of pressure

cos it might not be you, or it might be you.

You just won't know until I point at you.

'In just two hours the choirs will have to impress

a passionate, knowledgeable gospel audience,

as well as the three judges.

The nation's favourite living composer, Paul Mealor,

international soprano, Sarah Fox,

and award-winning gospel conductor, Ken Burton.'

Gospel is all about connecting.

The word gospel means good news

and we say in gospel that music is simply the vehicle

in which to carry that good news,

so there's got to be heart to heart connection.

If I stand up and dance that's a good sign

but I won't just be doing it to please everybody.

I'll do it because I feel like I want to.

The choir's got to be feeling really tense

cos they are one step away from the final.

Everybody wants to be in the final. No one wants to go home at this point.

They've got to keep control of their nerves, get into the song and sell us the moment of the song.

Get into it. Sell us the emotion. Sell us the passion.

That's what we want. That's what'll get them to the final.

'Friends, family and colleagues are joining the El-shaddai congregation.

Basil Mead and the London Community Gospel Choir get the celebrations started.'

Put your hands up! Come on!

On your feet, everybody. On your feet.

-Oh happy day

-Oh happy day

-Oh happy day

-Oh happy day

-When Jesus washed

-When Jesus washed

-When Jesus washed

-When Jesus washed

-When Jesus washed

-When Jesus washed

He washed my sins away

-Oh happy day

-Oh happy day

Oh happy day

We're about to perform and I've never done anything like this.

I've never been at a gospel event like this. It's quite extraordinary.

The energy here, and I've just got this sort of feeling that everything's going to be all right.

Oh happy day, I said I tell you about my happy day

Oh happy day

The London Community Gospel Choir are in the building.

Everyone can sense that it's show time and there's a crowd here that really want a fantastic show.

-Whoa, whoa, it was a happy day

-Oh happy day

I cannot call which choirs are really going to pull it off in front of that audience.

Oh happy day

Say yeah

Bless you. Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, the fabulous, inimitable London Community Gospel Choir. Thank you so much.

CHEERING

Wonderful stuff. Thank you. Thank you to Basil.

On behalf of all the choirs I would like to thank El-shaddai church

for welcoming us here for this very special night,

and this is semi final of Sing While You Work.

CHEERING

-Would you like to meet the first choir?

-Yes!

Let's get in, let's get in a circle. Come on. Let's get in.

Just think about the work we've all put in.

Think about the respect that we've gained for each other,

as a team, as a service,

and how proud we are to be part of all that.

I know we'll do each other proud tonight.

Let's have some fun.

ALL CHEER

We might well go home tonight but it won't be for the lack of effort

and for the lack of teamwork and team spirit.

Bring it on, bring it on, bring it on.

The number one fire and rescue service in the country, Cheshire Fire Service!

CHEERING

They're going to be singing a song written in the 1920s,

probably one of the best known gospel hits.

It's This Little Light Of Mine.

CHEERING

Two extemporisers tonight and they are going to be...

Jenna and Matt!

CHEERING

SONG: "This Little Light Of Mine"

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

Every day, every day, every day

Every day, every day, every day

Every day, every day, every day

Every day, every day, gonna let my little light shine

Monday, gave me the gift of love

Tuesday, peace came from above

Wednesday, told me to have more faith

Thursday, gave me a little more grace

Friday, told me to watch and pray

Saturday, told me what to say

Sunday, gave me the power divine

This little light of mine

-This little light of mine

-Oh yeah

-I'm gonna let it shine

-Oh yeah

Oh yeah

-This little light of mine

-Let it shine

Every day, every day, every day Every day, every day, every day

-Every day, every day, every day

-Every day

Gonna let my little light shine

Ooh-ooh!

-Shine

-Tonight

CHEERING

-It was on time.

-On time, on the ball.

-Yes.

-You believed everything they said.

-That's right, that's right.

And every word.

-It looked like they meant it.

-Yeah, yeah.

-That was mental.

-That were brilliant!

That was absolutely awesome, man. We were so fast.

-I know.

-What a buzz. What an absolute buzz doing that.

I mean, if you could bottle this and sell it, you'd make a fortune.

This has got to be one of the best feelings ever.

When we were practising you don't feel it,

but then when you're at the front you're just like, oh yeah.

It is very exciting. It's a little bit nervous

but I don't know, I have a very good feeling about this.

We're at the semi finals. Everyone's upped their game.

We cannot afford to make one mistake.

Our second choir tonight, here they are, Citi, the bank.

CHEERING

They are going to perform for you tonight

a classic from the year 2000 by Mary Mary, Shackles (Praise You).

CHEERING

I would like the two extemporisers to be...

Chika and Yana.

CHEERING

SONG: "Shackles (Praise You)"

Hallelujah

Yeah

Hallelujah

Yeah

Praise the Lord

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just wanna praise you

I just wanna praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you

I'm praise you

Been the fire and the rain

Bound in every kind of way

But God has broken every chain so let me go right now

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

Shackles off my feet now

Just wanna praise you Just wanna praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you I'm gonna praise you

-Praise you

-Praise you

CHEERING

-Brilliant. So committed.

-Very much so.

Well done. I'm so proud of you.

That's possibly the most exciting 90 seconds of my life.

We've just rocked it to the finals.

It went by so quickly though, like so quickly, but it was amazing.

Like absolutely loved it.

-Of course we can.

-This proves bankers can rock.

Just try and be quiet. Be in the zone. Be together and let's not talk it away.

It will come out in this music.

You can feel it. This is no joke, this is, this is serious business that I'm feeling right now.

Whether it's Christianity, whether it's religion or whatever it is,

I'm feeling it and it's going to come out when we perform on that stage.

Let's do it. Let's do it.

Our third choir, Birmingham City Council Choir!

CHEERING

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the spiritual Down To The River To Pray.

Our extemporisers tonight are going to be...

Siobhan and Idu.

CHEERING

SONG: "As I Went Down To The River To Pray"

As I went down to the river to pray

Studying about that good old way

And who shall wear the starry crown?

Good Lord, show me the way

Oh sisters, let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

Oh sisters, let's go down

Down to the river to pray

-As I went down to the river to pray

-Down

Studying about that good old way

And who shall wear the starry crown?

Good Lord, show me the way

-Oh Lord

-Oh brothers, let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

Come on, fathers, let's go down

Down to the river to pray

CHEERING

Well, I thought they got the emotional heart of that song.

Totally. Totally, and it grew, like you said, it really...

-Yeah, yeah.

-Took you somewhere.

How was that, guys?

Come on, man, come on.

As soon as we'd finished I started crying.

The final could be here, man, if not we've done our best.

Yeah, yeah, we have. I'm happy with that.

Who would have thought singing is like this? It's just because you're singing about real things.

Just found myself in a different world entirely.

I don't want to be like this.

Breathing in. And breathing out.

My heart's beating so hard I think it's just gonna come outside of me right now. Feel so sick.

It's our final choir. Oh my gosh!

It's our final choir.

Come on.

Let's do it. This is it.

Good luck.

This is the choir of P&O!

CHEERING

They're going to be singing a Nina Simone classic. It's Sinnerman.

CHEERING

Tonight, extemporising will be....

Stacey and Joha.

CHEERING

SONG: "Sinnerman"

Oh sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

All on that day

Well, I run to the rock

Please hide me

I run to the rock

Please hide me

I run to the rock

Please hide me, Lord

All along that day

I said rock, rock

What's the matter with you, rock

Don't you see I need you, rock

Lord, lord, lord, lord on that day

Yeah, yeah

So I run to the river

To the river

-I run to the sea

-Oh yeah

To the sea

I run to the sea

It was bleeding, all on that day

I cried power

Power to the Lord

Power, power to the Lord

-I said

-Power, power to the Lord

To the Lord

CHEERING

-The sound, the tiniest...

-I know, I know.

Wow!

-Wow!

-It means such a lot, you know.

-All our family and friends are there.

-Seriously?

-A lot of our company.

-Watch out.

-Oh no.

-Come here.

-Bless his heart.

Come on, mate, you're all right.

We don't want it to end, and the fate's like in the hands of three people.

It's just like, you can't give more than that.

We don't want to go out.

Just hope it was enough. Yeah, this isn't like me.

It was a little bit shaky.

'The judges now have to decide which choir to send home.'

Ladies and gentlemen, our three judges, Ken Burton, Sarah Fox and Paul Mealor.

Each choir has delivered in a very, very special way,

showing great energy, passion, heart and soul,

and it seems a shame that we actually have to say goodbye to one choir tonight.

Now Citi, who would have thought that smartly dressed men and women in suits,

pin-striped suits, would actually come and deliver such an electrifying, stunning performance.

Great sound, great tone, great energy.

CHEERING

Just one thing, just be mindful, their tuning wasn't always spot on,

but I think the shackles were taken off your feet and you were certainly praising tonight. Well done.

CHEERING

Birmingham...

CHEERING

Now we thought you were, emotionally, you were wonderful.

By the end of it we felt all elements of the choir were exactly as they should be.

If only you'd had that throughout

it would have just raised the level of the performance even more,

because there were tuning issues,

but by the end of it you hadn't got them

and you'd taken us to a place that was very special.

Cheshire Fire Service, what can we say about you?

CHEERING

We felt specifically your soloists should be given a massive round of applause.

You know what, we thought you were going to come at this

with your sirens blaring and it was going to be too much,

but you know what, your little blue lights shone, it was beautiful. Thank you.

And finally, P&O.

CHEERING

There isn't much to say other than we think it was the best performance of the night.

WILD CHEERING

Well, now it's come to the moment where I must reveal which choir is going home.

It pains my heart to do this.

And regrettably the choir going home tonight is...

Birmingham City Council Choir. I'm so sorry.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's incredibly difficult to say goodbye to a choir.

Personally I've absolutely loved working with Birmingham. They have given this everything.

CHEERING

And, oh my goodness, the game is afoot.

We now move forward to the final

and all of these choirs are now finalists. Congratulations.

Thank you very much. Good night.

Oh, that's tough to take. It's tough.

Oh, I'm gutted actually. Absolutely gutted.

Oh man, it's been a good journey, man. Fair play to the other choirs.

Oh, Birmingham!

I'm so proud of what you've done.

I have absolutely loved working with you.

Really, genuinely, you are a wonderful group of people

who have been really inspiring to get to know.

It was a privilege, Gareth, to get up on that stage in front of that audience.

-It was amazing, wasn't it?

-Sing that song, you know, it was a wonderful experience I'll take to my grave.

I am desperately sorry to see you go.

Idu, well done.

We did a brilliant job tonight. We did Birmingham proud.

Birmingham City Council proud.

I get upset cos I'm just disappointed that, you know,

I'm just disappointed for everyone else that we've let down, that's all.

Fantastic.

But it's not the end of the choir. Definitely not the end of the choir.

-All right, thanks, Gareth.

-Safe journey home.

APPLAUSE

This contest is not just about music. It's about who's got the spirit.

Who can do it on the day in front of the judges

and in front of the audience,

and one choir really did that tonight, and the next choir that does that will win it.

'It's Christmas and a cathedral final.'

This is the final!

'And Gareth gives them free rein.'

I'm not going to make the decisions. You're going to make the decisions.

It's a chance for them to show who they think they are as choirs.

I don't like this.

We could still be here next week trying to make a decision.

'Strike action rocks the fire service.'

I never thought I'd see the day where Cheshire Fire Service was brought down by anything.

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