Record-Breaking 20,000 Voices Set to Unite for Rock Choir LIVE in Birmingham
Founder Caroline Redman Lusher on community, nostalgia and creating the UK’s biggest ever sing-along
A record-breaking 20,000 singers are expected to gather at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham on Saturday 29 November for what will be the largest sing-along concert ever held in the UK. Rock Choir LIVE, staged twice in one day, will draw participants from across the country, including Cornwall, Aberdeen, Wales and Northern Ireland, in what organisers describe as the biggest event in Rock Choir’s 20-year history. Founded by Caroline Redman Lusher MBE, Rock Choir has grown into the world’s largest contemporary choir, and on Saturday Caroline will lead 100 Rock Choir Leaders who form The Rock Choir Vocal Group, a professional ensemble guiding the arena through a fully participatory performance.
Speaking ahead of the event, Caroline explained that Rock Choir now involves 30,000 singers nationwide. She said the Birmingham shows would mix festive favourites with well-known pop hits, with the aim of creating an atmosphere where the audience feels part of the performance rather than observers of it. “Whether somebody wants to sit and listen to the thousands of voices or take part themselves, the idea is that everybody engages in some way,” she said. Big screens will display lyrics throughout, enabling even first-time singers to join in.
Caroline founded Rock Choir in 2005 while teaching A-level performing arts to students who could not read music. She developed a method of teaching by rote and arranged familiar pop songs into harmonies. Interest quickly grew beyond the classroom, and a parent’s request for a community choir led to the first 70-member rehearsal. Two decades on, Rock Choir runs 400 rehearsals each week across the UK and has expanded into a national community built around singing, confidence and shared experience.
Saturday’s performances will include appearances from Sam Ryder, Emeli Sandé and Russell Watson, with DJ Pat Sharp opening the show. Nearly 13,000 people are expected at the afternoon matinee, with a similar crowd anticipated for the evening performance. Caroline said arena-scale events create a collective energy that is difficult to recreate elsewhere. “It’s life-affirming and it leaves everybody on a massive high,” she said, adding that shared musical experiences feel particularly important at a time when many people face challenges. “Singing is a massive stress-buster. When you add music, smiling faces and songs we know and love, everyone just gets happy.”
The Birmingham concerts also mark a personal milestone for Caroline, who grew up in the city and began her singing career in nearby venues. She described returning to perform in an arena where she once watched acts such as Erasure and MC Hammer as “very emotional,” and said school friends will be in the audience. Preparations for the show have taken nearly a year, involving large-scale production support to create what she hopes will feel like a major pop concert shaped by thousands of voices.
For the first time, Rock Choir has opened such an event to the general public after previously limiting attendance to members. Caroline said she expects some people to arrive unsure about singing but believes most will eventually join in. “Even if they’re a bit shy at first, I’m sure by the end they’ll be on their feet,” she said. As the arena prepares for crowds from every corner of the UK, she hopes the experience will leave a lasting effect. “The more music we have in our lives, the better we feel” she said.