'Battle of the Choirs': the battle lines are set!

9 June 2008: Seven's judging line-up for Battle of the Choirs – Jonathon Welch, Iva Davies, Charli Delaney and George Torbay – will crown Australia's top choir

Jonathon Welch's first experience of singing was as a child in a small church choir with his mother playing the organ. "It was then that I, and other people, discovered I had this voice, a little boy soprano," he says. Welch, best known as the founder and leader of the Choir Of Hard Knocks, says it was also when he realised the power, sense of community and joy that came from singing with a group.

"Music is a leveller and it transcends all barriers of religion, race, creed, sexuality, equality – you name it," he says. "It unifies people and there's something very primal about people using the sound from their own body to express themselves."

As part of Seven's new talent contest, Battle Of The Choirs, Welch will further his advocacy of choral singing by co-judging 16 community choirs from across Australia, competing for $100,000 and a recording deal. The show is hosted by David Koch and the other judges are musician Iva Davies, former Hi-5 member Charli Delaney and choral music aficionado George Torbay.

The judges for Battle of the Choirs (L–R): Jonathon Welch, Iva Davies, Charli Delaney and George Torbay

Welch says the show differs from other TV talent contests. "This is not one of those shows where you have celebrities up there trying to conquer dancing or singing," he says. "This is everyday people from the community coming together to make music. With community choirs you've got doctors standing next to students standing next to someone who's unemployed standing next to a grandmother. I see such a wonderfully positive chance to extol not only the virtues of music and singing but the great thing this does in the community."

Fusty notions of elderly members singing dirge-like hymns will be challenged too. The 16 choirs range in style from a capella, barbershop, gospel, jazz, soul, classical and pop. They must tackle songs by Meatloaf, Kiss, AC/DC, Scissor Sisters, Kylie Minogue and Stevie Wonder, among others. They will also be given "mystery challenges", with choirs allowed 30 minutes to prepare a performance of a surprise song.

Producer Stevie K. Murray says the competing choirs are remarkably diverse. "There are some choirs that are made up of the most unlikely blokes you could possibly imagine," Murray says.

The faces of Battle of the Choirs (L–R): Jonathon Welch, Charli Delaney, David Koch, Iva Davies and George Torbay

"Roadside workers, construction workers, you name it, all coming together to sing. There's one guy, just a young chap about 22, who lives in the country and he does a return trip of five hours to do choir practice that lasts 90 minutes. He's driving more than he's singing."

Groups include successful youth choirs, an amalgamation of a city and a country choir, a group of disadvantaged people and a group of boys who wanted to continue singing after their voices had broken. Welch says they will be judged on a combination of their singing, appearance, choreography, passion for the music and sense of collective enjoyment. "It's not just the choral and musical sound that I'm listening to," he says. "It's how they connect to what they're singing about. When the Choir Of Hard Knocks sings a song like Hallelujah, it might not necessarily be technically the most perfect performance but what they're able to bring about in the realisation of that amazing poetry Leonard Cohen wrote is very special. I will be looking for that special moment when the hair stands up on the back of my neck, when you know it's transcended the music or the words on the page."

As with other reality shows, Battle Of The Choirs will follow individual stories and struggles of some choir members. "It's the make-up of each individual that creates the collective," Welch says. "How they exist and the struggles that some of them go through for their love of singing."

Ultimately, however, the emphasis will be on the group. "One big message I've been getting from the members is, 'I'm not doing this to be the best, I don't want to be the soloist, this is about coming together with my friends and singing,"' Murray says. "There is something so disarming about a group of people who don't necessarily have something in common being brought together in this brotherhood of song."

– Lenny Ann Low

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