Gareth's Invictus Choir -Episode 1 BBC Documentary 2016

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• published: 06 May 2016
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Choirmaster Gareth Malone is facing his toughest challenge to date. He has been asked to form a choir of wounded ex-service personnel to perform at the Invictus Games in May. Before he starts his search around the UK, he pays a visit to Kensington Palace to meet Prince Harry, the founder of the games for wounded veterans. Working with the wounded and traumatised proves an emotional and difficult process for Gareth. Meanwhile, he has just over seven weeks to teach this novice choir how to sing and to help them write their own song. Can these brave men and women, who have faced battle, cope with the emotion of putting their own stories into a song, and will they be able to find the courage to perform in front of an audience of 20,000 people in Orlando, Florida? This first episode sees Gareth arrive at Kensington Palace to meet with Prince Harry. Gareth wants to find out more about the challenges he faces in trying to form a choir of wounded ex- service personnel. His next step is to set off around the UK to put his choir of 12 together, but Gareth is not looking just for singers, he is looking for people with stories to tell of the battles and struggles they have faced since their medical discharge. He takes them off for three days to teach them how to sing but discovers it's he who has something to learn - how to work with such a fragile group. The choir is surprised with his choice of song, and it soon triggers unexpected emotions. Finally, Gareth makes a shock announcement after just four weeks.