Rock Choirs All the Rage in England

One Such Mostly Female Group Lands Record Deal With Same Label as Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga

(CBS)  Ever wanted to be in a girl group? Think it might be cheerier than yoga in the morning? In Britain, there is a wall of sound belting out across the country from lots and lots of rock choirs.

CBS News correspondent Richard Roth reports they're the latest craze taking over the U.K.

Rock Choir Director Caroline Lusher may have unlocked the secret to happiness -- in the middle of England, where 120 voices are raised in what Roth says you might call "untrained melody."

"It's real, it's passionate and there is a lot of emotion there," Lusher said.

Rock choir groups like this have more than 4,000 people now, total, paying about $15 a week each, to sing for fun.

"Singing and dancing, that's what I wanted to do when I was young, but you don't say to your parents, 'I want to be a singer and a dancer,' said rock choir member Mary Morrison.

"It's given me a lot more confidence. I can sing at home confidently now. And I don't mind if people hear me and stuff like that," added Jo Spouncer, another rock choir member.

And this is a glee club anyone can join.

According to Roth, you don't need to read music, and there are no auditions. Basically, all you do to join a rock choir is pay a membership fee -- and pretend you're in the shower.

That's where most of the singers got their experience.

"They're closet singers; they'll sing in the bath, they'll sing on their own in the house and they know secretly they can sing," Lusher explained. "You get a lot of people who say, 'I can't sing, you know, in social environments.' I say, well, you can, really."

A one-time lounge singer with a knack for teaching, Lusher built a business on that belief.

Now, rock choir is graduating from YouTube to a Unviersal Records recording studio.

With a four-album deal, these English amateurs will soon share a record label with the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga, though the money involved won't be big enough for them to share the wealth.

Which means, in small towns like Farnham, the business stays the same; three-part harmony just for fun and mostly female.

"The way I see it is, women want the microphone; they have the hairbrush in front of the mirror and the men want the air guitar, and of course we don't really offer the air guitar," Lusher said.

But with ambition to cover the country in song, Lusher's hoping now for a royal audience.

"I really want the queen to see what her subjects are doing in the U.K. and I think she should invite us to perform for her," Lusher said.

If that happens, you can be sure she'll see them smiling.

[mpegret1]

I am interested in forming a group here in Connecticut, Please let me know where I can find out information to achieve this....I think it is a awesome idea, & I have already spoke to others who also show interest...Thank You, Margaret Richard

[ekronne]

I guess pragmatist1 and matrill both work for CBS to encourage people to reply to their comments.
The thing is boys, Universal/Decca have a pretty good nose for music...and they've signed Rock Choir up for four albums. Go figure...

[mattrill]

Ah yes someone commenting on something they obviously know absolutely nothing about!!!!

[sexyshev]

I can completely agree with this. I am a member of rock choir and it is amazing they really should bottle it and sell it as a medcine for the sick it would work.
Rock choir rocks love hearing 140 people all singing the same song especially something inside so strong have to hold back the tears.

Anybody that thinks they can`t sing i urge them to go to a taster session you will join up on the spot and won`t regret it ever. Best thing i ever did was join up .

ROCK CHOIR ROCKS.

[pragmatist1]

Ah yes, nothing like amateurs singing high praise for their mediocrity.