Choirmaster Gareth Malone will be at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on December 9 in a show called Up Close and Personal.

Gareth is now a household name and famous for creating school and workplace choirs as well as the Military Wives Choir.

The 40-year-old has turned many once-reluctant youngsters into choirs who could compete on a national and international stage.

He was working in community education when he was discovered by the BBC. They were looking for a choirmaster for a new series and found him on Google.

He was first seen on the BBC in 2006 when he presented a series called The Choir with pupils from Northolt in Middlesex. In his second series, The Choir: Boys Don’t Sing, he coached a group of boys from the Lancaster School in Leicester who went from being reluctant to sing to performing at The Royal Albert Hall.

He started working with community choirs when he finished his drama degree at The University of East Anglia followed by a course in singing at The Royal College of Music. His television series led to an avalanche of offers of work. After he coached the young singers in Riverside Choir in St Neots in 2008, their vice-chairman, Frankie Lasman, said: “The children thought he was absolutely great. They liked the way he was picky with them about details but amusing with it. They appreciated his little exercises getting them to do sensible things by doing silly things.”

Tickets are priced from £27.50 to £40, £27.50 and available from the box office on 01223 357851 or tickets@cambridgelivetrust.co.uk or www.cornex.co.uk.

Starts 7.30pm.