Gareth Edmund Malone OBE (born 9 November 1975)is an English choirmaster and broadcaster, self-described as an "animateur, presenter and populariser of choral singing. He is best known for his television appearances in programmes such as The Choir which focus on singing and introducing choral music to new participants.Malone was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours, for services to music,Gareth Malone was born into a family of Irish descent. His father James Malone grew up in Parkhead in Scotlandand was a bank manager. His English mother Sian worked in the civil service.Gareth was educated at Bournemouth School and because of his passion for singing he was "bullied mercilessly" at school. He sang with the Symphony Chorus of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO)and he studied drama at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where he was in the university choir and composed music for theatre productions