Caroline Redman Lusher (née Caroline Anne Lusher; born 17 April 1974) is an English singer and musician, best known for being the founder and director of Rock Choir, the world's largest amateur contemporary choir. She is considered to be "responsible for the contemporary choir movement in the UK". She has also had a successful career as a solo artist, performing on various single releases, albums Rock Choir Vol.1 and Rock Choir Deluxe released by Decca, the ''Together'' album by vocal group Blake and several albums by The Soldiers, including ''Coming Home'', which reached double platinum status. Caroline Redman Lusher has gained four gold and platinum certified sales awards from the

British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...

. She has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts for her contribution to music and the arts from Salford University in 2024 and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for her contribution to music and community from the

London College of Music London College of Music (LCM) is a music school in London, England. It is one of eight separate schools that make up the University of West London. History LCM was founded in 1887 and existed as an independent music conservatoire based at ...

in 2017. On 17 October 2012 Caroline Redman Lusher received the prestigious Gold Badge Award for "special contribution to Britain's music industry", from the

British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors The Ivors Academy (formerly known as British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy works to protect and support and also campaigns the int ...

(BASCA) in association with the Performing Right Society (PRS).Unk
Interview: Caroline Redman Lusher
. ''M Magazine''. 2 November 2012. Accessed 10 June 2013. Caroline Redman Lusher was presented with the Freedom of London in 2017 for her lifetime achievement with Rock Choir. In 2024, Caroline Redman Lusher became a published author with the release of her autobiography, ''SING – The Story of Rock Choir'', which details her career, personal journey, and the creation of Rock Choir.

MBE

In the 2025 King’s New Year Honours, Caroline Redman Lusher MBE was recognised with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to music and charitable work. As the founder of Rock Choir, she has been acknowledged for her role in promoting contemporary choir singing and her leadership in numerous fundraising initiatives supporting national and local charities.

Education

Caroline Redman Lusher was a pupil at Saint Martins Independent Day School for Girls,

Solihull Solihull ( ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe in the Arden, Warwickshire, Forest of Arden ar ...

from 1985 to 1992, winning the Christine Tucker Music Scholarship at the age of 11. In honour of her career and success with Rock Choir, St. Martins named a new Year 7 Scholarship after her in 2012, the Caroline Redman Lusher Scholarship for the Performing Arts. It was awarded for the first time in 2013. Caroline Redman Lusher went on to Salford University, where she gained a degree in popular music and recording. Caroline Redman Lusher started performing professionally at the age of 14 at Liberty’s Nightclub, Hagley Road, Birmingham. Alongside her studies at Salford University, she performed at the Manchester Hilton before moving to London’s West End to continue her career as a singer and pianist, entertaining VIPs and celebrities in venues such as The Dorchester, Hyde Park, Langham and Lanesborough hotels. She later qualified as an A-level teacher in Performing Arts and Music with a certificate in education.Pitts, B
Caroline Redman Lusher on Founding the World's Largest Contemporary Choir
. ''The Next Women Business Magazine''. Accessed 13 June 2013. During her studies, she performed as a singer and pianist in nightclubs, bars, and hotels across

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, and eventually

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. In 2001, Caroline Redman Lusher was teaching A-level music and performing arts at the Sixth Form College, Farnborough,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

, when she devised the concept of Rock Choir.

Music career

After qualifying as a teacher for higher and further education, Caroline Redman Lusher taught Performing Arts A-level at Farnborough Sixth Form College in

from 2000 to 2005. During this time, she introduced the concept of Rock Choir to local communities in

Farnham Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...

, and

Godalming Godalming ( ) is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settl ...

. Beginning with 70 members, it currently has more than 33,000 members across the UK. Caroline Redman Lusher is widely considered to be the pioneer of the "no audition, no need to read music" amateur contemporary choir movement. A 2009 article in the ''

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

Culture Magazine'' called her "the key to the choir's success".

Others have attempted a similar formula, but none have turned an amateur group singing pop songs into a brand this powerful. She stands out for her rigorous classical training (Grade 8 piano and violin by 15; a degree in popular music from Salford; a thesis on Annie Lennox's songwriting style) and her insistence on a slick, professionally run outfit. Rock Choir works with a variety of people, from rights lawyers to web technicians to sound engineers. The selection and harmonising of the music – sometimes up to seven-part harmony, no mean feat – is done by Lusher herself.Boase, T. Singing is Believing. ''The Sunday Times Culture Magazine'', 22 March 2009. Accessed 15 May 2013.

In 2009, Caroline Redman Lusher signed a four-album record deal for Rock Choir with Decca/ Universal and performed as a soloist on various projects, including the release of successful singles and albums. In 2011, she featured in the ITV1 three-part documentary ''The Choir That Rocks'', which followed her and her team as they prepared for a mass performance of over 8,000 Rock Choir members at

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...

on 15 May 2011. Following the first episode, 23,000 people logged onto the Rock Choir website, causing a server crash, and 8,000 people submitted membership enquiries. Caroline Redman Lusher's most high-profile live performances to date took place at the BBC Proms in the Park concerts in London’s Hyde Park in 2018 and 2019. Accompanied by the

BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...

and joined by the Rock Choir Vocal Group, she performed to an audience of 40,000, with the concerts broadcast on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

and

BBC Red Button BBC Red Button is a brand used for digital interactive television services provided by the BBC, and broadcast in the United Kingdom. The services replaced Ceefax, the BBC's analogue teletext service. BBC Red Button's text services were due to cl ...

. In 2023 and 2024, Caroline Redman Lusher toured as the lead vocalist in each of the 11 regional shows of the Rock Choir-initiated tour, 'You're the Voice', which sold out 10 of the 11 venues.

Author

Caroline Redman Lusher signed a publishing deal with Splendid Publications in 2023. Her autobiography, ''SING – The Story of Rock Choir'', was released on 15 October 2024. The book includes a foreword by Michael Ball OBE, with contributions from Chris Evans, Samir Patel, Bazil Meade (LCGC), and others.

Awards and nominations

Honorary Doctor of Arts In July 2024, Redman Lusher was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts by Salford University in recognition of her lifetime achievements in music and the arts. Honorary Doctor of Letters In July 2017, Redman Lusher was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the

for her contribution to music education and for founding Rock Choir. Gold Badge Award Redman Lusher received the Gold Badge Award from the British Association of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA), in association with the Performing Rights Society (PRS). The award recognises exceptional contributions to British music. Freedom of the City of London Redman Lusher was awarded the Freedom of the City of London at a ceremony at the Guildhall, London, recognising her achievements in music and her contributions to the community. Guild of Entrepreneurs Redman Lusher was invited to become one of the 100 founding members of the Guild of Entrepreneurs, which promotes excellence in entrepreneurship. Power 100 In 2016, Redman Lusher was celebrated in the Smith & Williamson Power 100, which recognises individuals who support and inspire entrepreneurial growth in the UK.

Philanthropy

Caroline Redman Lusher supports hundreds of local and national charities both personally and through Rock Choir and millions have been raised over the decades that Caroline and Rock Choir have been active in the UK. In 2012 alone, through its performances and social events, Rock Choir helped raise over £1 million for charity. Since 2005, Caroline Redman Lusher has supported the profile-raising efforts of various national charities, including The Diana Award,

Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...

, Cash for Kids, Mental Health Foundation,

Missing People Missing People (previously known as National Missing Persons Helpline) is a national organisation in the United Kingdom that offers assistance to people who run away and/or go missing and their families. It is a registered charity under Englis ...

, and Refuge. Under her direction, Rock Choir became an official community sponsor, encouraging its members and team to regularly raise funds through performances and events in support of these organisations. Caroline Redman Lusher has personally waived professional performance and recording fees to support charities, including

and Help for Heroes. Samir Patel, CEO of

, stated: "Caroline has been the driving force behind Rock Choir’s success. Her passion for bringing people together and making a difference has united people across the country." Mark Rowland, CEO of the Mental Health Foundation, described her as: "A pioneer in the world of music. She possesses a unique ability to bring people from different backgrounds together, to provide an escape from the everyday stresses of life, through music." In February 2013, Sir Trevor McDonald announced Caroline Redman Lusher's appointment as an ambassador for

. Sir Trevor made the announcement at the charity's offices in Mortlake as he formally accepted a cheque from Caroline Redman Lusher for £17,000, which was raised by Rock Choir's 16,000 members via fundraising events in their communities. In 2014 and 2015, whilst Caroline Redman Lusher was an ambassador, Rock Choir has raised over £50,000 to help the charity offer a lifeline to families when someone disappears.Appointment
Missing People official website. Accessed 10 June 2013.

"As Patron of the charity Missing People, I am truly delighted to welcome Caroline Redman Lusher as Ambassador of the charity. If your child went missing wouldn't you want the world to stop and look for them? Thanks to Caroline, Rock Choir communities across the UK have already raised significant funds and awareness to aid the search. I know that she will be a truly formidable force as the charity seeks to bring more missing children and vulnerable adults to safety." – Sir Trevor McDonald

Discography

*What Christmas Means to Me (Magic Mix) (Single) 2024. :Featuring Caroline Redman Lusher on lead vocal and The Rock Choir Vocal Group and Magic Radio. *Hallelujah (Solo Edit) (Single) 2024. :Featuring Caroline Redman Lusher's choir arrangement and her on lead vocal and 6000+ singers from Rock Choir. *I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day (Single) 2023. :Featuring Caroline Redman Lusher on lead vocal and The Rock Choir Vocal Group. Reached No.5 in the Official Download Chart, No.1 in the iTunes Pop Chart, No.2 in the iTunes Main Chart and No.8 in the Official Sales Chart. *Keeping the Dream Alive (Single) 2020. :Caroline Redman Lusher composed the choir arrangement for 4500 singers from Rock Choir along with the Rock Choir Vocal Group and sang the lead vocal. It reached No.1 in the Official Download Chart. No.1 in the Main iTunes Chart, No.1 in the Amazon Best Sellers Chart, and No.1 in the Official Sales Chart. *The First Noel/Silent Night. (Single) 2019. :Caroline Redman Lusher composed this arrangement with Jason Rebello and Kipper Eldridge and sang lead vocals. *Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing (Single) 2019. :Caroline Redman Lusher created the choir arrangement and sang lead vocals. *Rock Choir Vol. 1 (Album) 2010. :Caroline Redman Lusher composed the vocal and choir arrangements and sang lead vocals on the first Rock Choir album, ''Rock Choir Vol. 1'', released in 2010 by Universal/Decca Records. It reached No. 19 in the UK Album Charts, No.15 in the Physical Sales Chart, No.1 in the Amazon Best Sellers Chart, Pop Chart, Rock Chart, Easy Listening Chart and Pre-release Chart. *Rock Choir Deluxe (Album) 2011. :Rock Choir's second album, ''Rock Choir Deluxe'', also featured song arrangements and lead vocals by Caroline Redman Lusher. It was released digitally to coincide with the airing of the three-part ITV1 documentary ''The Choir That Rocks''. It reached number 17 in the UK digital downloads chart. *Perfect Day (Album) (Various Artists) :This double album compilation featured Caroline Redman Lusher singing lead vocals on the Labi Siffre track '' (Something Inside) So Strong''. *The Soldiers (Album) The Soldiers 2012. :Caroline Redman Lusher featured in a duet with Sergeant Gary Chiltern on the track ''Songbird'' by

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

. *Message to You (Album) The Soldiers 2011. :This album reached gold status, selling over 100,000 copies. It featured Caroline Redman Lusher in a duet with Corporal Ryan Idzi performing ''Wherever I Lay My Hat''. *Best Of (Album) The Soldiers 2011. :Caroline Redman Lusher featured in ''Against All Odds''. *Love Songs (Album) The Soldiers 2010. :This album reached double platinum status and raised nearly £90,000 for the charity Help For Heroes. It featured Caroline Redman Lusher in the duet ''Against All Odds''. Caroline Redman Lusher donated her performance fee to Help For Heroes. *Unsung Hero (Single) Blake 2009. :Caroline Redman Lusher featured on the track, dueting with the 4 classical male singers, which was released as a single from the popular album ''Together''. Caroline Redman Lusher donated her performance fee to Help For Heroes. *Together (Album) Blake 2009. :Caroline Redman Lusher featured on the track ''Unsung Hero''. *Coming Home (Album) The Soldiers 2009. :One of the biggest selling albums of 2009, reaching sales of over 600,000 and achieving double platinum status. Caroline Redman Lusher featured again in ''Against All Odds''.

Personal life

Caroline grew up in Knowle, Solihull. She moved to London's Docklands in 1995 and then to Farnham in 1999. On 2 August 2008, Caroline married pilot Stuart Redman. They live near

, Surrey, and have a son named Hamilton, born in 2020. Caroline Redman Lusher's father is former

British Airways British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main Airline hub, hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and pass ...

Chief Pilot Dave Lusher. Her husband Stuart is a Captain on the King Air and a training-pilot for the UK's disabled pilot's charity, Aerobility. He is also a guitarist and CEO of Rock Records Ltd.

References

External links

*
Official Rock Choir website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Redman Lusher, Caroline 1974 births Living people English women singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters Musicians from Birmingham, West Midlands Alumni of the University of Salford 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers Members of the Order of the British Empire