The largest school choir in the world beat Take That’s record of 46 shows at Manchester Arena

The largest school choir in the world has surpassed Take That’s impressive record of 46 shows at Manchester Arena.

Last year, the Arena was renamed the Take That arena for a week in honour of the band’s impressive tally of performances – more than any other music act in the Arena’s 25-year history.

But now the band have been knocked off the top spot by Young Voices, an 8,000-strong children’s choir, who will perform their 49th show on Friday 31st January.

The record-breaking performance will take place in front of roughly 10,000 friends and family.

First founded in 1992, Young Voices originally saw 10,000 male voices sing alongside popular Welsh performers Tom Jones, Dame Gwyneth Jones and Dennis O’Neil.

1994 saw a special Voices of the World concert held, where 6,500 vocalists joined together to sing at Lansdowne Road Stadium in Ireland.

The first children’s choir concert was held in 1996 in Dublin, followed by a second performance for Pope John Paul II in The Vatican, Rome. But Young Voices in its current incarnation was not really born until 1997, when the first concerts took place in Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and Belfast.

The choir has since broken the Guinness World Record for largest simultaneous sing along at the Manchester Arena three times running – first in 2001 when 6,846 children from 159 schools sang together, again in 2002 with 83,637 participants, and once more in 2002 with 293,978 participants across 1,616 different UK locations.

And now they can add another record to their collection. Take that, Take That.

James Allen, general manager of Manchester Arena, commented: ‘We’re proud to have been working with Young Voices, the largest school choir concerts in the world, since the start and to have hosted over 1,000 North-West schools and their families over the course of the past 25 years.

“It has been great to be part of their ongoing success and we look forward to working with them for many more years to come.”

Ben Lewis, CEO of Young Voices International, added: “To break Take That’s venue record here in Manchester is an incredibly special moment in the history of Young Voices.

“Manchester Arena holds a very special place in the YV journey as we have played here every year since the arena first opened its doors. Special thanks goes to all of those schools, teachers and children who have taken part… this is your record!”.