A SOUTHAMPTON choir are going to strip down for their moment in the spotlight on national TV.

Restless Symphony will put their vocal chords to the test when they appear in Gareth Malone’s new TV show, The Naked Choir.

The aim is to find the best a capella singers, who perform without any accompaniment.

The team of Southampton Solent University students, who formed their group earlier this year, will be on the BBC show next week after they were picked from hundreds of video entries to take part.

Anita Okepe, Siobhan Hilton, Tassama Franklyn, Fizzy Dell-Smith, Ioana Simion, Georgie Workman make up the Restless Symphony under the direction of popular music lecturer Esther Frake.

They will now be on the show with choirmaster Gareth Malone, known for his television appearances teaching teenagers to sing and becoming popular for the BBC Two series Military Wives.

The show will follow Gareth in his bid to become the new king of a capella, where people sing without the aid of backing tracks or musical instruments, touring the country in search of the nation’s best voices.

Esther said: “When I saw an advert for the series and encouraged the group to audition they had only gigged together once. To create a successful career in the music industry I believe that you need to be an opportunist and sometimes take a blind leap of faith, thankfully it has paid off this time and here we are.”

Siobhan added: “We’re six strangers from different countries, different backgrounds and different cultures but our love for music and crazy personalities unites us as group that work to create magic on stage.”

The Naked Choir, so called because all musical instruments have been stripped away, includes songs varying from doo-wop to hip-hop, through gospel to barbershop with material ranging from Elvis to Little Mix.

During their performances Restless Symphony were inspired by their shared love of a cappella groups including Pentatonix, Naturally 7 and Third Story.

Esther added: “The discipline of a cappella singing requires an immense amount of vocal talent and technical skill and it is through sheer hard work, dedication, focus and determination that the group were successful in being selected for the show.

“I am immensely proud of them all with what they have achieved so far and look forward to continuing to watch them grow and develop as a successful vocal group.”

Ioana said: “A cappella gives you the power to give 100 per cent of what you’ve got, it’s just you and your voice, nothing else. It’s unbelievable what can you create with only human voices, it’s fresh and once you start it becomes addictive.”

The Naked Choir broadcasts at 9pm on Tuesday, September 22 on BBC Two.