Staff from P&O Ferries became television stars this week as they featured in the first episode of choirmaster Gareth Malone’s new series to get people singing while they work.

Mr Malone is working with five workforces throughout the country.

The other four are Birmingham City Council, Sainsbury’s, the multi-national banking empire Citi and the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

However, it was the P&O choir that kicked the series off last night and gave Dover some good publicity as Mr Malone drove down the A2 towards the docks and was obviously impressed by what he saw.

“I am so excited,” he said. “Its like going on a French exchange. I’m going to France on a ferry.”

And then “Wow, what a big boat”, as he drove onto the viaduct at Jubilee Way and saw the Spirit of Britain in the harbour.

He was looking for 22 members of staff to form the choir which will compete against the other four for a place in the finals, and possibly to be named the best workplace choir in the country.

Mr Malone wanted the choir to represent the whole company which he said was in three parts, those in France, those in Dover and those on the ships in the Channel. He said he hoped the choir would bring them together more.

So as well as recruiting crew members from the ship, including Captain Angus Morrison, he went to the warehouse where he enlisted manager Dean Squires, and the head office, and included Calais account manager Sophie Clabaut.

Along the way he found he had some hitherto undiscovered talent, including 22-year-old stewardess Mercedes Baker and on-board steward Harry Hughes.

Brothers Grant and Jeff May were also selected for the choir, quartermaster Grant with his very deep voice and “Jeff the Chef” who soon had Mr Malone helping him prepare meals in the galley.

Stewardess Mercedes Baker and on-board steward Harry Hughes were undiscovered talents. They both impressed Mr Malone with their auditions, and Mercedes revealed she had originally trained as a classical singer but had lost her confidence, and when Harry was asked if he had done any singing before, he replied: “Yes, Canterbury Cathedral Choir.” “I’ll make a note of that,” said Mr Malone.

There were some other humorous moments, too. At the first rehearsal Mr Malone asked them to arrange themselves with “sopranos on the port side, basses on the starboard side and tenors midships to starboard” which left many of them wondering which way to go!

They chose their first piece, Rock The Boat, and were soon rehearsing it and, just over a week later, performing it to colleagues at Channel House.

Mr Malone gave them their next challenge, to sing La Mer (Beyond The Sea) in both French and English, on board a ferry in front of the judges, Paul Mealor, Sarah Fox and Ken Burton.

Rehearsals on the ship and on the cliffs above the Channel led up to the performance itself, followed by advice from the judges on how to improve for the next stage of the competition.

The Choir, Sing While You Work is on BBC2 on Mondays at 9pm.