An emotional song based on the letters that British troops serving in Afghanistan sent to their loved ones, and the letters their loved ones sent to them, is bidding to be Christmas No1.
"Wherever You Are", sung by the Military Wives Choir, which consists of the wives and girlfriends of British servicemen serving in Afghanistan, has already been performed to the Queen at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Choirmaster Gareth Malone had rallied the women at military bases in Chivenor and Plymouth in Devon and, despite initial nerves, more than 100 women joined.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after their performance, so the production team released the song online to raise funds for military charities the Royal British Legion and SSAFA Forces Help.
But it was after it was championed on Radio 2 by Chris Evans that it really took off in popularity and it is now battling it out for the Christmas top spot with The X Factor winners Little Mix.
390 British troops have so far died in the Afghanistan War.
The song is released on Monday 19th December.
Military Wives Choir women reveal letters behind their emotional song Exclusive by Melissa Thompson
Daily Mirror
17/12/2011
Some of the members of the Military Wives ChoirTHEY were the love letters that sustained the worried wives and girlfriends of men at war thousands of miles away.
And now the tender words written in notes sent home from the front line in Afghanistan have become the basis of a song in the running to be this year’s Christmas No1.
Wherever You Are, by the Military Wives Choir, was sung to the Queen and other Royal Family members at the Royal Albert Hall.
Choirmaster Gareth Malone had rallied the women at military bases in Chivenor and Plymouth, in Devon and, despite initial nerves, more than 100 women joined.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after their performance, so the production team released the song online to raise funds for military charities the Royal British Legion and SSAFA Forces Help.
But it was after it was championed on Radio 2 by Chris Evans that it really took off in popularity and it is now battling it out for the Christmas top spot with The X Factor winners Little Mix.
The song, written by royal composer Paul Mealor, is an emotional tribute from the wives and girlfriends to their brave partners.
And its impact lies in those intimate words shared between lovers in the most testing times and passed on by the women to help form the heartfelt verses.
The letters, called blueys after the colour of the special-issue military writing paper, tell of the soldiers’ and sailors’ love for their families and of how they were counting down the days until they could come home.
Colour Sergeant Phill Eames' letter to wife Angela Even now, after singing the song countless times and weeks after their men returned home, talking about them still makes the women’s eyes fill up.
One of the wives, Angela Eames, 36, whose letters from husband Phil were a comfort during his seven-month tour, said: “When Gareth asked for us to pass our letters across, it took a while to be parted from them. We certainly didn’t all volunteer straight away.
“The blueys are very personal because the words come from the heart. So to hand something so precious over was difficult because I didn’t know if I wanted the world to know how I was feeling. But in the end we decided yes, we do.”
A colour sergeant with 42 Commando Royal Marines, Phil, 39, was faced with daily dangers in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of several of his comrades.
Letter from Marine Dave Kent to Lucy Phillips Mum-of-two Angela said: “It’s hard explaining what we go through when our men are away so it was nice to have someone do it for us and put it into one song.
“I still get emotional listening to it. The first bit means the most to me: ‘Wherever you are, my love will keep you safe.’ That sums it up really.”
Another military wife and mother-of-two, Jane Jones, 38, would cherish each letter sent by her husband Dean, 37, a staff sergeant with 29 Commando Royal Marines.
She revealed: “The letters Dean and I sent to each other were really personal, private letters. You don’t expect anyone else to read them, so it was hard handing them over.
“But that’s why the words in the song are so meaningful. The letters are more emotional than the phone calls somehow. On the phone the men hold back a bit on what they say.”
Angela Eames' letter to husband Phil Fiona Naylor, 35, who is married to Royal Navy lieutenant Matthew Heap, said: “Getting a letter from Matthew would make my day – or my week or even my month. Every line in the song means something to me.
“I think the choir has been a wonderful opportunity to give the military wives a voice because I don’t think people appreciate quite what a difficult role it is.”
Civil servant Sarah Place, 44, has been a military wife for 18 years and has endured three tours while her husband Andy, 45, a warrant officer second class with the Royal Marines, was away from the family home for months.
She said: “He isn’t a poet or anything, but still his letters are important to me and the words of the song wrench at the heart because it means something to all of us. No matter how many times we hear it, it still brings tears to our eyes.
“They’re away for seven months and you’re waiting for the knock at the door to hear that your husband has been seriously injured or blown up.”
Student Lucy Phillips, 22, says being part of the choir provided priceless support while her Royal Marine boyfriend David Kent, 22, was away. She commented: “The song is perfect. Through it, the wives found a voice.”
Nurse and mum-of-three Julie Barclay, 52, married to Gibb, 50, a major in the 104 Regiment, added: “It doesn’t really matter to me whether the song gets to number one or not, as long as it raises lots of money for charity – although it would be nice to be able to tell my grandchildren their nan had a Christmas number one!”
Listen to them performing at the Royal Albert Hall in front of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family on this year's Remembrance Sunday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h39vBsiR68
Wherever You Are goes on sale on Monday. To pre-order your copy now, go to iTunes or http://www.amazon.co.ukRead more:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-storie ... z1guVMZuA9*******************
It has been revealed today that Wherever You Are is set to become this year's Christmas No1 in the UK. It is the favourite to beat the song by new British girl band Little Mix to that coveted top spot:
http://www.metro.co.uk/music/885239-lit ... stmas-no-1
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