Military Wives choir to sing at Poppy Concert

An impressive line-up of top local talent has been organised for the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Concert in Ellesmere on the eve of Remembrance Sunday.

The Military Wives choir from RAF Shawbury will be sharing the stage with the Porthywaen Silver Band at the town’s Comrades’ Club on Saturday, November 8.

The award-winning band have been regulars at the concert for years, but this will be the first appearance by the choir, whose members are part of a network of 2,000 women belonging to 70 Military Wives singing groups across the UK and overseas.

Concert organiser Ian Williams, the Ellesmere Legion branch president and county chairman, said: “The ladies of this choir are always in great demand. We’ve been trying to book them for several years, but they’ve always been so busy. I’m delighted that they’ve now been able to accept our invitation and include us in their programme.

“Having them to sing at our Poppy Concert on the night before Remembrance Sunday is very fitting because it will round off our celebrations and commemorations to mark the 80^th anniversary of end of the 2^nd World War, which included V.E Day in May, Armed Forces Day in June and V.J Day in August.

The concert will also see the return of three students from Ellesmere College, teenagers Minnie Uras Garvin, Tabitha Kimber and her sister, Ellie, who perform as a popular vocal trio.

The show starts at 7.30 pm. Tickets, £7.50 are available from Ismay’s fashions in Ellesmere High Street.

“There’s a big demand for tickets and we’re encouraging people to buy in advance so they’re not disappointed,” said Mr Williams.

The Military Wives Choirs is a registered charity with links to the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Families Association, (SSAFA).

The first choir was formed in 2010 after the wives of two Scots Guards at the Catterick Army Garrison decided to encourage other women interested in singing to get together while their husbands were deployed in Afghanistan. Their initiative led to similar choirs being set up at other military bases, bringing women in the military community closer together through the power of singing. As more choirs were established, a BBC TV series followed, with choirmaster Gareth Malone.

One choir produced a Christmas No 1 in 2913 with the song ‘Wherever You Are.. It sold more than half a million records with some of the proceeds going to the Royal British Legion and SSAFA.