Military wives sing from same sheet in London
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TWO Moray-based military choir members were singing with joy at the weekend when they performed at a London concert.
On Sunday, October 6, 160 members of 10 Military Wives Choirs along with "regional champions" came together for a debut concert at Cadogan Hall, in London, to showcase music from their latest album, Remember.
Regional champions Jenn French and Lauren Hayward, members of Lossiemouth Military Wives Choir, were among those chosen to fly the flag for Scotland.
The London concert marks the first time that combined Military Wives Choirs have come together on a concert hall stage.
The gathering was hosted by the Military Wives Choirs charity to celebrate the power of music-making for wellbeing – the organisation's key purpose.
The charity appointed regional champions for the new venture from across the network, including from northern England, Scotland and overseas.
The aim is that the regional champions take part in the concert, attend meetings and become project manager/event organisers to replicate a joint event for their specific region.
The charity is run by and for women in the military community, bringing them together and empowering them through the joy of singing.
The network has flourished from a single choir to more than 2,300 women in 75 choirs around the UK and at overseas military bases.
Both RAF Lossiemouth Station and Kinloss Barracks – 39 Engineers Regiment have choirs.
Lauren said: "Singing in a choir has been shown by research to alleviate stress and improve mental health, which has never been more important, especially for families of service personnel who move around frequently, meaning it can often be hard to put down roots and make new friends.
"All of the choirs include wives of serving personnel, serving personnel, mothers, sisters, daughters and any women with a military connection. Members of the choirs represent all services: the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy."
The multimedia concert told the moving story of the women of 1918 and today, and featured five commissions from composers hailing from classical, pop and film worlds.
Lauren and Jenn are keen to organise a Scottish collaboration concert in the near future.
Lauren said: "It was amazing to sing with so many other ladies from different Military Wives Choirs and be conducted by some fantastic musical directors and accompanied by world-class musicians. It’s certainly not an evening I’ll forget.
"It was a very busy day and was so well organised. We are really excited to try and get something organised in Scotland next year.
"We both love to sing and get such a buzz singing at our own local events, which are in much smaller venues for far fewer people. The joy of the Military Wives Choirs is that you have a safe space wherever you go, and that even though we were miles and miles away from Lossiemouth, we were made to feel at home."
