Rayleigh and Wickford MP and Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois, welcomed the original Military Wives Choir to Parliament recently, where they performed in Portcullis House to Ministers, MPs and their staff.
The choir, which was formed in 2010, performed their former No.1 single, "Wherever You Are", which enjoyed enormous success when it was released in March 2012 and raised over half a million pounds for the national Armed Forces charity SSAFA and The Royal British Legion.
Since their formation, the choir have performed at events such as the opening of the Olympic Stadium in London, the Royal Albert Hall and as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Their success has led to the formation of over eighty other similar choirs, with Nicky Clarke's (Co-Founder of The Military Wives Choir Foundation) original idea and dream to have a choir on every base, gaining serious momentum.
Commenting on the performance, Mark Francois said:
"I was delighted to welcome the Military Wives Choir to Parliament as I believe it is important that Parliament recognises the contribution that families make in supporting our Armed Forces whilst they are deployed operationally.
It is truly wonderful to watch a concert by these ladies and every time I witness a performance, I am enormously moved. Music has an incredible way of bringing people together, especially at times of worry and uncertainty, so I am pleased that those left behind are able to involve themselves in something so rewarding.
I would urge anyone who has the opportunity to witness a performance to do so, and I wish the Military Wives Choir the best of luck for the future."