Our Artistic Director, Hilary Davan Wetton, writes to The Times
Julia Hudson • July 18, 2020
Choirs, and places where they sing
My early delight at the Arts Funding package the Government announced last week is sadly abating at speed. The absence of authoritative guidance on what music making is possible for amateur choirs in churches or elsewhere is causing enormous unhappiness and frustration to all the singers with whom I am in touch. The role of singing in maintaining and enhancing wellbeing, physical, mental and emotional, is fully documented. The period of isolation has been very difficult for choral singers. For many of them, this is much more than an entertaining hobby; it is a central part of their enjoyment of life.
This is nowhere more apparent than with the Military Wives Choirs, to my knowledge the largest network of choral singers in the country with 2,300 members in 75 choirs. Our mission is to bring women in the military community together through singing; the current restrictions - with no clear timeframe for abatement - is very debilitating for our members. Much ingenuity has been devoted to ‘virtual’ rehearsal, but anyone who believes this is a genuine alternative to live music making has not sung in a choir. This time has been tough in isolation; mental health and a sense of togetherness and community are exactly what singing in choirs is scientifically proven to provide.
The success of the heart warming Military Wives film clearly demonstrates the power of choral music to change people’s lives. Even if choral performance does carry some potential risk, we urgently need more research and guidance into how we can assemble choirs again and feel ‘stronger together’. At the moment, there is a mass of anecdotal scaremongering, but not much hard science. The Government’s welcome financial support is not enough; we need extensive and definitive research, as well as ingenious mitigations to enable singers to sing together again.
Yours faithfully
Hilary Davan Wetton
(Hon. D.Mus., MA, FRBC, ARCM)
Principal Conductor City of London Choir
Associate Conductor London Mozart Players
Artistic Director Military Wives Choirs
Musical Director Jersey Symphony Orchestra
A version of this letter appeared in The Times Letters to the Editor, 18th July 2020
Military Wives Choirs Bids Farewell to Hilary Davan Wetton and Appoints Joanna Tomlinson as the new Artistic Director
A Royal Performance to Remember
We are delighted to have received a letter of thanks from The King, expressing his appreciation for our new single, ‘November Sunday’, a song presented as an early birthday gift to celebrate His Majesty’s forthcoming birthday on 14th November. In the letter, The King said: “I am writing to express my warmest possible gratitude for your very kind early birthday present, in the form of your new single, ‘November Sunday’. While those of us of a certain age may feel the need for any such birthday celebrations is in inverse proportion to our advancing years, I am none the less deeply touched by your wonderfully thoughtful tribute. “I also wanted to thank you for your steadfast support not only for your loved ones serving in our Military, who sacrifice so much time away from you and your families to protect us, but also for one another. “Having sung in a choir myself when I was at school, I know the joy of performing together can create close-knit friendships and support groups, and I remain a firm believer that music has a unique power to unite and inspire us all. My wife joins me in sending you all our blessings and kindest wishes.” ‘November Sunday’, released on 1st November, is a tribute to His Majesty and reflects the strong ties between the Royal Family and the Armed Forces. The song’s evocative lyrics reflect the joy brought to post-war Britain on 14th November 1948, marking the birth of the future King and celebrating the enduring bond with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.  The piece was recorded by 100 singers from the Military Wives Choirs, drawn from the network in the UK and overseas, alongside the magnificent sounds of The Band of the Household Cavalry. With music and lyrics by John McLaren, the track brings together the nostalgia of the 1940s, enhanced by the artistry of platinum-selling producer Sean Hargreaves (Sigala, Paloma Faith, Ella Eyre) and arranger Steve Turner. This cross-genre production offers both the formality of a military ensemble and a bright, pop-influenced appeal. ‘November Sunday’ is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube: all links to the project can be found here .
