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
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 .
We are delighted to announce that our latest song, ‘November Sunday’, is out now , honouring His Majesty The King’s birthday and reflecting the very close links between the Armed Forces and the Royal Family. The song captures the hope and joy brought to post-war Britain on 14th November 1948 with the birth of the future King, linking to his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Its beautiful, lullaby-like tune has been recorded by 100 singers drawn from members of the Military Wives Choirs network in the UK and abroad, accompanied by The Band of the Household Cavalry. For ‘November Sunday’, music & lyrics by John McLaren, platinum-selling producer Sean Hargreaves (Sigala, Paloma Faith, Ella Eyre) , and arranger Steve Turner have brought together the evocative soundscape of the 1940s, the pomp and circumstance of The Band of the Household Cavalry, the largest regular military Band, and a bright, pop-influenced musicality and instrumentation to create a memorable track with cross-genre appeal. The singers are conducted by the Military Wives Choirs’ Artistic Director, Hilary Davan Wetton, one of the country’s most renowned choral conductors, and The Band of the Household Cavalry by Major Craig Bywater. Caroline Paxton, Chair of Trustees said: "Our charity is founded on the principles of community and support; we do this through forging deep connections with one another through the power of singing. “For our first recording since 2020 we wanted to celebrate the special relationship the Armed Forces enjoy with the Royal Family. ‘November Sunday’ is our own heartfelt gift to His Majesty and was inspired by our deep appreciation and admiration for his service to this nation. “The song, with words and music by John McLaren, is set at the moment of the future King’s birth, echoing the joy the news brought to a country still recovering from war. It also pays tribute to his mother, the beloved late Queen Elizabeth II, who, like many members of our network, served in the Armed Forces and was also a military wife. “Our intention is that the song will enter into the core repertoire for our network of 70 choirs across the UK and overseas and be performed regularly around this time of year. We hope The King will enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoy singing it.” Producer Sean Hargreaves said: “When crafting the song, we were aiming for an emotional singer-songwriter feel, similar in approach to Taylor Swift's ‘Folklore’, but expanded to a choir of a hundred voices rather than a solo artist. “To achieve this, we had acoustic guitars in the foreground, arranged the rhythm section to ebb and flow, giving the arrangement plenty of space. This more modern feel complements John McLaren’s nostalgic lyrics beautifully. “What sets this song apart is how we incorporated The Band of the Household Cavalry. Rather than the way military bands are traditionally heard, we showcased them in a more cinematic style - similar to how a band like Radiohead or a film score might use orchestration - to add depth and colour.” ‘November Sunday’ is available to listen, watch and purchase now - find out more here.
