The BBC has announced that the Military Wives Choirs will take centre stage at a special Prom to commemorate the First World War. The concert, which is part of the BBC’s annual Proms series, will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 3rd August, the eve of the 100th anniversary of the day Britain entered the war.

The 100-strong Proms Military Wives Choir, which will be directed by Gareth Malone, is made up of singers from 42 different choirs in the Military Wives Choirs Foundation network.

The choir contains wives, partners and Servicewomen from Royal Navy, Royal Marine, Army and RAF families from military bases across Britain, as well as overseas bases in Cyprus and Germany. In a first for the BBC Proms, the choir will also be joined by life-size puppets from the National Theatre’s production of War Horse.

In addition to music from the period, including pieces by Elgar, Holst and Ravel, the Proms Military Wives Choir will give a modern-day premiere to the New War Hymn, written by Sir Henry Wood, founder of the Proms. The piece, which was composed in response to the First World War, was recently discovered in the archive of the Royal Academy of Music.

Nicky Clarke, Chair of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation, said:“The Military Wives Choirs are absolutely delighted and honoured to have been invited to perform at this very special event.

“The choir is truly representative of our wonderful network and it is particularly fitting that the concert will remember the role that women and music played during the First World War, both on the frontline and at home.”

Booking for the Prom will open on Saturday 17th May. For more details, go to the Royal Albert Hall website at www.royalalberthall.com

The Military Wives Choirs Foundation

  • The Military Wives Choirs Foundation is a network of nearly 80 choirs that brings women in the military community closer together through singing.
  • The Foundation, a registered subsidiary charity of SSAFA, provides guidance, funding and support for Military Wives Choirs, as well as opportunities to bring choirs and individuals together through national projects.
  • Gareth Malone is Patron of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation.
  • For more information about the Military Wives Choirs Foundation please visit www.miltarywiveschoirs.org