I thought the same, this is the first time I've heard them sing and I didn't think they lived up to the hype. Good luck to them - anyone who can knock Cowell off his perch is fine by me, but I'd prefer George Formby to do it.

I'm sorry, this is nonsense. It does not enhance a song to have untrained singers singing it. Speaking from experience, it takes a consummate professional to be able to sing something personal and painful because not being fully in control of your emotions gets in the way of the technique require to sing well. Not that this song requires much technique, nor did it have much technique given to it.

I am very pro. the military, but this is blatant pandering. There are plenty of choirs - probably hundreds - that are much better quality. I don't need a poorly executed song and mawkish sentiment to make to think the cause is worthy. In fact, I find blatant attempts at manipulating my sentiments to make me part with my cash something of a turn off.

I was looking forward to this but, alas, was disappointed.

As others have said, it was utterly inappropriate for the audience to cheer Vincent & Flavia during the dance. Either no dancing at all, or an instruction from the floor manager to be respectful to the singers would have sufficed. I don't know whether the singers were put off by all of that, or just overwhelmed by the experience (although they coped with Remembrance Sunday at the Albert Hall with aplomb), but they did seem subdued and off-voice.

Never mind. I know they are not great singers (except for Sam, the lead singer, who used to sing in a choir) but I would far rather listen to them than the caterwauling of whoever wins X Factor tonight. I just heard the two Christmas offerings from Marcus thingy and Little Mix and, erm, give me off-key, amateur military wives any day of the week.

This is how it should have sounded. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hR6O...ure=plpp_video

Oh, and it's on sale from 19th November or can be pre-ordered from Amazon, with all proceeds going to the Royal British Legion and SSAFA rather than Simon Cowell - and if that's not a good enough reason to see it at number one at Christmas, I don't know what is!*

*With apologies to the moderators as I probably shouldn't be advertising but, hey, it's a good cause.

I've heard the choir before and having watched the documentary I suspect the soloist will be really upset that she wasn't pitch perfect on the night. My guess is it was down to nerves because she really does have a beautiful voice.

But I agree with those that can't believe the audience were allowed to clap and cheer during the performance. I loved Flavia and Vincent's dance, but the studio/floor manager should have asked the audience to save their applause until the end of the performance.

As it was the whole thing was totally ruined by the audience and I'm not surprised some people were underwhelmed.

What a miserable lot!

I hope Gareth and the Wives don't read any of the nasty / negative comments reflected by some on here.

Gareth and the Wives are brilliant. I totally love the song to...awesome. Well done to all those involved.

To the critics...could you have done any better? Performed in the Albert Hall? Performed on prime time BBC1? I know I couldn't...so total respect to them.

Gareth...you are the man!

I cant get over the fact that adults thougth it was okay to clap through a choir singing

Me neither ***shakes head***

Er yes, and yes.

I loved them Buddy , really loved them

Fair enough!

I take your point about mawkish sentimentality - I don't like my sentiments being manipulated either.

But I do think this is a bit different. Perhaps you needed to have seen the show to appreciate how isolated these military wives are, and how difficult it must be to have to hold the family together while worrying yourself sick about what might be happening to your husband. Watching the show, I got to see a bit of their lives and my respect for their stoicism grew over the course of the programmes.

I love the human voice - my classical CD collection is almost exclusively choral music and opera - and, yes, I'm a bit of a music snob (why listen to Katherine Jenkins when you can listen to Kiri te Kanawa?). But, for me, the reason I love this song and its execution so much is how real it is - of course a choir like The Sixteen could deliver a technically flawless rendition, but what do any of them know about sleepless nights longing for the safe return of loved ones?

As far as Strictly is concerned, it also serves to remind me why I prefer Chelsee's dancing to Harry's - his is technically better, but she inhabits the dance and expresses it with real feeling. Yin and Yang, eh?

Bully for you! Could you do whilst your loved was away and in constant danger? If so you should release a track too because it's bound to be so much better than anything before.

I take my hat off to these women and have such respect for the soloist - she had such other troubles than "just" her husband being away that is amazing she performed as well as she did. The negative remarks hear smack of meaness and trying to be clever.

Oh and I agree about the clapping too - the dance was beautiful though.

Personally speaking seeing them perform for the 1st time tonight i wasn't blown away by them.

Why do some people feel the need to knock these women?

They are ordinary women living in extraordinary circumstances and raising money for good causes, so if you didn't like them, wouldn't it be nicer not to say anything?

I just don't get it.

My father was a bomber pilot in the RAF in WW2. My mother lived every day with the fear that he would not return. Life expectancy for bomber crews was measured in weeks. She didn't make a record about it. She got a job in a munitions factory and worked every hour she could as she thought that was helping her husband stay safe.


The negative remarks here are nothing to do with 'meaness' and trying to be clever, but instead were simply putting an opposing view. We know the singers were flat, off key, out of tune, out of time and sharp. You thought they sounded wonderful. You're happy. What's the issue here?

Christmas number one? Odds on favourite according to Paddy Power on Twitter tonight. Good luck to the girls.

Agree many of above comments. For me, both aspects of the performance was marred by inappropriate reactions. A pity as no doubt it would have affected the choir and it certainly spoiled my enjoyment of Vincent and Flavia's beautiful dance because of the tension caused by this.


See above


And again.


Agree whole-heartedly. I can appreciate the feelings of those who saw their mothers in previous conflicts 'soldier on in silence' as it were. But hopefully - in this day and age - we have made progress.

yes, I agree with everything you've said, especially the bib, I've watched all of Gareth's choir programmes and he said that this one was the most emotional ..... also love singing as much as dancing although I don't know who The Sixteen are ...... Rolando Villazon as guest on next year's Strictly?

as for Chelsee and Harry's dancing I agree again, can't decide between them

I agree with you completely. They were probably put off by the totally inappropriate clapping and cheering during their singing, as it was far better in the original programme. Why wasn't it recorded a 2nd time, as the results show IS recorded on Saturday, with the audience then told to keep quiet ??? I also agree about Katherine Jenkins, She earns millions but often sings out of tune with an alarming excessive vibrato. (MY actual favourite is Renee Fleming.) Well done ladies.

This....

Excuse me.

But what does it matter whether people on this board can do better or not?

The point made, was this was prime time TV, if you're going to stand up and sing live (a song you've probably sung many times before), the least you could do is sing in key.

That is just being realistic.

Yes it's for a worthwhile cause, but singing off-key ain't gonna make people want to buy the CD.

I have to agree.
Whilst I appreciate they are amateurs singing for a good cause and all that, it sounded like a cats chorus, some of them were clearly singing way out of tune.

Yes, since you ask. I've had to sing in worse situations. After a death. At a funeral. More than once. But how would you know that, because you know nothing about me.

Nor, incidentally, do you know anything about the personal situation of the Sixteen, and whether or not they bring their personal experience to what they sing so technically well. I think it is highly likely that they have personal heart-aches which they bring into their singing; most artists do just that in one way or another.

Being able to separate my critical faculties from sentiment is not meanness or being clever. It is just being able to divorce the (media-promoted) narrative from the execution. And just because these women are doing it for a good cause does not make it good quality. I have said nothing about these women's personality or situation. I don't envy them. But they would not be making a record if their stories hadn't become ratings fodder. Maybe that's worth it for a good cause; that's their choice. But it still doesn't make them good singers.

Great if you liked it. Doesn't mean i have to.

Was superb, the series the Choir has been edited into 1 program its on thursday 22 BBC2 2240.
The journey they made was amazing

It wasnt the best performance, but was only about half the choir. I'm surprised they didnt go for a second/third take - it was recorded a week ago,I believe. (they frequently do).

The critics on this thread are generally wrong. It is not an exercise in singing perfection. yes, the lyrics are sentimental - even mawkish - but, because of their source and the people involved they are perfect for THIS song, at THIS time, sung by THIS choir. end of.

JJ