The Belles at St Barts

Yeovilton Military Wives Choir performed their latest concert at The Fleet Air Arm Memorial Church in Yeovilton Village having just celebrated their first birthday. 

Under the direction of Mandy Lilley some 40 harmonious female voices filled the church with a varied programme of music from Coldplay’s 'Fix You', a traditional African lullaby 'Soualle' and 'Sing' the extremely popular collaboration from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow. During their first year the choir have already made ten appearances including slots at Sherborne Abbey and Somerton Summer Arts Festival with other bookings in the pipeline. 

Speaking at the interval The Reverend Martin Evans RN, Chaplaincy Team Leader at Yeovilton, said "This is the first time I have heard our Military Wives Choir sing and they are just fantastic. What's more is that I have, along with everyone here, had the privilege of hearing them sing in this very special church." 

Among friends, family and local parishioners in the audience were the Commanding Officer of the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Commodore Jock Alexander OBE, and Base Warrant Officer Gary Smart.  

The ladies were joined for the evening by two young guest soloists, Bethan Creese and Maddie Bailey. After the interval both soloists aged just 17 and music students from Norton Hill School in Midsomer Norton, took centre stage to perform ten beautiful songs. Their pure, haunting youthful voices resonated throughout the Nave and they received rapturous applause as the evening came to a close.