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Showtime Spectacular
In aid of The ABF - The Soldiers Charity and Not Forgotten Association, the Shorncliffe Military Wives Choir will be performing a Showtime Spectacular at the Leas Cliff Hall.
Set up in April 2012 by Dyane the new choir was formed with roughly 42 members: "When I moved to Folkestone from Salisbury after being part of their Plain Military Wives Choir, I wanted another choir to be part of. I was determined to set one up here in Folkestone and that is exactly what I have done."
The Choir meet at the Shorncliffe Military base on Thursdays and the Status had the pleasure of hearing them rehearse ahead on the performance at the end on the month.
What is immediately clear is that these women have created their own community and are very supportive of each other. It feels like sitting in on an extended family get together. And even some of the women's children are at the rehearsals, not just to come along but a few of them will actually be in the performance on the night.
One of the singers practicing on the night we visit is not quite old enough to be a wife, but will be joining her mum on stage when the choir perform at the Leas Cliff Hall: "I am one of the kids performing and I'm really looking forward to the whole night.
A little nervous, Lara has never sung in-front of an audience before: It's going to be fun though, I'm so excited."
The rehearsals have become part of the wives lives and gives them a chance to be with other women in similar circumstances.
Hannah lives away from the military camp: "My husband is currently stationed on a 2 year posting to Northern Island so we live un-accompanied, living away from the army base.
"Me and my son are here on our which is why the choir is so fantastic, because you get to meet other ladies in the same situation and I get to have a night out of the house which gives me my sanity back.
"Without the ladies within the choir, I don't know what I would have done. You can call on any of them and they'll rally around. They are absolutely fantastic ladies."
The Military Wives Choir will be at the Leas Cliff Hall in what will turn out to be one of their biggest performances to date.
Hannah can't wait: "I'm really really excited and we're trying to raise as much money as we can for the two charities that are really close to our hearts. And it's probably the second performance that we have organised ourselves and that we are raising the money."
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