Military Wives on song in the Big Apple

Six members of the Military Wives Choir joined up with more than 100 women from branches across the UK to sing at Carnegie Hall.

But they did not stop there and burst into impromptu song at various times throughout the trip, even on the plane.

The members, Tracey Walsh, Claire Turner, Aimee Beattie, Sheila Lall, Nanise Qalobulaiwasaikabara and Shelley Gill also performed at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, where Broadway hopefuls sing as they wait tables.

After four days in the Big Apple it was time for the main event and the choir took to the stage of the world-famous Carnegie Hall.

“I looked around the prestigious concert hall, I was determined to give it my all and leave with no regrets, and that’s exactly what all 126 of us did,” said Ms Walsh, chairwoman of the Inverness Military Wives Choir.

“It was phenomenal, we couldn’t stop smiling. At the end, the audience gave us a standing ovation and we did an encore of Stronger Together where we all linked arms and swayed in unison, it was a truly magic moment.”

Ms Walsh also thanked everyone who donated and helped raise the £1800 required for each singer to go.

The performance received high praise from critic Jeffrey Williams, who wrote a feature for New York Concert Review.

He said: “These ladies are all heart and it shows immediately. They are giving their all and

loving every single moment. The audience was completely won over, and in spite of my best efforts to remain the hard-nosed, emotionless critic, I was won over as well, in about 20 or so seconds.”

One of the singers, Aimee Beattie, said it had been the trip of a lifetime.

“My New York experience has been phenomenal,” she said.

“To perform in the famous Carnegie Hall is something

not many people from the Highlands can say they did so I’m very proud to be able to say I was there on stage with five of my best friends.”

A video of the military wives performing at Ellen's Stardust Diner is available here:

https://www.facebook.com/EllensStardustDiner/videos/787534747945437

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