Military Wives Choirs release new single to celebrate King’s birthday

The Military Wives Choirs have released a moving new song to mark the King’s forthcoming 76th birthday.

Charles has been honoured with a lullaby called November Sunday, which re-imagines the “chilly, foggy London night” he was born at Buckingham Palace in 1948, and the hope and joy of a recovering post-war Britain.

It also pays tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was herself a “military wife”, and served in the Armed Forces.

The King has faced a personally challenging year early in his reign after both he and daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer.

Caroline Paxton, chair of trustees at the Military Wives Choirs, said: “November Sunday is our own heartfelt gift to His Majesty and was inspired by our deep appreciation and admiration for his service to this nation.”

She added: “We hope that he will enjoy listening to the song just as much as we will enjoy performing it.”

Ms Paxton said the chart-topping Military Wives Choirs wanted their first recording since 2020 to celebrate the Armed Forces’ bond with the royal family.

The piece takes the form of a lullaby, imagining the baby prince’s first cry, first sleep and how the good news spread across the city.

“The song, with words and music by John McLaren, is set at the moment of the future king’s birth, echoing the joy the news brought to a country still recovering from war,” Ms Paxton added.

“It also pays tribute to his mother, the beloved late Queen Elizabeth II, who, like many members of our network, served in the Armed Forces and was also a military wife.

“Our intention is that the song will enter into the core repertoire for our network of 70 choirs across the UK and overseas and be performed regularly around this time of year.”

Some 100 singers, including serving personnel, wives, partners and veterans from 41 Military Wives Choirs across the UK and overseas, gathered to record the track, which was released on November 1.

It features the original BBC Radio announcement confirming the young future king’s arrival, with newsreader John Snagge declaring: “It has just been announced from Buckingham Palace that Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth … was safely delivered of a prince at 9.14pm.”

The late Queen was 22 when she welcomed her first child Prince Charles on November 14 1948, just over three years before she acceded to the throne.

She was the spouse of Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who had distinguished career in the Royal Navy, but she also served in the Armed Forces when she was 19, carrying out National Service with the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945 in the last few months of the Second World War.

Accompanying the song is the Band of the Household Cavalry – the country’s largest regular military band – with a brass and woodwind fanfare.

Producer Sean Hargreaves said the tune, with its acoustic guitars and ebb and flow rhythm, had a similar feel to Taylor Swift, while its “cinematic” orchestration was typical of bands like Radiohead.

Mr Hargreaves said: “When crafting the song, we were aiming for an emotional singer-songwriter feel, similar in approach to Taylor Swift’s Folklore, but expanded to a choir of a hundred voices rather than a solo artist.

“To achieve this, we had acoustic guitars in the foreground, arranged the rhythm section to ebb and flow, giving the arrangement plenty of space. This more modern feel complements John McLaren’s nostalgic lyrics beautifully.

“What sets this song apart is how we incorporated The Band of the Household Cavalry.  Rather than the way military bands are traditionally heard, we showcased them in a more cinematic style – similar to how a band like Radiohead or a film score might use orchestration – to add depth and colour.”

A nostalgic music video promoting the track shows a family gathering at home at dinner time, listening to the crackling wireless set and celebrating the news of the royal birth.

The Military Wives Choirs charity was launched following the BBC2 series with choral maestro Gareth Malone, and has grown into a network of some 70 choirs worldwide.

Charles met members of the choir previously at a gala dinner for Business In The Community in 2014.

Previous hits include the Christmas number one Wherever You Are in 2011, and their story was made into a film in 2020 starring Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan.

The organisation brings women in the military community together through singing, with a focus of wellbeing and resilience.