I know that music can bring people together under really extraordinary circumstances.

He spent five months a two bases in Devon, leading a choir of military wives while their husbands were away fighting in Afghanistan.

If I let my guard down and let the emotion come out, I would be crying the whole day.

Let's turn on the Possessed right now.

With the men soon coming home, Gareth has just eight weeks to prepare his choir for the performance of a lifetime.

This is AIDS.

Oh, I'm sorry for getting you into this.

But listen, we're up to our necks in it now.

What do you think happened?

It will come sense of this.

It's late summer.

And for the women of the RMB Chippenham Military Wives Choir, there are still two months before their husbands come home.

Stand up, please.

Oh, good.

It's really moving to hear how far they've come for May, because they're investing so much energy in this on, there's emotion in there singing well done.

Absolutely.

It's a very emotional time for them because we can see the end.

But there's still a long way to go For many of the choir members, this final stretch before the men come home is the longest.

You're still for Street because you wanted to be home now and it's like you know that lost but your pregnancy were just measure ball and I want the baby to come And that's what it's like.

I don't I don't even know what I'm gonna say.

Toe Just this time one shell of him.

Tie it now board.

We need that now.

The girls, they've done really well they have.

We've had the moment, you know, like every family going through this the uncertainty.

It's so hard to go through this kind of thing when you have no control over the situation, you can't relax until they're on that plane till you know they've left the country.

We owe Get women.

Through this last stage, Gareth has pulled out all the stops.

Its announcement time that this has got a big announcement and it goes to the very heart of wire.

Why I'm here.

You need to keep Saturday the 12th of November free because you're getting and it gives me a a huge excitement to tell you we're going to perform at the festival of Remember, um, which is at the Royal Albert Hall.

More than that, it's live on BBC one.

More than that, it's no take that.

It's in front of the royal family.

This is as big as it gets.

The guys will be back on.

We'll be able to celebrate.

Remember, I think it's an entirely appropriate platform for us.

I think it could be tough, but it's going to be brilliant to do.

I want this to be the best thing you've ever done in your lives will be a very, very proud moment.

So I mean, we we need We're gonna have to work hard.

Everybody happy with that.

I'm done.

I've run out well done.

Good.

It's so exciting.

I can't put into words and such a shock like I'm not a cry over it brought tears to my eyes.

I think a lot of this quite emotional about because it means so much is such personal things quite gold smile and it's like you just don't really know what to say because it's such a privilege and an honor.

I heard myself saying this is the biggest thing I've ever done so many times, but this is the biggest thing I've ever done in my life.

This is absolutely huge because it's off national importance of national significance.

Nothing else I've done has felt like that in terms of getting their message across and getting them understood, it's I can't think of anything better for Gareth.

It's essential to have the right piece for the Royal Albert Hall.

He's decided he wants to have something specially composed, gets sick.

Paul Miller, who's a really wonderful composer.

He composed one of the standout pieces from Kate and William's Royal Wedding recently.

He's prepared to write something for the women for the Royal Albert Hall.

She's really exciting, but it's just working out what he's gonna write, how it's going to work.

Hello, Paul.

Hi.

You go very well.

Have you obviously do you feel I mean, the reason I contacted you is because I could not find the right piece that really speaks about their courage and their strength and vulnerability, and kind of gets toe the number of them.

So it's trying to find that line between something that is moving on, does speak and is about remembrance.

But It's also about celebration.

I think you know, they have something to celebrate.

They, at this point, touching wood.

Their husbands should be home.

So it's it's a bit more major key.

The minor key.

Perhaps I could do major case.

You take it well, that's great social.

These composers toe That's it.

I wondered about getting letters because they all right, a lot of letters.

I've never done that before.

But if the right approach themselves their mate right lyrics, let's see.

Yeah, thank you very much.

I'll be in touch with text.

I'm seriously excited about this.

It's brilliant.

I mean, it's every choir masters dream to have somebody write stuff for you.

The news has spread that Gareth needs letters for the song.

Catherine is married to Sergeant Andrew Katchpole, who is currently in Afghanistan on his third tour of duty.

Three couple have been married for 10 years and have a five year old son, Freddie.

We always have our own little things, like he lawyers put a kiss on the back and I was due three and you know, Big One and two little ones and the fashion now.

But you know, I'll put same is the perfume off that perfume on all my letters and all the parcels And I'll always put lipstick on and actually kissed the back hundreds like 1,000,000 more cases.

The longer time goes the kisses Look, the letter, I think at the Royal Albert Hole it's gonna bay.

Really?

Your mind blow owns any word I can think off on.

Anyone here in it would hopefully get a snippet of a window if you know my life were the other half to them.

That's what he said.

I couldn't do this job without you.

I want to make him proud or something we're achieving because he's achieving that.

I was special Michelle to die tomorrow and always I'm issue with each person second and I count every single one known that as each one passes me by, It brings me another second closer to you and any others that don't wanna read mine out Keep my heart safe enough for a send it away You put it close now I'm with yours.

Thanks very much.

They're no good bye fast Wherever you are, you're always in my heart.

Breaks it.

That's lovely.

Great.

Thank you.

The letters that the women have given me are so personal, I've given them to pull Miller to make something out of it.

It's very exciting waiting for him to write a composition.

And it's It's all becoming very riel on very immediate because the guys are coming home now.

Six months they've been away on in just a matter of weeks, they'll be parading through these streets.

There's going to be huge, celebrate every homecoming parade with flies and everyone cheering on.

That's where I think our next performance should be.

That's that's a perfect build up to the Royal Albert Hall.

So the man is coming home very shortly, and I can now reveal that we are going to be singing at the homecoming parade.

It's good.

No song is ever going to quite do justice to the fact that your men have been away for all this time and your you shown amazing resilience through all of that.

And I've come up with what I think is a really good solution.

Although it's not an obvious coral classic, it is.

I want to dance with somebody by Whitney Houston.

Is that good?

Okay.

Should we try it?

I want this to be a bit or singing or dancing a bit of a show number.

We've not got long to put it on studio using that for three I want do Dio.

Let's have it for the seconds do Dio one Good, great.

It's a good son.

Can we spring off?

Do todo to the final one?

Everything that spits difficult.

Then let's just look at the next bit.

So do dio that that that that that that that ah, second part you're on the off beat, Okay, now that the complexity is that it goes that that that that that excited, very excited You're not so Tonto.

No, that's the sort of universal symbol off coral failure, which is when you go every part that I can't sing.

You're a lunatic.

You can you can, right?

I know you have to go pick up your kids, So let's That's cool.

Thank you very much.

This is what we've been doing it for.

For them just to keep them happy.

And they know that we're happened.

Here we go.

This is what we've done.

Did you think when they're marked down down streets around camp way have that lump enough?

Right and it be nice actually, to switch it a little bit and then have a lump in their throat feel quite proud of us.

They're ready.

Cane.

I'm really excited about the homecoming parade, So, um, I think it's really good.

It's the right place first before, and it's what this has all been about waiting for, the more this time, and now they're coming home.

Feels right to sing and to saying something.

Celebrate Saree.

It's not only the wives who've been missing the men during this six month tour to Afghanistan that that's being away affects the entire family.

It's not just the moms, it's the kids as well, and I can't leave them out of this.

So this is the school where a lot of the military Children go to Hello, Hi C.

This is where the youngest Children, what percentage from military background.

We've got 40% eyes.

Your daddy in Afghanistan, the four year olds are absolutely incredible, and they're coming to us with specific questions or just comments about three importance, not not making me feel so had making sure that they are brave and making sure they help out around the house we handle your daddy's away at the moment.

That's right there, here in things on the news about soldiers being shot and not being identified.

And that's quite scary.

Even the young ones pick up on it.

How many people have heard from the family this week?

If you've got someone in Afghanistan?

CJ.

Dad, he had his birthday, and I'm gonna stand like a week again.

What did you send him?

Sent him some sweets and a mug they knew the best time in wood.

10 year old CJ lives with his mom, Danny.

His dad is a vehicle repair engineer and has bean in Afghanistan for the past five months.

This'll ones off my dad, I think, when he was enough, understand, two years ago, Andi used like helping my dad's being away four times, so I'm quite used to it.

But my mom still cries when he goes away.

First time Dad went out really slow.

Just kept going.

Sometimes when I think at night, like I don't think that's gonna make it back.

But then he does.

He actually like gets back.

Money does get back.

It's really exciting.

I think with Children it's possibly even more difficult than it is for the women.

Because that's six months of their lives.

And I want them to be there at the end.

I want them there for the homecoming parade.

I think that would mean a lot of them want Gareth organizes a rehearsal for the Children.

Hello.

Hi.

I'm very good.

See you.

Or I would like for you to come and sing to the dance is part of the homecoming parade.

Would you like that?

Yeah.

And I'd like you to sing with the Monkees choir.

I'd like you to stand alongside them and sing.

You've got the coolest bit of the whole song we go Don't you want to dance?

Say you wanna dance Don't you want to dance?

So we're gonna have to practice is Don't you want to dance?

They wanna dance Don't you wanna dance?