A poignant rendition of Bring Him Home – a hit from the popular stage show Les Miserables – could be heard drifting from the entrance of Inverness Airport yesterday.
The voices were those of the Inverness and Kinloss military wives Choirs, who yesterday left for the bright lights of New York to perform in a prestigious concert involving 130 women from 26 choirs from around the UK.
The Wives will be hoping to do their families proud on Friday night when they step out on stage at the world famous Carnegie Hall.
The event, called The Triumph of Hope, coincides with New York’s Fleet Week naval celebration.
Carnegie Hall has been graced by legends such as Judy Garland, The Beatles and Billie Holiday – and it’s where Frank Sinatra debuted his classic track New York, New York.
Inverness military wife Tracey Walsh and five others from the city, as well as one from Kinloss, flew down to Luton yesterday before leaving for the Big Apple this morning.
Yesterday Mrs Walsh said: “We’re all very excited about being there. Inverness people and businesses and everyone round about us have been amazingly supportive and we are very grateful.
“We should also thank out families as well and especially the husbands and children. We come back next Tuesday and will be performing on Friday night. This is one of the most prestigious concert halls in the world and it’s a real honour for us to be involved. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
The ladies were given the opportunity to sing at the event by a choir in Plymouth who were approached by the Distinguished Concerts International New York City (DCINY) composer-in-residence Paul Mealor, who has composed for the Royal wedding in 2011.
The Inverness choir formed in February 2015 and has 16 members in total, six of whom will be travelling to the US along with another from the Kinloss choir.
Mrs Walsh will be joined by Shelley Gill, Nanise Qalobulawasakababa, Sheila Lall, Aimee Beattie, Claire Turner and Kinloss-based Bulou Seru.
As well as Bring Me Home, the wives will be debuting The Song of Mine, composed by Mr Mealor, U2’s With or Without You, Rule the World by Take That, Stronger Together by Gareth Malone, chart-topping Wherever You Are, Songs That Won the War and Right Here Waiting.