FOR the wives of those in the Forces life can be tough – a new posting every few years means finding new friends, jobs and settling children in at school.

But a team of women in Bicester have eased the move by starting a military wives choir.

Just 10 months ago the women sang for the first time with just six members. The group now boast 25 but they want to see more new faces.

Up and down the country there are about 75 military wives choirs all running to the same format, learning the same songs so that when wives move around they will have a “common ground” wherever they go.

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Hayley Oats, whose husband Simon is based at St George’s Barracks with The Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment (DEMS Trg Regt), said: “It’s about bringing us all together and certainly for all the wives it’s a way of meeting people you would not meet otherwise.

“You don’t need to be good at singing, there’s no voice test and we don’t make you stand at the front.”

Mrs Oats, 43, a professional photographer, said she went to the first meeting to take photos and was “conned” into joining the choir and committee.

She said: “I have never been involved with a military wives choir and was a bit sceptical about it but I have a really good laugh, I have made lots of new friends and I really enjoy it.

“The beauty of military wives choirs is what we learn we take to the next posting. You’ve immediately got common ground.

“You don’t start from scratch in a new area.”

The group hopes to recruit a mixture of ex-military personnel who have stayed in Bicester and current military wives so there is continuity when people move on.

Bicester has three military communities – Bicester Garrison, St David’s Barracks and St George’s Barracks – and the women want people from all three to join.

The group’s first engagements are concerts for Bicester Singing Festival tomorrow and Wednesday at St Edburg’s Church, Church Street. They will perform Sing, When the Tanks Roll By and We Shall Overcome.

  • The group meets at St Mary’s Church, Church Walk, Ambrosden, near Bicester, every Monday from 7.30pm. People can drop in or email bicester@militarywiveschoirs.org