Gareth Malone

Wherever You Are

For SSA chorus, Piano, Harp, Percussion and Strings.

Commissioned by Gareth Malone for Series Four of BBC TV's 'The Choir' and first performed by Malone and the Military Wives' choir as part of The Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on 12th November 2011 in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen.

A favourite for the 2011 Christmas Number One, with support from radio DJ Chris Evans who has suggested every choir in the country should sing this song, it's the biggest threat to X-Factor chart domination this year.

The text is taken from poems, letters and prayers written by the Military Wives, selected and adapted by Paul Mealor, and a passage from the Book of John:

Wherever you are, my love will keep you safe;
My heart will build a bridge of light, across both time and space.
Wherever you are, our hearts still beat as one,
I hold you in my dreams each night, until your task is done.

Light up the darkness, my wondrous star,
Our hopes and dreams, my heart and yours, forever shining far.
Light up the darkness, my prince of peace;
May the stars shine all around you, may your courage never cease.

Wherever I am, I will love you day by day,
I will keep you safe, cling on to faith, along the dark, dark way.
Wherever I am, I will hold on through the night;
I will pray each day, a safe return, will look now to the light.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13