Military Wives win fans’ approval in radio poll

The Military Wives Choir has been given a thumbs-up from classical music fans after its track, Wherever You Are, was included in this year’s Classic FM Hall of Fame.

The song, which was written by Paul Mealor and was Christmas number one last year, was voted the fifth most-popular track by the station’s listeners.

Mealor, who was also chosen by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to write a piece of music for their wedding, was voted the nation’s favourite living composer.

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Classic FM managing director Darren Henley said: “Classical music lovers have taken Paul Mealor to their hearts after his enormous success with the Military Wives Choir and at the royal wedding.”

The poll of more than 150,000 listeners voted Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 their favourite piece of music.

It is the second year running that the track, which famously features in David Lean’s classic 1945 film Brief Encounter, takes top spot.

Video game soundtracks also featured this year, with Japanese composer Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack to Final Fantasy VII entering at number 16.

It is the first time a soundtrack to a game has appeared in the chart.

The music of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams also featured. The Lark Ascending – composed between 1914 and 1920 – came second in the poll, while Tallis Fantasia was third.

Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 5 was fourth.

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