Two military wives from Leicester set to top the charts

Two military wives look set to be a part of chart history with their TV choir single, which is heading straight for the Christmas number one spot.

Jane Batchelor and Karen Clee are part of Military Wives, put together by Gareth Malone for BBC2 series The Choir.

Their song, Wherever You Are, has become the fastest-selling single in six years, shifting 242,000 copies in two days and outselling X-Factor winners Little Mix by six to one.

Jane, 43, and Karen, 45, who grew up in Leicester, both moved to North Devon about 20 years ago as their husbands were based there.

They met for the first time when the 100-strong choir was put together, and were amazed to discover they had attended the same primary school.

Mum-of-two Jane, whose husband Andy is an RAF warrant officer, said she had to be persuaded to join the choir.

She said: "A couple of the girls said to me, 'Why don't you join?' I said I didn't think I could sing, but they said it was an opportunity to get together.

"We had no idea it was going to get this big. It's surreal."

Jane and Karen both lived in Evington and went to Linden Primary, then Linden Junior.

Karen, who was at HMV in London's Oxford Street yesterday to promote the single, said: "It wasn't until we joined the choir and I saw on Facebook that Jane was from Leicester that we found out we had gone to the same school."

Karen, whose husband Andy is in the Royal Engineers, said the interest in the single had been "unbelievable".

She said: "What started as a social project for people when the men were deployed has been given so much more meaning."

The lyrics of Wherever You Are were inspired by letters between some of the choir members and their husbands while serving in Afghanistan.

Written by Paul Mealor, the single will raise money for forces' charities.

Jane said: "My husband served in both Gulf wars and we all know what it's like to be separated from our partners.

"This single has really raised awareness of what the wives do.

"It has hit home to people seeing 100 of us standing shoulder to shoulder singing that song.

"It means so much to so many people. We know we have raised lots for charity."

Official chart positions will be announced on the Top Of The Pops Christmas Special on Sunday.

The song lyrics

Wherever you are my love will keep you safe,

My heart will build a bridge of love 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 after 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 hold on through the night,

I will pray each day, a safe return,

Will look now through the light,

Light after darkness my wondrous star,

Our hopes and dreams, my heart and yours, forever shining far,

Light after darkness my prince of peace,

May the stars shine all around you,

May your courage never cease,

Courage never cease.