The Voices of Armed Forces Children’s Choir made history on BGT when head judge Simon Cowell personally invited them to perform on the stage of the show. Simon visited the Choir’s rehearsal at London’s Guard’s Chapel and was deeply moved by their performance and the poignant stories they shared. With his knack for spotting exceptional talent and compelling narratives, Simon’s decision to showcase the choir was spot on.
For those who didn’t know, The Voices of Armed Forces Children’s Choir is unique in more ways than one as it is made up of around 50 children aged 6 to 18. These young singers are the sons and daughters of active-duty service members or veterans of the armed forces. Formed just a year before their 2022 BGT audition, the choir is part of the “Never Such Innocence” program, supported by the Royal British Legion. According to their site, this program “encourages children of service members to express what life is like for them through a range of activities including poetry, art, speech, and song.”
The choir chose to perform “Welcome Home,” written by the kids about the joy they feel when their parents return from deployment. From the moment they sang, everyone in the audience showed great enthusiasm. Their voices blended together seamlessly, prompting the audience to clap along to the rhythm.
Simon Cowell praised the Choir after their breathtaking audition, noting, “We hear a lot of people from the services tell their stories, but we never hear the kids tell their story.” This made the Choir stand out as one of the most unique and unforgettable acts in the history of Britain’s Got Talent.
With two Chelsea Pensioners dressed in scarlet watched from the royal boxes above, the Voices of Armed Forces Children’s Choir delivered a moving rendition of an original song written by one of the choir members during a workshop at Never Such Innocence.
Their performance moved everyone in the room to tears, and as soon as it ended, the entire audience rose to their feet in thunderous applause.