The Poppy Girls

[Sing]

Hi all,
I wasn't sure whether to post this here or not, but earlier I found this article on the Telegraph website, (www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10397241/Five-service-schoolgirls-form-Poppy-Girls-appeal.html)
about five girls who have parents serving in the UK armed forces and have recorded a single together to raise money for this year's poppy appeal. I really like the song and its for a great cause so I thought I'd share it here.

Here's their website (I think)
www.britishlegion.org.uk/news-events/news/poppy-appeal/first-armed-forces-girl-group-release-official-poppy-appeal-single

and the video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUlvdzf1FNc

best wishes
Sing

[Richard]

Thanks for posting, Sing!

I think this is a one-off recording, so I doubt if the Poppy Girls will have their own website. The link you posted is to a news report on the Royal British Legion's website.

Here's an interesting video about the project from British Forces News:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyDKXu6rzlU

Look out for Laura Wright and Kathryn Nash.

Richard

[Richard]

Here's a report with a video interview from Sky News:

news.sky.com/story/1158718/the-poppy-girls-to-perform-for-the-queen

The Poppy Girls To Perform For The Queen

Five girls whose fathers are in the armed forces are following in the footsteps of Military Wives by forming a group which will perform for the Queen.

The quintet, called The Poppy Girls, has been assembled after a nationwide talent hunt and will sing the official 2013 Poppy Appeal single.

The group, made up of children who have a parent serving in the UK or overseas, have recorded the Regina Spektor song The Call (No Need To Say Goodbye).

They will perform the tune in front of the Queen at next month's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

The girls are: Megan Adams, 10, from Stirling, Florence Ransom, 10, from Petersfield, Alice Milburn, 13, from Portsmouth, Bethany Davy, 15, from Dartford, and Charlotte Mellor, 17, from Cambridge.

They were picked from around 1,000 hopefuls.

The Royal British Legion and Decca Records worked together to recruit the group, which represents the Royal Navy, the Army and the RAF.

With a TV audience of more than six million viewers, hopes are high that the girls will mark their recording debut with a huge chart hit.

Charles Byrne, the Legion's head of fundraising, said: "This is a hauntingly beautiful track sung by a group of girls who know what it means to have family members constantly placed in harm's way.

"We have a major theme in this year's Poppy Appeal around families, so there is no more powerful way of reflecting that than through the voices of these exceptionally talented young people."

The girls' track will be released on Remembrance Sunday, November 10.

The Poppy Appeal was launched with a concert at RAF Northolt yesterday. Here's a photograph from ITV:


The Poppy Girls pose for a photograph before a concert at RAF Northolt to launch the Royal British
Legion's Poppy Appeal 2013. Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Richard

[Sing]

Thanks Richard

Here's another video I found of them giving David Cameron a poppy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5c7R2f20hc

And another video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyDKXu6rzlU

Best wishes
Sing

[Richard]

Hello Sing!

The Poppy Girls do now have their own website (from Decca), but there's not very much on it at the moment:

www.thepoppygirls.com

Richard

[Richard]

The Poppy Girls will be performing the official Poppy Single at 'Silence in the Square' in Trafalgar Square on Monday 11 November 2013 from 9:30am:

www.britishlegion.org.uk/news-events/calendar-of-events/general/silence-in-the-square,-london

Ben Shephard will host the proceedings which will include musical performances by Next of Kin (X Factor) and Paul Potts (tenor), readings by actors Zoe Tapper (Mr Selfridge) and Adrian Lester (Othello at the National) and our own Poppy Girls performing the official Poppy Single 'The Call (No need to say Goodbye)'.

Click on the link for more information about the event.

Richard

[Dave]

Hi everyone,

As mentioned above, The Poppy Girls sung "Call Me (no need to say goodbye)" live at tonight's Festival of Remembrance.

Here is my recording of it (on my personal YT channel).

Poppy Girls: The Call (no need to say goodbye)

There's a nice surprise after they finish!

The charity single is out on Sunday in the UK:

To buy on iTunes: po.st/PoppyGirlsIT
To buy on Amazon: po.st/PoppGirlsAmz

Cheers, Dave

[Richard]

Thanks for the video, Dave!

That was a very moving performance by the Poppy Girls. I'll definitely be in Trafalgar Square tomorrow morning, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them there.

Richard

[Richard]

The Poppy Girls also appear in this very interesting video from ITN. Look out for three Windsors on the bus - William, Catherine and Barbara! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1E1X5c_vs8

If you watch very closely in full screen you'll catch a few glimpses of Laura Wright and Kathryn Nash in the background.

Richard

[Richard]

The Poppy Girls gave another excellent performance in Trafalgar Square this morning, and Megan's father was there to watch the proceedings again. As I suspected, the girls are managed by Kathryn Nash, who I had a quick chat with after the event. There are pictures from this morning on the Poppy Girls' Twitter page:

twitter.com/thepoppygirls











I've found a very interesting series of videos from the Royal British Legion. The single was produced by Jon Cohen, who also produced Hayley's 'Hushabye'.

Search for The Poppy Girls - Episode 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Dim4iokyU

Search for The Poppy Girls - Episode 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8l_JUHxGIE

The Girls record their first single: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xINUFmC2cFs

Poppy Appeal launch at RAF Northolt: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0q6M8_991w

A tweet from Jon Cohen after the Poppy Girls' performance at the Festival of Remembrance:

Jon Cohen ‏@joncohenmusic 9 Nov
Immeasurably proud of my brilliant @thepoppygirls tonight. Well done girls! #PoppyGirls4No1

Richard

[Sing]

Thanks Dave and Richard!
I'll have a look at those videos, my ears got worse again over the weekend so wasn't able to hear the Festival of Remembrance but I still found it quite moving.


Sing

[Richard]

Here's another picture from Trafalgar Square via the Poppy Girls' Twitter. Here they are with Paul Potts:



Here's a fun picture of the girls launching their single in Sainsbury's at Cromwell Road, Kensington:



More pictures here: twitter.com/thepoppygirls

Richard

[Richard]

As Dave mentioned in the Chart News thread, the Poppy Girls are releasing an album, 'No Need To Say Goodbye' on 25 November 2013, and it can be pre-ordered here:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G0239XW



Track Listings
1. Poppy Girls Introduction (Vocalise)
2. The Call (No Need To Say Goodbye)
3. Wind Beneath My Wings
4. I'll Be There
5. Always And Forever
6. Your Song
7. Imagine
8. Footsteps
9. Ho Hey
10. I Vow To Thee My Country
11. Pipes Of Peace
12. I'll Stand By You
13. O Holy Night
14. Wherever You Are

The album will also be available at iTunes, and you can listen to samples here:

itunes.apple.com/gb/album/no-need-to-say-goodbye/id734590682

The clips sound wonderful!

Richard

[Richard]

There are lots of great photographs on the Poppy Girls' Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Poppy-Girls/535970026491128

It's better than their website, so I've 'liked' the page. Is anybody going to join me?

Richard

[Joe]

Nov 12, 2013 14:32:10 GMT Richard said:

There are lots of great photographs on the Poppy Girls' Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Poppy-Girls/535970026491128

It's better than their website, so I've 'liked' the page. Is anybody going to join me?

Richard

I have! I think their efforts to bring awareness to the poppy campaign and the RBL is exemplary; plus they sing brilliantly! Gorgeous harmony among them.

Laura Wright was one of the judges involved in the audition and judging process.

Dave, thanks for sharing the video of "The Call" from the Festival of Remembrance! It was a beautiful surprise for young Megan. Huw, in introducing it, might have had his doubts! I do hope to watch the entire service as well.

I knew I've heard that song before...and I've discovered it was sung by Regina Spektor on the movie soundtrack for "The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian".

I look forward to hearing more from the sweetest quintet of the year!