Dyane McGarry with husband Kevin ahead of the military wives choir session

by Nisha Chopra

Forget Gareth Malone, one Kent military wife is hoping to hit the right note with a khaki choir of her own.

Hot on the heels of the BBC hit show The Choir - which took the Military Wives to the Christmas number one spot last year - Dyane McGarry is looking to set up a similar choir in Kent.

She's hoping other military wives will be swept along on the euphoria after choirmaster Gareth Malone turned some squaddies' wives into fund-raising chart-busters.

Now the Military Wives Choir Association has been set up - with several singing groups across the country.

Military wife Dyane McGarry, of Gordon Road, Cheriton, was part of a choir in Salisbury Plain in Tidworth.

She moved to Wiltshire with her husband, who has been serving in the army for more than 20 years, after he was stationed there.

But after moving back to their hometown of Cheriton, Dyane realised there was no choir in Kent.

As a result the 41-year-old has taken it upon herself to get as many women as possible, with military connections, to come and have a sing-along.

The mum-of-four said: "Military wives who watched that programme were, like yes, the wives have got recognised…and on Facebook my friends said why we can’t get a choir here.

"It takes our focuses off the husbands while they're away and takes our minds off things…and when the husbands are away it gives you something to look forward to as well.

"The wives feel they're doing something for the husbands - because they get forgotten about sometimes."

The first practice session is on April 19 at St Martin's Community Centre in the town.

Dyane says she has been out poster-dropping and using Twitter to pass the word around.

With the Royal Gurkha Regiment based in Folkestone, Dyane’s hoping some of the Nepalese women will also get involved.

Dyane added: "When I was in Tidworth everything is military-‘fied’…Help the Heroes was always mentioned and The British Legion, but down here it isn't so it'll be nice for them to get recognised here."

For those interested join the ‘Shorncliffe Military Wives Choir’ on Facebook.