Bonnie and the brothers.

Byline: WENDY JONES

IT'S been a rollercoaster year for Britain's favourite choir since they shot to fame as winners of the BBC show Last Choir Standing and on Monday Only Men Aloud launch their second album. Band of Brothers features a collaboration with Bonnie Tyler, a new arrangement of her 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, which will also be released as a single on the same day.

Bonnie first performed the song live with Only Men Aloud at their request for their sell-out Cardiff Arena show in May this year. She was so impressed with the arrangement, by choir musical director Tim Rhys-Evans, and the audience's enthusiastic response that she was prompted to re-record the track with choir.

Bonnie said: "I'm delighted with this version of Total Eclipse and it is wonderful to be working with such a great choir as Only Men Aloud. I am so happy that the legendary Jim Steinman, who wrote this beautiful song, has told me how much he adores this recording of it."

MD Tim said: "Bonnie was such a huge part of the music scene when I was growing up so it was a surreal moment, taking my arrangement of her biggest hit to her home. Thankfully she loved it! Bonnie has been an absolute star - so excited and positive - and she's sounding better than ever."

The album includes interpretations of modern classics such as Somebody to Love - performed with Kerry Ellis who hails from the Queen musical We Will Rock You and has performed as the lead in Wicked in the West End and Broadway.

The choir's not forgetting its Welsh roots, with traditional anthems such as Blaenwern and Gwahoddiad on the playlist.

Only Men Aloud, made up of 20 young men from South Wales, found themselves in the middle of a vicious bidding war between major record labels after winning the TV title and finally signed a multi-million pound, five-album deal with Universal/Decca - the largest ever for a choir by quite some margin.

Their first album achieved gold status within a week and went on to sell over a quarter of a million copies.

Tim said: "From the beginning I wanted this album to represent our wide ranging repertoire. The arrangements have a filmic feel and I am incredibly excited about the finished product.

"Only Men Aloud are very proud of Band of Brothers, the pre-sales are phenomenal and I hope this album will sell like hot Welsh cakes!". We've got five copies of Band of Brothers, signed by Bonnie and Tim, to be won. To enter, just answer the following question: On which BBC TV show did Only Men Aloud find fame? Answers on a postcard please with your name, address and daytime phone number by October 15, to Sarah Batley, Only Men Aloud competition, Daily Post, PO Box 202, Vale Road, Llandudno Junction LL31 9ZD.

CAPTION(S):

Bonnie Tyler and Only Men Aloud have re-recorded her smash hit Total Eclipse of the Heart on the choir's new album, Band of Brothers