Military Wives have the Xmas Factor

And today the Military Wives choir celebrated their single becoming the fastest-selling song for six years with a live performance in Oxford Street.

Crowds gathered outside HMV as 25 members of the 100-strong choir performed carols including Away in a Manger and O Little Town of Bethlehem.

They are virtually guaranteed to top the charts for Christmas after selling 242,000 of their track, Wherever You Are, in two days.

The sales were the fastest since those of That's My Goal by X Factor winner Shayne Ward in 2005. Girl group Little Mix, who were the choir's only real rivals, could only achieve 210,000 sales of their single Cannonball in the week after they won this year's X Factor.

Today in Oxford Street, Gareth Malone, who put the choir together for a BBC2 series, was embraced by Chris Evans, who has championed the track. The Radio 2 DJ said: "It's one of the best things I've ever been involved in. I'm so pleased for Gareth and for the girls."

Malone said: "It's such amazing news. I am bored of the sound of my own voice saying how amazing, unbelievable, incredible it is - but it is. Gary Barlow sent me a private message saying well done and I also had a public message from Simon Cowell. He is a patriotic man so it is appropriate that he would be behind us and the Armed Forces. I saw Little Mix yesterday and they looked incredibly nervous."

Cowell conceded defeat in a tweet reading: "Congrats to Little Mix and to Military Wives. It is a great cause and a worthy Christmas number one."

The lyrics of Wherever You Are were taken from poems written between the women and their husbands. Malone said: "We have been lucky with the timing of our single, it is 10 years since we have been in Afghanistan and support for the armed services has never been so enthusiastic. It is something about the choirs' words and the looks in their eyes, you can see they mean every word."

No VAT on Military Wives as single heads for Christmas No1

 Festive cheer: Gareth Malone with the Military wives choir in Oxford Street, where they sang to commutersUpdated 14:31pm on 21 Dec 2011 The Military Wives choir were celebrating today after the Government agreed to waive VAT on sales of their soon-to-be chart-topping single.

The Treasury is to give the money to charity in lieu of the tax taken from sales of Wherever You Are, which is on course to be the Christmas number one this weekend.

Choir member Sarah Wall said it was a "brilliant" gesture.

Chancellor George Osborne confirmed the tax would be waived today after a request from Conservative MP Oliver Colvile called for the tax to be waived.

The single - which will raise money for forces' charities - is a soaring success, and chalked up the biggest two-day sale for six years, according to figures released yesterday.

It is outselling nearest rival Cannonball by X Factor winners by a margin of six to one.

The Military Wives were formed by Gareth Malone for BBC2 programme The Choir, which climaxed with the group performing at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Their single sold 242,000 copies in just two days and could hit the half-million mark by the end of the week.

Mr Osborne said today: "Our armed forces demonstrate incredible commitment to the nation and make sacrifices for all of us.

"The Military Wives choir is doing a great job of raising money for this hugely worthy cause. We will donate the tax collected on the single so that as much as possible of the money spent by the public on this fantastic song goes to charities helping our armed forces and their families this Christmas."

Last month the Government agreed to a similar gesture for The X Factor's charity single Wishing on a Star.

Proceeds from the single are being donated to the Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

Mrs Wall, 32, whose husband, Corporal Mark Wall, is a military policeman, said any tax move by the Government was welcome.

"I know when Gareth went to Downing Street he asked about it," the mother-of-two said.

"I'm glad they are behind us and they want to help us raise money and everything. It is brilliant that they are doing that."

Mrs Wall was speaking as she and fellow choir members went to their workplace at Tyspane Care Centre in Braunton, north Devon - where some of them will be working when they find if their single is the Christmas number one.

The announcement will be made during the Christmas Day edition of BBC1's Top Of The Pops.

Military Wives Set To Top Christmas Chart

Wherever You Are sold nearly 250,000 copies in two days - more than X Factor winners Little Mix sold in their entire first week.

The early sales figures almost guarantee them the coveted Christmas number one slot this Sunday.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes and William Hill have both suspended betting on the Military Wives taking the top spot claiming it is a "done deal".

On Tuesday morning, the wives gave their bid for the top spot a further push by performing for Christmas shoppers on London's Oxford Street.

Chris Evans has been a big supporter of the Military Wives' single

They were put together by choirmaster Gareth Malone for the BBC2 show The Choir which climaxed with the group performing at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Jo Millthorpe and Sarah Clarke from the group told Sky News it snowballed into something spectacular:

"This time a few months ago, we couldn't have imagined. We set out to have a giggle and a get together.

"We honestly thought the Royal Albert Hall would be the end but we couldn't be more wrong. It just keeps getting better."

Jo added: "We've put the shoe on the other foot really. We're all so proud of our men - and now they've got something to be proud of us for."

Simon Cowell has conceded The Military Wives will beat the X Factor winners

Malone says the song has struck a chord with the public, as they reflect on conflicts past and present.

"This single comes at a time when we're thinking about Afghanistan and realising the sacrifices made - not just the fatalities - but the small sacrifices made by their partners on a daily basis," he said.

The track has been championed by Radio 2's Chris Evans.

X Factor supremo Simon Cowell has already conceded that the Wives will beat Little Mix to the top of the festive chart when it is announced on Christmas Day.

After the X Factor winners went to number one on Sunday, he tweeted: "Congrats to Little Mix & congrats to Military Wives. It's a great cause & a worthy Christmas No.1".

Bookmaker William Hill is resigned to losing a five figure sum as they watch the women storm the charts.

Rupert Adams, from the company, says bets are all but off.

"We are so amazed by them that we are offering just 3/1 that the single sells a million copies by Christmas Day."