Head of Decca Classics Mike Bartlett told Music Week earlier this month that the label wanted to sell half a million copies of the track in the UK - a target which has now already been comfortably surpassed.

The single becomes the fastest selling single since Alexandra Burke's Hallellujah shifted 576,000 in its first week in December 2008, and sells more than the rest of 2011's Top 12 combined.

Gareth Malone, Military Wives choirmaster said: "This is so surreal. Who ...