What band have you heard on TV this year more than any other? Someone from The X Factor? Coldplay? Rihanna? The Go Compare man?

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Depending on your viewing habits, it might be one of the above. However, there’s a good chance that there’s one act you’ve heard a lot of…but have probably never seen.

Fans of Downton Abbey will be familiar with their work more than most – indeed, ever since Julian Fellowes’s smash-hit ITV drama launched, there’s only been one outfit providing the songs on the trailers.

Remember series one and that haunting rendition of The Police’s Every Breath You Take rumbling away under the period-drama-tainment?

How about series two, when the stakes were raised and war ravaged Downton to a choral version of U2’s With or Without You?

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And then, of course, there’s Wham’s Last Christmas promoting the seasonal special:

Apparently, ITV has received unprecedented requests to find out who this act is. If you’re not one of those people to write in (and receive the answer), I can now reveal that the performers in question are Scala & Kolacny Brothers – a Belgian girls' choir led by two brothers, a pianist and conductor.

But I don’t watch ITV or Downton, I hear you say – I’ve never heard these people. To that I answer – have you been to the cinema this year?

If you have, you will have heard Scala singing Creep – because it was the trailer of The Social Network.

Indeed, such has been the impact of Scala on the TV world this year that the group has even attracted the attention of Simon Cowell and the BBC.

The Syco boss asked Scala to team up with his BGT winner Jai McDowell for a new version of With or Without You – and, what’s more, asked them to perform together on the Royal Variety performance (tonight, 7:30pm, ITV1).

And that won’t be the only time you see the band (rather than just hearing them) this year because Scala are also booked to perform live on BBC Sports Personality of the Year on 22 December, where they’ll be singing Coldplay anthems Viva la Vida and Yellow during the show.

So there you have it, the soundtrack of your screen is beginning to emerge from the shadows. Where we will see them (or hear them) next is anyone’s guess – but I expect they’ll be hoping Downton gets commissioned for a few more series, too.

Scala perform on The Royal Variety Performance tonight on ITV1 from 7:30pm


And on BBC Sports Personality of the Year (Thursday 22 December, 8pm, BBC1)

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You can buy the Scala & Kolacny Brothers album here

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