CHIPPENHAM'S world music choir has gone on tour for the first time in its 11-year history.

Lingmara, which sings songs from all over the world and meets on Tuesdays in The Cause, formed a flash mob in Bristol airport's departure lounge while waiting for the plane to Kaunas, Lithuania.

Choir member Nigel Linacre, 57, of St Mary Street, said: "People didn't really know what to make of it. Lots of people stopped to listen. I said to the airport official afterwards, I hope that was okay, and he said, 'It was lovely'."

In Lithuania they moved some Poles to tears when they again burst into song spontaneously, this time in an Orthodox Church in the capital, Vilnius.

They chose to go to the Baltic state because it is the native country of one of their Chippenham members, Egle Rudolph. Mr Linacre said: "Singing is quite a big thing over there because there were a lot of other things they couldn't do when they were occupied by the Soviet Union until 1990.

"It lifts the human spirit. You get another level of connection, as a tenor I find I'm really close with the other tenors."

Lingmara sang in Lithuanian as well as French, Maori and Bosnian. Music director Tony Barby said they practised for six months to get 20 songs in ten different languages up to scratch.

Chippenham Borough Lands Charity provided £2,000 support, meaning all 28 of Lingmara's 35 members who wanted to, were able to go on the tour.

They were also joined by former member Per Gradin, who returned to his homeland, Sweden, six months ago.

Lingmara was hosted by the 40-strong leading Kaunas choir Saluto, who will in return be making a trip to Chippenham in July to perform at ChippFest.

Founding choir member Fred Guscott, who also runs The Cause centre, The Causeway, with his wife Norma, said anyone was welcome to join them at their Tuesday rehearsals at 7.15pm. “There’s no audition. Just walk in and sing,” he said.