CHOIR members from Marlborough St Mary’s primary school have performed in front of a packed out O2 Arena in London as part of a national singing celebration.

The choir from St Mary’s includes pupils from year two to year six, with 49 children taking part on the day. They learned 14 songs and spent weeks practising ahead of the event in the main stage of the O2 Arena on February 1.

They joined other schools from across the south, creating a sound wall of 7,972 voices and filling the seats of the arena which has seen the likes of Adele and Ed Sheeran perform.

Deputy head teacher, Toni Holford-Wright, said: “When the lights went out before the performance began there was this shared moment where there was an intake of breath before they all started singing.

“It was amazing, a long day but parents are still coming in now to talk about how much their children loved it.

“It is a fantastic thing for children to be involved in and be part of something so huge.”

Organisers of the annual event, Young Voices, also had a live band and singers on stage including soul singer Natalie Williams and acapella group The Magnets as they performed to crowds of proud parents who joined them in London.