MORE than 100 amateur singers, who had never before met, rehearsed and performed one of classical music's greatest works in a single day and raised £2,500 for charity.

About 125 singers ranging in age from nine to 86 joined the tenth anniversary Wantage Come and Sing Messiah concert at the town's Beacon hall on Saturday.

They were supported by a miniature orchestra and nearly 100 people paid to come and watch.

The all-day workshop and evening performance was all arranged by a small group of music-loving friends who have been putting on the same event every year for a decade.

The group, led by husband and wife team Gill and Gordon Skidmore, started organising the first concert in December 2007, and used this weekend's event to celebrate their tenth anniversary, although the first concert was actually staged until January 2008.

That anniversary is still to come.

Mrs Skidmore said: "We had a really fantastic day on Saturday. Everything went according to plan and it was a very happy day.

"After expenses, we raised around £2,500 to be shared between the seven charities we supported during our first nine years of existence.

"Huge thanks go to all our sponsors for making this possible."

She gave special thanks to guest conductor for the day Paul Leddington Wright and the four young soloists – Hannah Wardrop (soprano), Lexie White (alto), Hugh Beckwith (tenor) and Matthew Iddeson (bass).

The charities to benefit from the show include Prostate Cancer UK and Oxford's Sobell House Hospice.