A PACKED St James's Church, Yarmouth, helped raise nearly £2,200 for the church tower and building fund at a community concert.

The concert was led by soloists Zita Syme (soprano) and Stephen Anthony Brown (tenor), and there were performances from the West Wight Slipshod Singers and the recently formed Royal Solent Yacht Club Choir.

The concert opened with the church in darkness as Zita sang the opening verse of Once in Royal David’s City from high up in the organ loft.

The Slipshod Singers, under musical director Dick Dawson and pianist Elisabeth Boreham, combined with the yacht club choir to perform a selection Christmas music.

During In the Bleak Midwinter, the choirs were joined by the soloists.

Zita and Stephen, accompanied by Elisabeth, enthralled the audience with their duet O Holy Night and Stephen’s solo of Ave Maria.

Organist Harald Schenk led the congregational carols and the audience joined in, aided by the choir ladies, who sang the descant lines.

The choirs and soloists joined together in We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

The event was organised by The Friends of Yarmouth Church and the singing was interspersed with readings by Lord Grade of Yarmouth, Rev Leisa Potter, vicar of Yarmouth, and John Caulcutt, a member of the congregation.