A NORTH Yorkshire church was filled with the voices of a newly formed 40-piece choir this weekend.

Set up by Jessica Hayne, from Helperby, the amateur vocalists had just one afternoon to rehearse the 40-part song Spem In Alium before the performance at the village's church on Saturday.

In celebration of her 40th birthday, the choir was made up of friends and family from as far away as France, Birmingham and Kent.

Jessica wanted to perform the challenging song in her home, which is a converted chapel, and thought her birthday was the perfect opportunity for a harmonic sing along. To complete the celebrations, the choir performed at St Peter's Church in Helperby in the evening