A High Wycombe girls’ choir received special recognition from bass singing legend Stephen Connolly at a prestigious choir competition.

Singers from the Jackie Palmer Girls Choir beat off tough competition from 10 other choirs to win the accolade of Choir of the Day in this year’s Choir of the Year competition in Basingstoke.

Speaking on the day, Mr Connolly, co-director and bass singer of internationally acclaimed a capella group the King’s Singers, and one of the judges in the competition, said: "You only have to listen to the applause to know that this afternoon, something very special has happened on this stage.”

Part of the Jackie Palmer Stage School, the choir, which was formed in 2013 by musical director Sarah Lawson, performed spiritual song Motherless Child followed by a choreographed version of Barbara Streisand’s Don't Rain on My Parade.

School principal Marylyn Phillips said of the performance: “It was absolutely stunning - the applause seemed to go on for a very long time and the atmosphere was terrific.

“Both numbers left the judges spellbound.”