A south Bucks A Cappella group took gold at a national competition in the same year they celebrated their 40th anniversary.

The multi-award winning ladies chorus Amersham A Capella took the top prize at the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) competition, with organisers saying the 66 women received two standing ovations and their highest score ever.

Musical director Helen Lappert said: “I am so proud of our girls – we have all worked so hard to achieve these dizzy heights and we will carry on striving to improve even further.”

The chorus will represent the UK in the European Championships in October 2017 and has appeared on ITV’s Lorraine, teaching TV’s Giovanna Fletcher to sing in their style of a cappella.

The group said it was a “truly memorable and fabulous” experience, and one it won’t “forget for a while”.

Chairman Suzy Hyde said: “We do so much more than just sing. We are a team who come together every week to rehearse, have fun and have formed an incredibly close bond of friendship.

“We love to share our passion for singing and aim to bring joy to every last member of our audience.”