CHOIRS and choral groups gathered for a mammoth singing session spanning the weekend.

Starting at 9am on Saturday at Lancing College Chapel, it ran continuously through until Sunday at 3.30pm.

The event, organised by Friends of Sussex Hospices, saw choirs from across Sussex dust off their hymn books to sing for 30 and a half consecutive hours in a bid to boost donations to the charity.

Hundreds of people, including local dignitaries, turned up to watch the Hospice Hymnathon, with a small core of people even staying through the night as the singing continued.

Kathy Gore, the chairwoman of Friends of Sussex Hospices, said: "All of the choirs were fantastic. They came in every shape and size. Every choir had a little story attached to it and they all loved singing.

"So many people said they had driven past the college so many times and never been inside. They were overwhelmed when they actually saw inside. They did not realise that it is actually open to the public."

The Martlets Hospice choir, which only formed in May this year, put in an appearance. Staff and volunteers from the hospice along with patients and the families of past patients sang together, performing songs including Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.

Other performers included the Brighton Male Voice Choir and Singing For Pleasure.

The mammoth madrigal also included a series of open sessions where the public was invited to sing the Messiah choruses in three sessions, with the Hallelujah chorus repeated at each and the Amen chorus sung at midnight to the sound of the chapel's great organ.

The choirs sang in half-hour slots - performing hymns or spiritual songs of their own choice.

Mrs Gore added: "We were on our knees by the end of it but the adrenaline keeps you going. I think lots of people will be left with some very fond memories. It went really well, it was lovely."

There was a breakfast of coffee and croissants to accompany Christmas carols as dawn broke on Sunday and the event ended with a finale at 5.30pm featuring talented young soloists.