ALISON CROOSE There was a double celebration when the doors of St Nicholas' Chapel swung open to welcome a concert audience for the first time in nearly two years.

ALISON CROOSE

There was a double celebration when the doors of St Nicholas' Chapel swung open to welcome a concert audience for the first time in nearly two years.

The fine medieval church was an ideal place to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee and the occasion also launched the Friends of St Nicholas, who aim to increase use of the building for concerts, exhibitions and other events.

The Iceni Orchestra and King's Lynn Male Voice Choir shared the concert, which was warmly received by a good-size audience.

The Iceni's musical director, Derek Oldfield, ensured the performance had a suitably stirring opening by composing a fanfare to herald the National Anthem.

The occasion provided a reminder – if one was needed – of the chapel's fine acoustics and underlined the desire for its continued use.

Mr Oldfield arranged an ideal programme for a summer Sunday afternoon, including William

Boyce's Fourth Symphony, an Eric Coates march and Mozart's Symphony No 39.

The choir, conducted by musical director Marcus Harley, added to the variety with a Negro spiritual, songs made famous by Matt Munro, Schubert's Sanctus and a particularly vigorous arrangement of Rhythm of Life.