Who said midweek was a bad night to attract a crowd?

The West Wight Choir pulled in a full house for their concert for Holy Week, at a new-look Christ Church, Totland Bay, last Wednesday.

"Come, Our Voices Raise" was an ambitious and varied programme of music, ranging from the familiar classics such as Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze and God So Loved the World from Stainer's Crucifixion, to James Davy's contemporary My Peace I Give sung by just eight members of the choir.

There were pieces by Will Todd, Mendelssohn and Mozart, and among the highlights was Handel's The Trumpets Shall Sound, performed by guest soloist Michael Doyle.

Guest accompanist was the inimitable James Longford, who performed on both Christ Church's famous organ – Herbert Howells' Master Tallis's Testament – and on the church's brand new piano, Beethoven's Adagio Cantabile from Sonata No 8.

Some of the audience were surprised by Christ Church's new look. The pews have been removed in favour of comfortable chairs, enabling a new and every effective use of the space: the choir lining the long wall and the audience spread out with good visibility.

But the real difference, reported veteran performers and audiences there, was in the acoustic, which was warm and free.

Musical director Chrissie Acland performed her own solo, O Rest in the Lord from Mendelssohn's Elijah, as did Alan Roffey-Jones with Curran's The Resurrection.

The concert raised over £700 for Mountbatten.