ELDERLY residents at a South Marston care home joined in with teenagers’ renditions of popular Christmas carols.

Teachers from the Maranatha Christian School said their pupils listened spellbound to the story of one resident at Fitzwarren House, who had spent part of her childhood in a Siberian concentration camp.

And managers at the care home were equally full of praise for the 13 Sevenhampton pupils, aged between 12 and 18, saying the choir had got their residents singing.

Joy Nurcombe, a teacher at the Maranatha Christian School, said: “It was brilliant. The elderly guests at the home really enjoyed it. They were joining in, having a great time."

Students performed classics like Away in the Manger, with O Come All Ye Faithful proving to be a particular hit with the Fitzwarren House residents.

“After the carols, there were some quite amazing conversations between the students and the residents, one of which was with a Polish lady who had been in Siberia during the Second World War," Ms Nurcombe said.

“They had never met a person who had gone through the horror of a Siberian concentration camp. It was history in front of their eyes.”

The school visits Fitzwarren House every year at Christmas time, with Ms Nurcombe calling it a Maranatha tradition. “It is a chance to show them we care, they were special. It's a time of year where we may be the family that they might not necessarily have,” she added.

Amanda Cops, activity coordinator at the care home, said: “Our residents really enjoyed it. They had little choir books and were singing along with the students.

“Having the choir in, it takes the residents back in time to when they were younger.”

Fitzwarren House is home to up to 64 residents. The Kingsdown Road care home specialises in dementia care.