Birmingham Community Gospel Choir 'overjoyed' at win

Maxine Brooks set up the choir 10 years ago

The leader of a Birmingham choir said members were "overjoyed" to have been crowned the BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year.

The Birmingham Community Gospel Choir won at London's Hackney Empire in a programme broadcast on Sunday.

The choir, which reached the competition's final in 2012, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.

Choir founder and leader Maxine Brooks said they won because "of the heart they have for gospel singing".

"We sing because we want to and because we can - we enjoy what we do and we love what it does to people when we sing," she said.