The frosty skies and slate grey seas of Iceland formed the backdrop to a lush symphony of children's voices last week.

Members of the Children's International Voices of Enfield, one of the largest choirs in the borough, braved temperatures of minus 16 when they visited the country to perform there from October 25 to 30.

The group gave its major performance in a cathedral in the capital, Reykjavik, where they were recorded for Icelandic Television.

Repertoire included Pie Jesu from the Faure Requiem, with pieces by Douglas Coombes, John Rutter and Vaughan Williams. The choir also performed three Stephen Foster songs which had been arranged specially for them by Peter Hutchings. Other performances were in Skalholt Cathedral, one of iceland's largest cathedrals, but still only about 30 metres long, and in a distinctive white modern church at Kopavogur.

A total of 56 included parents and about 25 children aged between eight and 22 visited the country. The children were put up by Icelandic families while all adults and choir founder and director Dr June Keyte stayed in a guesthouse.

Dr Keyte has now been to Iceland five times and took the Kingsmead Singers there when she was director of music at Kingsmead school. She said: "It was fantastic, it was beautiful. There was something special about the atmosphere there, there were blue skies and the geographical features were awesome. Iceland is the kind of place that people would never go to usually. We will never forget it."

During the week children also swam in the blue lagoon, a warm geothermal spa which is mineral rich, and took day trips around the island.