A UNIVERSITY a cappella group is celebrating after winning a regional heat of an international singing group.

Northern Lights, Durham University’s a cappella group, won their quarter-final heat of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), which was held in Edinburgh against seven other universities.

They will now sing at the national finals, which will be held in London on March 25.

If they are successful, they will go on to perform in the international final in New York.

President Lotte Jones, a third year student, said: “We were completely over the moon. Last year we came second in our heat so it was nice to win this year.

“It puts us as the best Northern choir as well which is exciting.”

They won with their own arrangements of Sia’s Bird Set Free, Rihanna’s Pon de Replay and Lovers’ Eyes, by Mumford and Sons.

As well as winning the top prize, there were special accolades for Rachel Dungate, who won the award for outstanding soloist for her rendition of Bird Set Free, and beat boxer Yuki Matsumoto, who was best vocal percussionist.

The group, which came fourth in the UK last year in the competition, arranges all of its own pieces and sings without musical accompaniment under the guidance of musical director Helen Butcher.