Britain's Got Talent Connie Talbot sings for arson-hit school

Ten-year-old singing sensation Connie Talbot hit the high notes at a festive fundraiser for a fire-ravaged Wolverhampton primary school, delighting a packed Bilston Town Hall.

Parents and pupils from Wilkinson Primary School watched in wonder as the Walsall youngster gave flawless, lung-bursting renditions of Christmas favourites.

The hall was packed for last night's show, and staff had to put out extra seating hastily as people filed in. Britain's Got Talent finalist Connie took to the stage to rapturous applause.

She was backed by the 35-strong choir from the school in Walter Road, Bradley.

She gave glimpses of the range which shot her to stardom on the ITV show, giving an angelic performance of Silent Night before belting out Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Mariah Carey's Hero.

Connie, of Streetly, had insisted on performing after hearing of the plight of the school, which was destroyed by a blaze in October. Pupils are taking lessons in temporary classrooms on the site while books and furniture have been donated by other schools in the city.

Connie's parents Gavin and Sharon Talbot and siblings Josh, 17, and Molly, 15, were in the audience.

While Connie's profile has diminished in this country since she came runner-up on Britain's Got Talent aged just six, her star has soared to great heights overseas.

She has opened a summit of G20 leaders at a special concert in Korea; appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in America and met George Clooney after appearing on the German equivalent of Children in Need. Her next foreign assignment is a date at the Chinese New Year celebrations — with 400 million people watching.

"We've travelled the world with her," Mrs Talbot, aged 41, said.

Connie's success abroad has come via a remarkable twist of fate.

After Simon Cowell pulled out a deal to sign her, Connie's parents struck a record deal and an album Over The Rainbow, followed.

However the label's distribution company went into liquidation and copies are languishing in a warehouse.

Meanwhile distributors in Asia and America snapped up the album and sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

But her mother says Connie is still desperate to catch Cowell's eye again.

"She's waiting for Simon to come back. That's her true dream."