Thanks so much for your advice on altering a beaded top, it came out very well. I don't think anyone would know it was altered, and fits perfectly. Sewing the seam with a zipper foot worked fine. I also found some 'easy thread needles' which made moving short beading threads to the back very simple.
I reworked the beading over the seams, and reinforced a lot of the beading too, I feared it might come undone, and rattle through the church like machine gunfire!
Thanks so much for your help. felwyn