Bridgnorth Choral Society joins forces with The Churches Conservation Trust in a bid to make St Leonard’s Church a key events and community venue for the town.
St Leonard’s sits in the centre of Bridgnorth Town, dominating the sky line and acting as a landmark for locals and visitors alike. The church has an explosive history having been destroyed by fire during the civil war and now stands largely as a 19th century restoration. The Church no longer holds regular religious services but already hosts a number of cultural and community events including the prestigious and highly renowned annual English Haydn Music Festival. St. Leonard’s has recently undergone£200,000 worth of investment and improvements to provide internal toilets, a kitchen and a new heating system. £100,000 of funding was awarded under Shropshire Council’s Market Towns Revitalisation Programme (MTRP) with further funding secured from the Friends of St Leonard’s, the Sita Trust and the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
The MTRP was made available to help provide an immediate boost to the county’s six largest market towns and Suzanne Harris, Trust & Foundations Fundraising Officer for the Churches Conservation Trust said “We are delighted to have received a grant towards the work at St Leonard’s. With the new facilities in place we hope to provide additional events, expand our capacity to support educational visits and offer more craft and heritage workshops which will all help to provide a sustainable future for St Leonard’s.”
At the invitation of the Churches Conservation Trust, Bridgnorth Choral Society will be making St. Leonard’s their new, permanent home from the New Year and are delighted with the new rehearsal and performance facilities. As well as their usual three concerts per annum, The Choral Society will also be undertaking three additional concerts; two in aid of the Trust and one to raise funds for The Friends of St Leonard’s. Ms Harris said “I wish the Choral Society very best of luck in their new home. It is very exciting to see the project already making a difference”.
The Choral Society’s first performance in St Leonard’s Church will be their Easter Concert on March 23rd2013 to include Mendelssohn's Hear My Prayer and Stainer's Crucifixion. Rehearsals start on Friday January 4th at 7:30pm. New members are always welcome and if you’re interested in joining, please contact the Musical Director Derek Westwood on 01746 861079 or find us on facebook.
