A Grade II-listed church in Salford is opening its doors to candelight concerts for the first time as part of its 200th anniversary celebrations.
St Philips Church, on Chapel Street, reached its 200th birthday on September 21 with an anniversary service that saw Salford MP Rebecca Long Bailey and a Deputy Lord Lieutenant attend.
Rector and Team Leader at St Philips, Dr Gareth Robinson, says: “We are thrilled to be hosting these candlelight concerts.
“As we have been celebrating our 200th anniversary this year, we have been talking about our ‘Legacy of Light’, and to have beautiful music lit by candlelight in our historic building is a real joy for us.”
This December, the church will be illuminated by hundreds of candles, with performances by a local Manchester-based string quartet.
The first concert took place on November 8, with three to take place in the next few weeks.
The candlelight concerts take a fresh spin on classical music by playing work by mainstream artists.
Previous concerts have included tributes to bands, such as Queen and Abba.
Entertainment platform, Fever, run these events globally. In recent years, they have grown in popularity and have appeared at iconic venues such as: the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Central Hall Westminster in London.
St Philips has also hosted concerts for many years, including the annual Sounds From The Other City festival each May.
Rector Gareth Robinson said: “Our church has been the hub of the community for two centuries. In much more recent times, we host a regular toddler group, foodbanks, women’s conferences and student nights and many more.”
Anyone is welcome to carol services over the upcoming Sundays including: Contemporary Carols on December 7th, Traditional Carols on the 14th and Family Carols on the 21st.
To buy tickets for the upcoming Candlelight concerts click here to learn more.
