A DISUSED East Lancashire church is to host a special night of live music as part of a UK-wide project backed by Eurythmics star and award-winning producer Dave Stewart.

The Church Keys tour will come to Holy Trinity Church in Blackburn next Sunday and feature live music from The Lake Poets, Callaghan and Robert Vincent.

The church is one of many around the country being looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. It was declared redundant in 1981 and passed into the hands of the trust three years later.

The Church Keys project aims to use redundant churches around the country and open them up for arts and music. The tour began in York and, as well as Blackburn, will visit Colchester, Cambridge, Lancaster and Kings Lynn.

The project was launched last month at a church in Glastonbury when Dave Stewart, Nik Kershaw and Squeeze's Chris Difford all performed live.

Stewart, whose own recording studio was once a former church, said of the event: “I can’t think of a better way to bring the community together to celebrate these historic churches than with music.”

Martin Longstaff, who performs as The Lake Poets, is the man responsible for the Church Keys tour.

He said: "I made a record with Dave Stewart last year which he produced.

"I was a primary school teacher and have done a lot of work with youth groups. There's a church in my hometown, Holy Trinity in Sunderland, which no longer has a congregation which we've used many times for songwriting and performances and I've done a few shows there.

"From there I found about the Churches Conservation Trust and discovered there are 350 churches around the country that don't have any parishioners but are just beautiful buildings in town and city centres which were built for singing and celebrations that aren't getting used any more.

"I put the idea of using some of these churches for a tour to Dave and his company Dave Stewart Entertainment and using their influence this all came together.

"I'm passionate about music and song writing and I'm passionate about history and local history in particular and it's fascinating for me to go to these new places and learn a little bit about where I'm playing. The people that work for the CCT and who come to the gigs are so proud of where they are from and their local area and its heritage. I have such a good time."

Holy Trinity is famous for once being the parish of the Rev Chad Varah who founded the Samaritans. The Grade II listed building also has a series of hand-painted panels depicting coats of arms in the ceiling.

"These buildings have a special atmosphere and it is great to give them a new purpose," said Martin. "We hope that by taking the tour to some of them it will show the community what can be done there."

The Church Keys tour, Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn, Sunday, July 24. Tickets from www.tinyurl.com/churchkeysblackburn1