In a Celebration in Song for 150 years of worship at Our Lady & St Hubert’s RC Church in Great Harwood, an enthusiastic audience warmly welcomed the A Cappella Singers.
Our Lady and St Hubert School along with the school from St Wulstan’s connected the church with an African link, which is strong between the two communities through Fr. Clarke.
The young performers having their own time in each half were able to communicate to the audience, how passionate they were to what was being celebrated on the evening.
At the end of the performance all singers joined together and offered an Irish Blessing.
Whilst the well-known A Cappella Singers gave the bulk of the concert, the group tried to follow the history and connection of the church outside the building. The church had Irish connections following the English Reformation.
The vast majority of staunch Catholics were found in Ireland and following the potato blight, many came over the Irish Sea and finished in Great Harwood. James Lomax, a wealthy man and founder of St Hubert’s, pledged to defray the total cost of the church, which was estimated to be £6,000 in 1858. Music was performed to represent this timing.
The church also had French and Belgian connections and at the same time that the foundation stone was laid in 1858, Gabriel Fauré composed his famous Cantique de Jean Racine, and this was performed by the singers and received great applause from the audience.
Little was known about the early music performed in the church, and although there were some old manuscripts and tattered music found in the building, the singers were able to discover some items that would have been performed over the years and these were presented.
The audience were reluctant to leave and wanted more, but with the evening drawing to a close, the concert concluded with a rousing send off with an Irish Blessing performed by all present.
With the church in its celebration of 150 years of worship in the current building, the proceeds from the concert were given towards The Lourdes Pilgrimage Group.
This group organises annual trips to Lourdes for disabled children and they take as many as they possibly can subject to the available funds.
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