A HISTORICAL church in Coventry will be hosting a concert to help raise funds for renovation and establish itself as a musical venue.
St John the Baptist Church, on the corner of Fleet Street and Spon Street, has stood the test of time after being built 700 years ago.
It recently underwent repairs costing more than £25,000 to prevent it from being placed on the English Heritage’s ‘Buildings At Risk’ register.
This meant the church had to dig into its general maintenance reserve funds, which should have lasted for the next 10 years, to secure essential grants from English Heritage and the Sita Trust.
This has left the parish needing to raise around £30,000 to fill the empty pot of cash.
On Saturday September 5 the Tony Gibbs Singers will be performing at the church.
The group was founded in 1994 and draws members from different choirs, including the Coventry Philharmonic Choir, St Michael’s Singers and the Coventry Blue Coat School Choir.
Money raised will go towards funding the Grade I listed building.
The concert is also hoping to help fulfil the church’s desire to become an established venue for arts and entertainments.
It has already staged a number of concerts and performances in its mediaeval surroundings, with others planned for the rest of the year.
Father Paul Such, the rector of the church, said: “It’s always a pleasure to welcome visitors to our beautiful church, whether they are coming to worship, to admire this piece of Coventry’s medieval history, or to enjoy one of our musical or dramatic events.
“We have been serving the people of Coventry for 700 years, both spiritually and pastorally, but now we hope to embark on pastures new, by becoming an established venue for performance art within Coventry and Warwickshire, including holding art exhibitions for both new and more established artists.
“The Tony Gibbs Singers are well-regarded across the UK and beyond, and the programme they will be treating us to on Saturday promises to be full of popular music - classical, folk and show tunes - so there will be something for everyone.”
The show kicks off at 7.30pm, tickets cost £6 and can be bought at the door.
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