Worcester 'Son et lumiere' to launch £250,000 appeal
The Grade I listed Georgian interior of St Swithun’s Church, Worcester will be bathed in colourful light and patterns and ring to the sound of musical classics and seasonal favourites performed on the 18th-century organ in a four-hour, free entry “Son et lumiere” show on Thursday 24th November.
A lighting artist has designed an installation at the church which will be revealed between 4pm and 8pm. It will highlight the beautiful ceiling, the box pews and the three decker pulpit with its gilded pelican feeding her young. His work is to be accompanied by music performed on the rare William and Robert Gray organ installed at the church in 1795 and recently refurbished.
This spectacular show of sound and light will launch a £250,000 appeal to help transform this much loved, historic and very elegant church building into an arts centre for the use of everyone in Worcester and beyond.
The project is being run by the Friends of St Swithun's and The Churches Conservation Trust. Nearly £350,000 has already been raised, but a total of £600,000 is needed to allow an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the rest of the two million pounds required to fully conserve the building for the future.
If fundraising is successful, the project will open in the spring of 2019. It will provide Worcester with a concert and music venue and a centre for sound, art and heritage crafts education. It is also intended to contribute to Worcester’s growing arts, music and festival scene and help the city in its bid to gain Heritage City Status and increase tourism.