What's new?
Sun 7 March 2010.
Two
big events coming up in March to celebrate the 400th anniversary
of Prescot Parish Church. Visit the
diary for full details of an organ recital featuring four
centuries of music, and a week of concerts by schools from
across the town.
Fri 8 January 2010. Happy
new year! 2010 got off to an ominous start with the postponement
of the eagerly awaited Choir of King's College Cambridge
concert, due to the unexpectedly bad weather. However, we will
reschedule as soon as possible, so check in regularly for
updates.
Take a few moments to peruse the
newly updated What's On page for
events coming up later this year. It's a packed calendar, as
Prescot Parish Church celebrates its 400th anniversary. Look
forward to King's Choir, Wirral Winds and more, as well as the
usual 10-day Prescot Festival in June. Confirmed performers so
far include Liverpool Cathedral organist Professor Ian Tracey
and our old friends BOST.
Tue 9 December 2009. Thank
you, audiences and performers alike, for a brilliantly
successful festive season of concerts and services. Arts in
Prescot wishes you all the best for a happy and prosperous 2010.
Sat
5 December 2009. Season's greetings to all! View our
What's On page for details of
Christmas concerts and festive events in and around Prescot this
December.
Sun
1 November 2009. Congratulations to Parish Organist Tim Hall
for a stirring recital on Friday. Trumpeter Peter Moss and
soprano Laura Hudson were excellent, and the turnout of 60 was
above average for this type of event. Continue to check out the
diary for full details of other
upcoming concerts and arts events, including contemporary
Christian choir Jubilate Praise on 13 November.
Fri 18 September 2009. The
new calendar of arts events in Prescot brings you a free recital
on Friday 30 October, celebrating 30 years of Tim Hall as
Organist of Prescot Parish Church. There's a busy Christmas
programme, as usual, and 2010 marks the 400th anniversary of the
Parish Church of St Mary. The occasion will be heralded with a
visit from the world-renowned Choir of King's College Cambridge.
See What's On for all details of
these and other events.
Mon
29 June 2009. Congratulations and thank you to everyone
involved in another successful Prescot Festival. Let's be honest
- this year's Festival was no easy matter. No more '08 Capital
of Culture to back us up, and a tricky recession on top of that.
How were we going to equal last year's outstanding programme?
And yet this year's audience numbers broke records. In a change
to the usual schedule, we had our Last Night of the Proms on the
penultimate night, and reserved last
night's
finale for the slick, polished big band sound of Dr Jazz and the
Cheshire Cats. Wow! A suitably chilled and supremely
entertaining end to the best Festival so far.
Fri 26 June 2009. What a
week this has been. It was a full house for both Peter Sallis
(what a charming old chap!) and the Birkenhead Operatic Society,
whose Songs from the Shows on Thursday will be a hard act to
follow. The Print House was buzzing on Wednesday night as
singer-songwriter Rachael Dunn and guests hosted a chilled-out
evening of acoustic music. There was family fun with The
Wizard of Oz, young talent with the Schools Verse-Speaking
Festival and a tour de force of new chamber music by COMA North
West and the Fell Clarinet Quartet. Here's to an excellent
closing weekend - youth music, Handel's Messiah, Last Night of
the Proms and a swing finale with Dr Jazz and the Cheshire Cats
still to come.
Sat 20 June 2009. A record
250 turned out for the opening of the Prescot Festival last
night. Fairey Band and Haydock Male Voice Choir went down a
storm with movie and show favourites such as Star Wars,
Braveheart, You'll Never Walk Alone and Jesus Christ Superstar.
The Festival continues apace, so check out the rest of the
schedule here.
Mon
15 June 2009. The 2009 Prescot Festival starts this Friday.
How quickly a year goes by!
Don't miss Peter Sallis, the
Fairey Band, Rachael Dunn, Dr Jazz, Birkenhead Operatic Society
and the multitude of other arts and music events we have lined
up for you this year. Full
details HERE.
A correction: Whistonbury
2009 will be held on Saturday 20 June, not 27 June, as
stated on some publicity.
Mon 1 June 2009. The pre-Festival meeting for Friends of the
Festival (volunteers) is on
Tuesday 9 June, not 2 June, as previously announced.
All are welcome to the meeting, which will take place at Rev
Jeff Engel's house on West Street at 8.15pm. If you are unsure
of the venue, please come to the Meeting Room as usual, and you
will be directed (it is literally just a few feet away).
Fri
15 May 2009. Tickets are now available for the
2009 Prescot Festival.
We have a sterling line-up for you this year, headed up by
special guest actor Peter Sallis
(Last of the Summer Wine, Wallace & Gromit).
Click here for the full
details.
Fri 27 March 2009. The Hood
River Valley High School Chamber Singers proved themselves
exceptional young talents at Monday night's concert. Our thanks
to the students, director Mark Steighner and tour organisers
ACFEA.
On Friday 24 April, we are proud
to
welcome
Trio Classico, who bring the warmth and vibrancy of Spain to
Prescot for an evening. See the Diary
for full details.
Lastly, if you can sing, or can't
sing, but want to sing, Sing Out! is back. Professional
singer-songwriter is leading this informal (and totally free!)
singing group every Monday at Prescot Leisure Centre.
Click here for more information.
Mon
23 February 2009. We are very much looking forward to 24
March's visit from the Hood River Valley High School Choir (see
Diary).
Click here for a video of this exceptionally talented,
professional-standard young group.
Before that, we are excited to
welcome musicians from our own local secondary school for a
charity concert with supporting performers Liverpool Barbershop
Singers on Saturday 28.
Fri
2 January 2009. Happy New Year from all at Arts in
Prescot and the Prescot Festival. The Christmas programme was a
resounding success, with a stunning choral concert from the
Rainford Ladies Choir followed by a veritable feast of musical
entertainment from the Knowsley Youth Orchestra, the choirs of
Prescot Methodist and Prescot Parish churches, and local folk
singer-songwriter Rachael Dunn.
Check out the
Diary for details of our outstanding
line-up for 2009, which includes organist Peter Kwater and the Hood River Valley High School Choir, all the
way from Oregon, USA.
Thu 20 November 2008.
It has been a great autumn here in Prescot, with the usual
excellent recital by Parish Organist Tim Hall and a visit from
string players of the esteemed Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Orchestra. In October, Festival Director Robert Howard and
Assistant Director Dave Kernick were delighted to be asked on
behalf of Prescot Festival to host Day 2 of the British Arts
Festivals Association Annual Conference in mid-October. Dr
Howard gave a well-received presentation on all the Festival has
accomplished, especially in the run-up to the 2008 Capital of
Culture.
Check out the right-hand sidebar
(and the What's On page) for details
of our upcoming Christmas programme.
And lastly, congratulations to our
performing friends from Rainhill. The Garrick Society's recent
production of Dial M for Murder was suitably suspenseful,
and the Rainhill Musical Theatre Company's Anything Goes
was a great success.
Tue 2 September 2008.
The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral will be hosting the
premiere of a new organ work by Prescot composer Kevin George
Brown. Three Movements for Organ has been specially
commissioned for the Capital of Culture year. Richard Lea will
play. The concert, which also features a varied programme of
other popular organ piece, is on Saturday 6 September at
2.30pm at the
Metropolitan Cathedral. Admission is free.
Mon
28 July 2008. Click
here to see photos from the 2008 Prescot Festival (thanks to
Brian Jagger).
Thu 03 July
2008. Wow! The Fourth Annual Prescot Festival was an
unprecedented success. Never before have we seen such
consistently large attendances and - more to the point -
received such an overwhelmingly positive response. More feedback
coming soon.
Thu 12 June
2008. It has been a spectacular lead-up to the Festival
this year. Last Saturday saw local soprano Laura Hudson in
recital at the Methodist Church - and what a night! Beginning
with Handel, right through Gluck, Mozart, Verdi and Puccini, and
up to Gilbert and Sullivan, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Andrew
Lloyd Webber, the programme ran the entire gamut of musical
theatre. A delighted audience gave Laura a standing ovation.
Tue 27 May 2008. The Blue Moon String Quartet were
a sensation on Saturday, filling the space in the Zion Church
with the sounds of everyone from Bach to the Beatles. Look out
for a return visit next year.
Tue
13 May 2008.
Booked yet for the John Smith
concert on 28 June? Smith, described by The Times as "a singular
talent", is an amazing singer, songwriter and guitarist. Watch
him perform here. or pick up
the phone and dial 08444 771000 to buy your ticket today.
Mon 21 April
2008. If you're not yet up to speed on this year's
Prescot Festival
programme,
click here to see the full
schedule. Highlights this year will include folk
singer-songwriter John Smith, classical pianist Young
Choon Park and the esteemed chamber orchestra St. Helens
Sinfonietta, delivering a programme including the much-loved
Haydn Trumpet Concerto.
Last week saw an
excellent evening with the Parkside Colliery Male Voice Choir,
so our thanks to said gentlemen and to an appreciative audience!
Browse the diary to see what's
coming up in May, including a Festival Fundraiser Quiz Night
on Friday 2 May at the Parish Church, and the Blue Moon
String Quartet at the Zion Independent Methodist Church on
Saturday 24 May. On Saturday 31 May, look out for an
Elizabethan Fayre on Church Street (vicinity of the Parish
Church), organised by Friends of Shakespeare North and others.
Mon
3 March 2008. A huge thank-you to Ian Wells of Liverpool
Cathedral for last Friday's organ recital. For a small recital,
we would normally expect an audience of 40 or 50, but we were
delighted with our crowd of 90. And a very generous crowd they
were, too, giving £250 towards the Prescot Festival in donations
and raffle money.
Wed 13 Feb
2008. Saturday's Valentine's Dance was an unprecedented
success, with nearly 40 couples dancing the night away to the
inimitable sound of the Northern All Stars Dance Orchestra. Our
special thanks to Helen and the staff of the Prescot Suite. It
was our first time in the venue, and it couldn't have gone
better.
Sun
3 Feb 2008.
Don't miss our old friends the
Northern All Stars Dance Orchestra on
Saturday 9th February. All details are in the
Diary. You don't need to be a dancer
to enjoy the cool, relaxing Big Band sound. Just grab a drink,
sit back and relax!
It's been a great
year so far. Arts in Prescot organised a very successful variety
night, raising £160 towards the Prescot Festival. The Friends of
the Festival had a great turnout for their first meeting of the
year; as usual, all are welcome to come to meetings to hear
what's happening and share their own views.
Click here for more details.
Lastly, congratulations to the Phoenix Concert Orchestra on a
fantastic concert on 2 February at a packed Knowsley Parish
Church (audience of 150).
Wed 2 Jan
2008.
It's the beginning of an exciting
year as Prescot prepares for its fourth annual festival.
Click here for all the latest
news and information.
Mon
24 Dec.
Merry Christmas and a happy New
Year to all of you!
Mon
26 Nov. Friday night with the Maghull RBL Town Band was
a first-class treat. It's a packed December in Prescot,
beginning with Prescot Methodist Choir on Saturday 1st,
then Pilkington Choir (admission free) on Thursday 6th,
and the Knowsley Youth Orchestra and Prescot Parish
Church Choir on Friday 7th. See the
diary for details of these and other
Christmas events.
Thu 22 Nov.
Don't forget, Friday 23
November at 7.30pm - Maghull RBL Town Band in Concert for
the first time at Prescot Parish Church. Tickets are a snip at
£5 on the door.
Tue
14 Nov.
Disappointingly, the news came
through yesterday that
Shakespeare North had been
unsuccessful in its bid to win £25m in National Lottery funding
to build a theatre and arts centre in Prescot. However,
executive director David Thacker and his team at Knowsley
Council did a fantastic job of delivering a first-class bid, and
have every reason to be proud, having made the final shortlist.
The efforts to
commemorate Prescot's Shakespearean heritage continue, however,
and we look forward to bringing you the latest news here on Arts
in Prescot.
Mon 29 Oct.
The major event this month is Friday 23rd November's
Festival Fundraiser Concert. We are excited to be welcoming
the Maghull RBL Town Band to Prescot for the first time.
Tickets are a snip at £5, on the door.
Rotary Club of
Rainhill reports that the 2007 Rainhill Bierfest was a great
success. After the closure (and eventually demolition, following
an arson attack) of the Pirelli Club, the Bierfest made
Prescot Leisure Centre its new venue.
Last week also saw
a final visit from the assessors for the
Shakespeare North project.
About 150 people representing several community groups showcased
their talents at Prescot Parish Church. The project is now on
the final shortlist for £25 million in Lottery funding. Results
are expected in November.
Wed 17 Oct.
C0ngratulations all
round for a succession of successful events recently, including
Tim Hall's organ recital (always a delight) and last Saturday's
Old Time Music Hall at the Methodist Centre.
Splash out on a
few pints of real ale at Rainhill Rotary's Annual Bierfest
next week. Full details are available on
their
website.
Wed 3 Oct.
Prescot Parish Organist Tim Hall will be
giving a free recital at the Parish Church this
Friday (5 Oct). He will be joined by Maghull Handbell
Ringers. The concert starts at 7.30pm.
Thu 20
Sep. Choristers from all over Liverpool will be
gathering to sing the Choral Evensong
setting by Charles Villiers Stanford on Saturday 29 September
at 4.30pm in Prescot Parish Church. All are
welcome to attend this free event. The following Friday, 5
October, Parish Organist Tim Hall
will be giving a recital at the Parish Church
beginning at 7.30pm. Again, admission is free, and all
are welcome. Tim will be joined by a brass quintet.
Mon 10 Sep. Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society presents the
classic musical comedy The End of the Pier Show this week. See
Diary for more details.
Tue 28 Aug. It's been a long summer break, but Arts in Prescot
is busy again promoting the best in local arts and culture. The
next event we'd like to draw your attention to is the
Emerald String Duo on Saturday
8 September. See the Diary for full
details.
Tue 10
Jul. Check out our 2007 Festival Retrospective at Prescot
Library. This exhibition of photos and artwork from the Third
Annual Festival will run all summer. See the
Library website for opening times.
Mon
2nd Jul. Click here
to see photos from this year's Festival, and read our latest
press release.
We now have a
Friends of the Festival page for
anyone interested in supporting the work of Arts in Prescot by
becoming a volunteer.
Mon
25th Jun. Welcome
to the new-look Arts in Prescot website. We have a brand new
logo, and we're looking forward to a brand new year of
top-quality arts and culture events in Prescot. Arts in Prescot
took a gamble in making the 2007 Festival a 10-day event, but it
paid off, and Arts in Prescot is already busily building upon
its success in preparation for the 2008 Prescot Festival.
If you aren't
completely "festivaled out", come along to Prescot Parish
Church this Friday (29th June) at 7.30pm to
hear brass players from the world-renowned Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets are just £6.50 (£4.50
concessions), and can be bought in advance from Prescot
Museum & Library, or by calling Knowsley Arts & Events Service
on 0151 443 5619.
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