Music For Cuthbert to mark Shadforth church's refurbishment (From The Advertiser Series)

Music For Cuthbert to mark Shadforth church's refurbishment

6:26pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News By Mark Tallentire, Reporter (Durham)

A CHURCH is throwing a concert to celebrate the feast day of its patron saint and the completion of an internal refurbishment.

St Cuthbert’s Church, in Shadforth, near Durham, has had its old pews removed and replaced with comfortable seats, been carpeted, had extra glazing added to its windows and its organ has been worked on.

A baptismal font has also been moved, to create a space church leaders hope community groups will use in future.

The £25,000 project was completed last month.

To celebrate, and to mark St Cuthbert’s Day – which is tomorrow (Wednesday, March 20), a Music For Cuthbert concert is being staged at the church on Friday.

There will be entertainment from Lemington Male Voice Choir and the City of Sunderland Youth Jazz Orchestra. The concert starts at 7pm. Tickets are £5, available at the door, and include a homemade supper afterwards. Proceeds will go to church funds.

The church’s priest in charge, the Rev Dr Alan Bartlett, said the refurbishment had created a flexible and welcoming space, making the 1839-built church feel modern and appropriate.

The church, which is already a Durham Foodbank collection point, plans to employ a part-time youth worker, start a parents and toddlers group and possibly become a credit union branch.