My Visiter column this week

There is so much musical activity going on across the borough. I have attended concerts and musical theatre large and small and marvelled at the diversity and quality. There are chamber choirs, school choirs, church choirs, Gilbert and Sullivan, operas, community choirs with edgy names and full scale choral societies.

On Saturday, it was the turn of Formby Choral Society who along with various partners performed at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. There a combined choir of something like 275 singers, 4 superb soloists and a full professional orchestra all under the musical direction of David Holroyd. There was one work; Mendelsohn’s Elijah.  It was a resounding success receiving prolonged applause from the audience. Particular mention must be made of the two boy choristers who sang.

Later in the week I was at Old Christ Church in Waterloo. This redundant building has been transferred to the Church Conservation Trust who have worked closely a local group of Friends. Together they have raised significant sums of money to preserve the church. On Wednesday, we were marking the completion of the latest phase of restoration. It is a splendid example of Victorian mock gothic architecture.  The Friend have a full programme of community events-including a Beer Festival coming up in April. The Friends are an enthusiastic and dedicated group who have been amazingly successful. The building is well worth visiting. It is built from Bootle sandstone and covered in Westmorland slate. I learnt that the Bootle quarry was near Fernhill Rd in what is now the park

My next engagement was to meet the new Ambassador of Finland Pavi Luostarinen who was visiting the region. We discussed the impact of Brexit and she expressed her governments sorrow that we were leaving. Finland a has been a firm allie of the UK within the EU and regrets that opportunities -including economic, cultural and environmental ones- will be hampered.

I visited a mental health project in Crosby which provided care and support for women leaving hospital and met staff and residents. The scheme, run by the charity Imagine Independence, has had great success in helping those they work with take up their place in society.

Next week there will be more music. At the Mayor’s Charity Ball on Saturday Dannielle Thomas will be singing and I notice that I am down to attend a performance by the youth group SONG in the near future.