Videos: Lunchtime concerts to be held at Whitehaven church

The United Reformed Church, on James Street, is launching a monthly lunchtime concert for music lovers, starting next month.

A variety of music will be showcased at the lunchtime events.

The first concert will be held on Friday, March, 9 from 12pm. It will be part of the Whitehaven mission community's Moving Mountains weekend.

They will then take place on the second Friday of every month from 12.15pm.

Rev Dave Harkison said: "We wanted to organise events for people who work in the town."

He said the concerts will be a chance for people to enjoy a variety of music in their lunch break. People will also be able to take their lunch to eat afterwards.

A lunchtime concert held before Christmas was attended by around 40 people.

Those involved in this year's programme say they hope the music "will be equally varied and appealing, providing the opportunity for all to come and hear the instrument and gain an appreciation of the skills of those who designed, specified and built the instrument".

Mike Farrer, organist at the URC, said: "One of the challenges of having such a magnificent instrument is ensuring the maintenance and upkeep of the instrument for future generations."

He is aiming to team up with musicians for the Whitehaven based concerts, but also perform the music at St Bees Priory to raise the profile and funding in support of the long-term future of both instruments.

He added: "Ultimately if the 2018 series is a success we would like to develop this idea further to provide a platform for young classically based musicians from local schools to come along and perform."

Mr Farrer, who is a keen organist, said: "West Cumbria has much to be proud of, what might not be quite so well-known is the areas involvement as a creative hub for some of the UKs finest pipe organs.

"The United Reformed Church in Whitehaven contains one such example and is quite possibly one of the finest small romantic instruments in the UK."