A fund-raising “Make Time for our Christmas Concert” has helped raise vital funds to restore the St Mary’s Church clock face in Acton, near Nantwich.
The concert featured the highly acclaimed Acton Operatic Society who performed traditional and contemporary Christmas songs.
The performance included renditions of Christmas Children, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Let It Snow, Winter Wonderland, Christmas Isn’t Christmas, O’ Christmas Tree, White Christmas, Silent Night, The Christmas Song, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Felice Navidad, O Holy Night, Hallelujah, The First Noel, O Come, All Ye Faithful, Mistletoe and Wine, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Santa Natale, The Carol Singer, The Man With a Bag, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day, Jingle Bell Rock, All I Want For Christmas, Merry Christmas Everyone.
Covid precautions were in place including social distancing and mask wearing, along with a restriction on the number of tickets to an audience of ninety people available for the concert.
Proceeds from the concert will go towards essential maintenance of the clock on the east side of the sandstone tower of St Mary’s Church.
The clock was built in 1788 by Peter Clare, one of Manchester’s best known clock makers.
However, due to its age it now requires weekly adjustments to keep its movement working.
The clock is seen by many Acton residents and visitors as the beating heart of the village, so its future as a working clock needs to continue.
The same weekend also saw a Christmas Tree Festival on both days and a Christmas walk on the Sunday afternoon.
Acton Operatic Society formed in 1920 to provide funds for local charities who were in urgent need and to develop local musical and dramatic talent in the area.
Now over 100 years later they are still providing the local area with high quality entertainment and helping aspiring performers to achieve their dreams of performing on stage.
A representative from Acton Operatic Society said: “They’d worked very hard to rehearse for this concert and they all love performing at these events.”
A representative from St Mary’s Church said: “What a wonderful evening!
“The Acton Operatic Society performed magnificently and shone a ray of hope and joy across the ‘masked-up’ and socially distanced audience – a real antidote to the pandemic.”
(words and images by Jonathan White)
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