Law firm’s grant set to support historic Blackburn choir’s reformation

A well-known Blackburn music club which has been largely inactive since the Covid-19 pandemic is set to reform next month, with funding support from a Lancashire law firm.

Blackburn Music Society, a large mixed voice amateur choir, is set to return thanks to a £750 grant from the Brabners Foundation, the charitable arm of independent law firm Brabners.

Established in 1932, the choir boasted around 150 members from across Lancashire before it ceased performing regularly due to lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

More than 50 singers have since re-joined the society and the group is set to reform for its first major performance on June 10, a collaborative event which will launch a three-year revival plan.

From Pub to Pulpit is a collaboration between Blackburn Music Society, acapella folk group Broomdasher, instrumental trio Coracle and St Silas Church, Blackburn. 

It will see workshops taking place throughout the day, where participants can learn about the work of composer Vaughan Williams, before a concert at St Silas Church in the evening which will invite audience members to sing along. 

The funds from Brabners will pay for rehearsal workshops and advertising for the concert.

Gill Broom, chair, Blackburn Music Society, said: “The effects of lockdown are still deeply impacting the Blackburn with Darwen community and Blackburn Music Society is just one of the many groups which has been unable to operate.

“We’re working hard to rebuild the society and have already had conversations with the Arts Council about future funding once we relaunch the group.

“This grant from the Brabners Foundation will help facilitate From Pub To Pulpit, that important first step for the society’s three-year revival plan. More importantly, it will bring new and previous society members of all ages and backgrounds together for a truly unique performance.”

Brabners employs more than 480 colleague across offices in Lancashire, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. The Brabners Lancashire office is located at Sceptre Court Business Park in Central Lancashire. 

Siobhan Howard-Palmer, a legal director at Brabners, nominated Blackburn Music Society for a donation from the Brabners Foundation.

The Brabners Foundation is an independent charity designed to channel the fundraising efforts of Brabners employees and clients. Employees are invited to nominate charities to receive those funds, which are considered by the firm’s charity committee.

Nicola Whittle, head of corporate at Brabners, said: “Brabners is a firm committed to making the difference across the local communities where we operate. 

“I’m hugely proud to see how this grant is supporting the organisation of the event and contributing to the reformation of one of Blackburn’s most well-known community groups.”