On Saturday, June 25, St Mary's Church in Cleator Moor continued with their 150th Anniversary celebrations. 

The parish welcomed world renowned opera singer Joan Rodgers, originally from Cleator Moor, to perform a concert alongside the Whitehaven Male Voice Choir. 

Rodgers was also accompanied by Julia Cobby as they sang a selection of songs from her favourite pieces. 

READ MORE: St Mary's Church in Cleator celebrates 150th anniversary

Sean Close, a volunteer at St Mary's Church, said: "It was a very moving experience hearing Joan sing in the church  which she was so used to doing when she was a teenager.  She sang at many peoples weddings in the early 1970s my wife Joan and mine being one of them in 1972, so it was especially poignant for us. 

"Joan and the choir sang 'And for evermore', Words from a Celtic Prayer with music by Father Paul Johnstone our Parish Priest. 

"The Whitehaven male voice choir were outstanding with  their eclectic selection of songs from 'There is nothing like a dame' by Rogers and Hammerstein, to Bohemian Rhapsody by Freddy Mercury.

"The whole evening was a mesmerising experience, with the wonderful music. The acoustics provided by the vaultedd ceiling of our beautiful Pugin designed church made it even more special. 

"A huge thank you goes out to Joan and the Whitehaven male voice choir who gave of their time and energy free of charge to help us celebrate our church's 150 years of service to our Parish."

READ MORE: St Mary's - A church whose grotto became the focus of pilgrimage

Joan Rodgers studied singing at the Royal Northern College of Music after obtaining a BA in Russian from the University of Liverpool.

She went on to make her international debut as Pamina at the Aix en Provence Festival.

Her operatic engagements have taken her to Paris, Munich, Vienna, New York, Brussels, Amsterdam and Tokyo as well as all the major UK opera houses. She has appeared in recital in the UK, North America and Europe. 

Joan received the Royal Philharmonic Society Award as Singer of the Year for 1997 and The Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera. She was awarded a CBE in 2001 and made an Honorary Doctor of Music by the University of Liverpool in 2005.