Parr Hall
Encyclopedia
The Parr Hall is the only surviving professional concert hall/theatre venue in Warrington
, England
.
town centre, in Palmyra Square.
. Warrington Musical Society gave the first concert.
The hall has hosted concerts and organ recitals from leading orchestras and cathedral organists over the years.
The Rolling Stones
performed at the venue on the 25th November 1963, The Moody Blues
on 1 March 1965 and The Who
on the 22nd March and 11 October 1965. The band James
- having sold out concerts at much larger venues - played the Parr Hall on 20 December 1993 to record a promotional video. FIR_E! and Signal Flare (Now called Tequila Club) performed at the venue on 11 September 2009, in which Signal included clips from their soundcheck into their latest video "Cigarettes and Bedtime Stories". Other notable artist such as The Courteeners
and Arctic Monkeys
have played at the venue.
The Parr Hall has also hosted many famous comedians including Ken Dodd
, Frankie Boyle
and Jimmy Carr
.
It has also been home since 1992 to the Warrington Scouts Gang Show
.
The Warrington Male Voice Choir
have been regular performers at the Hall for the past 100 years.
In 1969, the Warrington Corporation decided that an estimated restoration of the instrument, costing £9,000 would not be a viable proposition. Through the staunch efforts of a specially formed Cavaillé-Coll Organ Retention Committee (under the chairmanship of Gordon Fletcher) the Corporation gave an undertaking that, if the money could be raised, the organ would be retained in the Parr Hall. The estimated costs of restoration are now in six figures.
In late 2006 Warrington Borough Council decided that the modern needs of the venue and its continued viability meant that a new home would be sought for the organ. In 2008 Sheffield Cathedral
was revealed to be one of several potential new homes for the organ, but a campaign was launched to keep it in the Parr Hall, including a petition to Parliament.
, of Manchester
based band I Am Kloot
has played a number of acoustic gigs at the Pyramid, as has John Power, formerly of Liverpool
band Cast.
Pyramid also hosts a monthly Comedy Store Event, local band nights as well as having a varied programme of weekly classes.
(now PQ Corporation), demolished in 1991. The land where this theatre stood is now a vacant fenced off patch of grass at the end of Sankey Street, due to local rules only allowing a theatre to be built on it.
Lysander Community High School has a studio theatre which has hosted some notable productions.
Birchwood
High School has a theatre which has hosted productions by WAspS Drama Group, a group for people in Warrington with Asperger's Syndrome. Also Birchwood High School stage has seen performances from X-Factor winner George Sampson, who was a pupil at the school.
Great Sankey High School
also has a notable performance venue.
The new Warrington Collegiate
has a new theatre, near Buckley's Restaurant on the Winwick Road Campus, and this has brought about many exciting productions by the drama students in Warrington, including Rocky Horror Show, which later went on to perform at the finals of the National Training Awards, and a one off showcase at the Royal Horticultural Halls, London
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Location
The Parr Hall and Pyramid Arts Centre are located in the Cultural quarter of WarringtonWarrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
town centre, in Palmyra Square.
History
Originally it was built for the people of Warrington by Joseph ParrJoseph Parr
Joseph Parr was a town crier of Derby. Parr was born in 1790 and died in 1868, at the age of 78.He is believed to have been a descendant of a decayed branch of a local family that had rented space in The Shambles of Chesterfield, which is a collection of narrow and old streets.-External links:*, a...
. Warrington Musical Society gave the first concert.
The hall has hosted concerts and organ recitals from leading orchestras and cathedral organists over the years.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
performed at the venue on the 25th November 1963, The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
on 1 March 1965 and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
on the 22nd March and 11 October 1965. The band James
James (band)
James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...
- having sold out concerts at much larger venues - played the Parr Hall on 20 December 1993 to record a promotional video. FIR_E! and Signal Flare (Now called Tequila Club) performed at the venue on 11 September 2009, in which Signal included clips from their soundcheck into their latest video "Cigarettes and Bedtime Stories". Other notable artist such as The Courteeners
The Courteeners
The Courteeners are a rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England in 2006 by Liam Fray , Michael Campbell , Daniel Conan Moores , Mark Cuppello -Formation:...
and Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
have played at the venue.
The Parr Hall has also hosted many famous comedians including Ken Dodd
Ken Dodd
Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
, Frankie Boyle
Frankie Boyle
Francis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle is a British comedian and writer, well known for his pessimistic, often controversial sense of humour...
and Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television....
.
It has also been home since 1992 to the Warrington Scouts Gang Show
Gang Show
A Gang Show is a theatrical performance with a cast of youth members of Scouts and sometimes Guides too, by invitation. Adult leaders and parents help out behind the scenes. The aim of the shows is to give young people in Scouting and Guiding the opportunity to develop performance skills and...
.
The Warrington Male Voice Choir
Warrington Male Voice Choir
Warrington Male Voice Choir is one of Great Britain’s oldest choirs, tracing its formation to 1898. During its long history the choir has travelled widely and has performed in many famous concert halls and cathedrals throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and Canada...
have been regular performers at the Hall for the past 100 years.
Cavaillé-Coll Organ
The Parr Hall is home to one of the few Cavaillé-Coll organs still with its original specification. The organ was bought by Warrington Corporation in 1925 from Ketton Hall.In 1969, the Warrington Corporation decided that an estimated restoration of the instrument, costing £9,000 would not be a viable proposition. Through the staunch efforts of a specially formed Cavaillé-Coll Organ Retention Committee (under the chairmanship of Gordon Fletcher) the Corporation gave an undertaking that, if the money could be raised, the organ would be retained in the Parr Hall. The estimated costs of restoration are now in six figures.
In late 2006 Warrington Borough Council decided that the modern needs of the venue and its continued viability meant that a new home would be sought for the organ. In 2008 Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914...
was revealed to be one of several potential new homes for the organ, but a campaign was launched to keep it in the Parr Hall, including a petition to Parliament.
Pyramid Arts Centre
In 1989 the borough council also saw a need for a better arts and theatre complex so re-developed the old courthouse next door into The Pyramid Arts Centre. The Pyramid hosts various classes throughout the year for people interested in discovering the arts. John BramwellJohn Bramwell
John Harold Arnold Bramwell is an English singer-songwriter. He is the frontman for the three-piece alternative rock band I Am Kloot, and has previously issued solo material under the guise of Johnny Dangerously....
, of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
based band I Am Kloot
I Am Kloot
I Am Kloot are an English band formed in Manchester, in 1999 by John Bramwell , Peter Jobson and Andy Hargreaves .-History:...
has played a number of acoustic gigs at the Pyramid, as has John Power, formerly of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
band Cast.
Pyramid also hosts a monthly Comedy Store Event, local band nights as well as having a varied programme of weekly classes.
Other Theatres in Warrington
In the past there were a number of other theatres/concert venues in Warrington, most have either been shut down, demolished or turned into pubs and clubs. The last proper theatre to close in the town was the Crosfield Centenary Theatre, originally run by Crosfield Chemical CompanyJoseph Crosfield
Joseph Crosfield was a businessman who established a soap and chemical manufacturing business in Warrington, which was in the historic county of Lancashire and is now in the ceremonial county of Cheshire...
(now PQ Corporation), demolished in 1991. The land where this theatre stood is now a vacant fenced off patch of grass at the end of Sankey Street, due to local rules only allowing a theatre to be built on it.
Lysander Community High School has a studio theatre which has hosted some notable productions.
Birchwood
Birchwood
Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"...
High School has a theatre which has hosted productions by WAspS Drama Group, a group for people in Warrington with Asperger's Syndrome. Also Birchwood High School stage has seen performances from X-Factor winner George Sampson, who was a pupil at the school.
Great Sankey High School
Great Sankey High School
Great Sankey High School is a secondary school located in Warrington, Cheshire. The school is a state school, built in the 1970s and extensions have included a mathematics & humanities block and theatre. The school also has a linking leisure centre and arts theatre...
also has a notable performance venue.
The new Warrington Collegiate
Warrington Collegiate
Warrington Collegiate is a learning provider in Warrington for people aged 16 and over. Located on Winwick Road, Warrington, England, the college mainly offers vocational courses, and is an alternative to Priestley College- Courses :...
has a new theatre, near Buckley's Restaurant on the Winwick Road Campus, and this has brought about many exciting productions by the drama students in Warrington, including Rocky Horror Show, which later went on to perform at the finals of the National Training Awards, and a one off showcase at the Royal Horticultural Halls, London