Twas the night before Christmas and the Piece Hall was stirring

THE PIECE Hall has paired up with Halifax Minster and the Children’s Society to spread festive cheer and fill the town with music on Christmas Eve.

A free Christmas Big Sing, inspired by the Christmas carol services of yesteryear, will be open to the public throughout the day next Tuesday.

There will be performances from Mark Walker and his Gospel Choir, Kirsty Newton and Paul Whittaker’s Signing Choir.

The event will take place between 11am-3.15pm.

Nicky Chance-Thompson, Chief Executive at The Piece Hall Trust, commented: “Christmas is a magical time for family and friends, to catch up, to take time and have fun together.

“We hope that people come along and join us on Christmas Eve for a real treat from some wonderful local choirs and singers.

“Partnering with a charity like The Children’s Society allows us to do a little bit more for the young people most in need in our region and to us, there’s nothing more appropriate at Christmas than that.”

Meanwhile, the support acts for Richard Hawley’s gig at the Piece Hall on July 3 2020, have been announced.

The Yorkshire musician will be joined by

John Grant, Gruff Rhys and Studio Electrophonique.

2019 has been a landmark year for Hawley. His ninth studio album ‘Further’, reached number three in the charts, and he also celebrated two decades as a solo artist.

As well as his successful solo career, the 52-year-old musician has played in bands such as Pulp and The Longpigs.