Brymbo St Mary's Church to celebrate 150th anniversary

St Mary’s Church in Brymbo is hosting a special Songs of Praise Concert to mark the big day on Sunday, September 11, where Brymbo Male Voice Choir will lead the singing.

The choir itself was re-started in the late 1950s with former church choir members, although its origins stretch back over 100 years.

An exhibition of photos and memorabilia will also take place at the church on September 10 and 11, and there will be a chance to buy specially commissioned celebratory mugs and tea towels. 

The churchwarden of St Mary’s Church, Bernard Davies, has been in post since the 1980s and has been a church member since childhood. Bernard has made a short film recounting his memories of the church.

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Bernard Davies with mug and teatowel

In the film, he said: “I’ve been a warden here since 1985. There have been 20 vicars in the last 150 years, and since I was a little lad, I’ve known 12 of them.

“I didn’t want to come to church but I was made to come to church, like we all were but I think it’s stood me in good stead. My mother and father were ardent church-goers, and all my relations are buried here, including my late wife.”

In 2000, the Brymbo Male Voice Choir installed a special stained-glass window at St Mary’s to mark the millennium. Under instruction from the window-maker, members of the choir fitted the special window which tells the story of Brymbo and its connections with the steelworks.

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The Vicar of Brymbo, the Revd Paulette Gower, said: “We’re looking forward to celebrating this milestone in the history of the village of Brymbo. I’m hoping people will come along to the exhibition and share their memories of the church and the important role it’s played in their lives over the decades.”

The church is beloved by the community, and recently an organisation has been set up to help raise money for repairs that are needed to keep the church and the churchyard open.

St Mary’s will be open from 11am – 5pm on Saturday, September 10 and from 10am – 3pm on Sunday, September 11. Also on Sunday, there will be a family service at 9.30am and Songs of Praise with Brymbo Male Voice choir at 6.30pm.

You can watch Bernard’s film below 

St Mary’s Church in Brymbo is part of the Alyn Mission Area, a collection of 12 churches to the west and north of Wrexham City. It is part of the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses making up the Church in Wales, an autonomous Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.