Out of the Darkness: The haunting story of the Liverpool Blitz, brought to life through sound and light

Out of the Darkness is a tribute to the victims of the Liverpool Blitz told through one of the city’s most iconic buildings, St Luke’s Church from 6 to 8 May 2016.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the May Blitz, St Luke’s Church – known affectionately as ‘The Bombed out Church’ – will be transformed by a FREE moving light and sound display.

The story of St Luke’s will be told between 9pm and 10pm each evening as the former church is illuminated with lights and stunning visuals as projections are beamed on screens placed in the windows. The display will be accompanied with a moving soundscape featuring a ten minute film rolling throughout the hour.

From 8pm each evening – prior to the show – thousands of stained-glass lanterns will light up the garden, signifying the lives that were lost in one of the country’s worst bombing periods of the Second World War.

St Luke’s Church was hit on May 6th, 1941 leaving just a burnt out shell which has since stood as a memorial to the thousands of people who lost their lives during the Liverpool Blitz.

To commemorate the 75 years since Merseyside experienced the Blitz, Radio Merseyside are presenting a unique evening at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral – more information on which, can be found here – Merseyside Blitz, An Unconquered People. 

Online Gallery

You can view a selection of archive images of Liverpool in the Blitz in our digital gallery here. All images have kindly been provided by the Dean and Chapter of Liverpool, Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool Libraries and MFRS Heritage Centre Collection.

Things to Note

  • There is no need to purchase tickets, it is a FREE event open to everyone.
  • The Gardens at St Luke’s Church will be open to view the lantern display from 8.00pm – 10.00pm and the evening show will run from 9.00pm. The show itself will last 10 minutes and will feature on a rolling loop six times per hour.
  • From 6.30pm – 11.59pm on 6, 7 and 8 May there will be road closures in place around St Luke’s Church. No vehicles (other than emergency vehicles) will be able to proceed through Leece Street, L1, from its junction with Rodney Street to its junction with Berry Street/Ranelagh Street,  Roscoe Street, L1, from its junction with Leece Street to its junction with Mount Pleasant, & St. Luke’s Place, L1, for its entire length and it will not be possible to do a left-turn manoeuvre from Bold Place and Roscoe Lane into Roscoe Street.

 

Special thanks are due to the following organisations who have assisted with research and archive images including: BBC Radio Merseyside, Bombed Out Church (Ambrose Reynolds and the Finest Hour Sound Archive), Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool Central Library, Liverpool Parish Church, Liverpool Record Office, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and National Museums Liverpool. Special thanks is also due to R.S Clare & Co Ltd, KPMG, Meade-King, Robinson & Co. Ltd, Edward Billington and Son and Mason Owen.

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