An audience of 150 classical music lovers enjoyed a rare treat recently when an internationally acclaimed artist performed at St Mary on Allyn Church east of Gresford.
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Resident Janie Chandler invited the British classical pianist John Lill to perform locally after she heard him play in London.
To her delight - and that of the others in attendance at St Mary on Allyn - he accepted.
"Prior to his performance at Gresford on Saturday, April 27, John gave three concerts in Tokyo with the Japanese philharmonic orchestra," said Mrs Chandler.
"There were 3000 people at each of these concerts.
"John humbly says, it's the quality of the audience, not the quantity."
One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of gifts to John Lill by three Dungog High School students - Liza Kelehear, Kaitlin Horn and Amber Smith.
These students had been recipients of the annual John Lill scholarship which has been given to a student at the Gresford primary school over the past 15 years.
'John Lill OBE isn't sublime - he's better than that', wrote one of the UK's most distinctive classical writers.
Michael Tumelty also wrote 'that across the board, I do not know of another international pianist who could hold a candle to this magisterial keyboard player. John Lill is a pianists pianist, a musicians musician and an artist of such stature he must be held in the highest esteem possible'.
