THE town centre was filled with song as roaming choral performances took place inspired by the story of a conscientious objector.

More than 150 people stepped into song on George Street to watch promenade performance 'Refrain', given by a group of untrained male singers from St Helens.

Award-winning composer Verity Standen created the show specifically for St Helens, due to the town's historic connection with conscientious objection through schoolteacher Ernest Everett.

Ernest was arrested due to his refusal to undertake combative service in 1916 and was court-martialled and sentenced to two years’ hard labour, the first conscientious objector to receive such a sentence.

Over the next few years, he was sentenced seven more times.

In Refrain, Everett’s story, symbolic of many similar cases, was given voice by the men.

The participants, recruited through taster sessions, led audiences on four shows from The Masonic Hall along George Street to the historic Friends Meeting House.

Olly Ford, one of the participants, said: “It was quite surreal but very cool. Sometimes you’d be walking through town on the day to day and you’d see the streets. Then to actually be involved in a performance amongst these streets is really nice.”

Suzanne Dempsey Sawin, of Heart of Glass, added: “It was a pleasure to see the hard work and talent of the participants and Verity come to fruition over the weekend.

“I found the performances were very moving and the audience feedback has reflected this. The George Street Quarter came alive in a truly unique way, and it was great to work with two historic St Helens sites.”

The show was produced by Situations with Verity Standen Projects, in partnership with English Heritage, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts and Heart of Glass, and supported by Arts Council England, the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, The Space and Heritage Lottery Fund.

Pictures by Wesley Storey courtesy of Situations