Spectacular light show to tell hidden story of St Paul's Cathedral

London: A stunning light projection show to be presented from Thursday to Sunday is to uncover the hidden wartime history of St Paul's Cathedral, an iconic building of London.

Cultural agency Historic England is staging four evenings of free spectacular illuminations at the cathedral.

The cutting-edge projections will transform the iconic facade of the cathedral after dark, combining powerful archive photography and animation with an atmospheric soundscape.

The show "Where Light Falls" will tell the fascinating story of St Paul's Watch, the volunteers whose bravery ensured the cathedral's survival during the Second World War.

As the Blitz, a German bombing campaign against Britain, raged from September 1940 to May 1941, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said the cathedral should be saved "at all costs."

Armed with sandbags and water pumps, the volunteers patrolled the cathedral while bombs rained down on London and people took refuge in tube stations and air-raid shelters.

Thanks to the enduring courage of these individuals, this masterpiece building survived the Blitz largely intact.

"The tireless work and substantial sacrifices of those who protected this cathedral throughout that conflict ensured that St Paul's would remain a beacon of hope and a place of welcome, worship and learning for generations to come," said David Ison, dean of St Paul's Cathedral.