Chipping Sodbury Music Society

UK Registered Charity no. 1005346
Affiliated to Making Music: the national federation of music societies

About Chipping Sodbury Music Society

A brief history of Chipping Sodbury Music Society

In 1947 the Downleaze Music Club was founded by a group of enthusiasts to to encourage the appreciation of music by the means of gramophone records (78's!), illustrated talks and lectures. Over the following years the club developed and prospered so that by the 1960s live concerts were introduced. Supported by generous local financial assistance and sponsorship, musicians of considerable talent and acclaim were engaged and the club gained a reputation for promoting music concerts of the highest quality and excellence.

In 1990 the Downleaze Music Club changed its name to Chipping Sodbury Music Society, attracting members and sponsorship from a much wider area and enhancing the reputation gained from promoting concerts given by artists of international renown and by engaging young talented musicians at the beginning of their careers.

In 2008, after over sixty years, the objective of the Society is no different from that of those enthusiasts who met in 1947 "to bring together lovers of good music and musicians in a friendly and convivial atmosphere."

For a list of concerts from the last few seasons, follow the link below

The 2011-2012 season

This season, we have 7 concerts: Visitors are welcome at all concerts; single tickets cost just £12.00. As with most societies, membership offers even better value: all 7 concerts for just £55 . Accompanied children are admitted free.

Members can also join our visits to other musical events, with transport arranged. Recent years have seen trips to:

The Society's Piano

Following an appeal and with generous assistance from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Chipping Sodbury Music Society bought a Steinway grand piano. This made its Society debut in September 1995, and it now features in about half our concerts as a solo, accompanying or ensemble instrument.

The piano is available for hire to local societies at reasonable rates, which include movement and tuning. Please be aware that, whether for your concert or our own, we have to pay two sets of call-out fees each time the piano is used. We don't own the Town Hall, so we can't leave the piano on-stage, so about a ton of delicate musical instrument has to be retrieved from storage, lifted onto stage, assembled, tuned and later dismantled and returned to storage.

Now maintained with SeaMonkey
Geoff Whiley (Committee Member) 2011