2012 is our tenth anniversary season! Cossington Concerts was established in 2002 by the internationally acclaimed Mozart scholar and music critic Stanley Sadie CBE, with the encouragement and support of his wife Julie and their friends and neighbours. After Stanley’s death, David Goode, in collaboration with Julie, has continued to develop and nurture Stanley’s vision for the series.
The aim has always been to enhance the life of this Polden Hills village community with regular performances of live music by high-level professional artists. Concerts and other events take place at the weekend, usually in Cossington, but occasionally elsewhere, in the Manor or its gardens.
Over the years some of our artists have also given children’s concerts, masterclasses and workshops. In addition to the series, Cossington Concerts have also presented two highly successful three-day festivals celebrating the anniversaries of Mozart and Handel, occasional Manor Music Room Recitals and Musicales, and Shakespeare plays in the Manor Garden Theatre.
In 2007 we joined the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme and launched an ad hoc series of Manor Music Room Recitals to provide a showcase for young professionals with Somerset connections. In 2010 we inaugurated the Nancy Carr Prize, which augments the work of our Fund for Young Musicians, now in it’s fifth year.
Cossington Concerts is proud to have raised money for good causes, both local and national, in addition to maintaining the Fund for Young Musicians. In 2011, following a successful appeal, we acquired a grand piano for Cossington Village Hall and, as a result of a successful raffle, were able to make a significant donation to the work of Help for Heroes.
In 2006 Cyrus and Mary Clark became Patrons of Cossington Concerts.
|
