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Making Music is the website for the National Federation of Music
Societies.
The Federation supports amateur and semi-professional music
groups of all types in the UK.
As well as comprehensive training and development opportunities
Making Music, offers artistic and administrative services.
The Federation also acts as a lobby group on behalf of member’s
interests with local and national government.
There are several thousand member groups in the country, who
represent thousands of musicians.
The
National Federation of Music Societies was founded in York in
1935.
History
The organisation was created from regional federations of music
societies, who still kept their own identities, to provide
mutually beneficial services for the members through centralised
information and representation.
These voluntary groups remain a vital part of the Federation at
local level and maintain contact with our London office.
Historically the function of the Federation was to distribute
funding to music societies. Initially the funding came from the
Carnegie UK Trust and following the establishment of CEMA (The
Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts) allowed us
to allocate national funds to larger performing societies and
music clubs who were not eligible for support from Carnegie.
CEMA became the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1945 and this
role continued.
A
number of Regional Arts Boards and the Scottish Arts Council
continue to place responsibility for administering grants in our
hands despite the decentralisation of government funding that
saw a reduction in our provision of financial support
The
Federation continues to support its member societies at local
level and maintains an important national presence through
lobbying and national events. Over the years the Federation has
produced concerts to celebrate national events such as the
Festival of Britain in 1951 and the Queen's Silver Jubilee in
1977 for example as well as the Federation’s own Golden and
Diamond Jubilees. Concert profits created the Diamond Jubilee
Endowment Fund, which safeguards the future work of the
Federation.
A
joint project with BT in 1993 called Making More of Music
enabled 10,000 representatives of member societies to attend
training opportunities across the country over the next three
years. Making Music worked again in partnership with BT on the
community development project, The Music Experience funded by
The National Lottery through The Arts Council of England and
publicly launched in September 1998. This was the largest
project ever undertaken in the voluntary arts sector in this
country.
A
new five year plan called Making Music Happen was launched in
the year 2000, coinciding with the new millennium. At the same
time the National Federation made the decision to change its
working title to Making Music, to reflect the new wider range of
membership that was becoming so important.
The
membership now reflects the contemporary music scene and
includes a very wide range of musical types, from choral
societies and orchestras to steel bands and gospel choirs.
Membership
There are nearly 2000 member groups involved in
Making Music and those groups represent approximately 150,000
people taking part. About a quarter of these are aged under 45.
Research shows that music groups loose very few members and that
indicates a commitment by their members and a lifetime
dedication to music.
The
member music groups raise over £1 million per year for charity.
Member groups not only perform in the UK but undertake overseas
tours.
More and more classical groups are playing 20th
century music and between them commission many new musical
pieces every year.
Why not join Music Makers? Get involved!
Music Makers guards music-makers' long-term interests, provide
artistic and administrative assistance, a network of contacts
and support. Is live music-making in the UK's villages,
towns and cities important to you? Your involvement will make a
difference.
Making Music
The National federation of Music Societies
7-15 Roseberry Avenue
London, EC1R 4SP
Tel: 0870 872 3300
Fax: 0870 372 3400
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