:: Putney Music ::

Our 2026-27 season starts on Monday 14 September when we welcome Bob Chilcott. The British choral composer, conductor, and singer is based in Oxfordshire. He sang tenor for the King's Singers for twelve years. He has been a full-time composer and conductor since 1997. His large-scale compositions include a setting of the St John Passion, written for Wells Cathedral and a Christmas Oratorio which was commissioned for the 2019 Three Choirs Festival. He is currently Director of the Birmingham University Singers. He will share his musical thoughts with Ian Partridge our Society’s Vice President.

Putney Music was founded in 1950 by the critic and writer, Ralph Hill as a Gramophone Society, but has grown and developed over the years to become a much-admired forum where members and visitors can meet internationally renowned musicians in an informal setting.

We are a society of music lovers who meet fortnightly from September to April to hear some of the world’s most celebrated musicians talk, with recorded and sometimes visual illustrations, about their lives and work. Our meetings provide a rare opportunity to learn how great musicians approach their work, and to hear about the private person behind the public image. Our guest speakers come from all fields of music – the concert hall, recital platform, opera, ballet, television and film – and include producers, broadcasters, critics and writers in addition to performers. Their fields of expertise may vary, but what unites them is their status within their field. You can see just what we mean by looking at our amazing list of past speakers.

Our society has almost 100 members. Some of us have a considerable knowledge of music while others have very little, but what we all share is a great love of music and a desire to learn. Our meetings take place in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, in which each meeting is invariably an extremely enjoyable occasion for both audience and speakers. We start at 7.45pm and finish by 9.45pm. During the interval we serve cold drinks and wine.

We welcome new members. Why not join us and become part of one of London’s most distinguished and exciting music societies? It’s a chance to meet new people with an interest in the study and appreciation of music. If you are not sure whether Putney Music is for you, you can ‘pay as you go’ for one meeting at a time — or you can take advantage of the discounts offered for annual membership.

We look forward to seeing you!