Welcome to the history of CoSMOS
and the Sunderland Symphony Orchestra.
Here you will
find information about when and why CoSMOS and the Sunderland Symphony
Orchestra were started.
You also will find information
relating to the people who made it happen, the music we played, and the
places where we performed.
Annual Reports,
Newsletters, and Newspaper Reviews provide a wealth of detailed
information.
If you would like any additional
information to that provided herein, please contact the author - who
maintained complete and detailed records of all aspects of The Society's
work -
see 'Contact Us' page.
This history terminates at the Annual
General meeting of the Society in March 2006, following which there were
significant changes in personnel and in the manner in which the Society
was run.
Much inaccurate information was
published during the following three years both in the press and in
programme information regarding the relationship between the Orchestra
and 'Music for All.' The latter project was started by Rupert
Hanson as a private venture during the year 2003, as a means of raising
finance for the Society and it's Orchestra, but expanded to encompass
other musical activities. The financial relationship between the two
organisations was then deemed inappropriate by The Charities Commission
and all formal financial links were broken in March 2006. The Commission
also recommended that 'M for All' should consider registering itself as
a Charity in its own right, which was done in July 2006. Since then, 'Music for All'
has provided
funding for the Orchestra and for concerts by sponsorship, and was
allowed by the Society to 'present' the Orchestra at major concerts during this time.
There is no formal connection between the two organisations and the
Orchestra
remains based at West Park Church for rehearsals and meetings.
Thank you for
your time and we hope you enjoy your visit.
(Chairman & playing member of CoSMOS, 2000 - 2006)
