FRMS Home Page

Federation of Recorded Music Societies
(President - Julian Lloyd Webber)

Meet Julian Lloyd Webber OBE
our President

Annual General Meeting

Further documents for the 2021 AGM can now be found on the Events Page.

Covid19 – Advice to Societies

In the light of the relaxation of government restrictions, here is our current advice on resuming meetings. It contains a risk assessment template which societies may like to use as a basis for regulating their meetings. Click here to download the advice and template to your computer as a Word document.

Issue of Invoices for 2021–22

As societies will know, we have been gathering information regarding their activities during 2020–2021 with the intention of seeking some refund of payments made by FRMS on their behalf to PRS/PPL and for public liability insurance. We now have all the required information and will be entering discussions with the relevant bodies shortly. In the meantime there seems little point in issuing invoices for the coming year until we know whether any credits will be available to societies in respect of payments they made during the last twelve months. We will therefore not be issuing any such invoices until the situation is clarified—which may take some time. Please bear with us; we don't want to be in the position where we are asking you for payments which may not be necessary!

PAUL CORFIELD GODFREY, Treasurer, on behalf of the FRMS Committee

FRMS Weekend at Ilkley

25–27 March 2022

Some adjustment to the programme planned in 2020 may be necessary but we hope that all the original presenters and recitalists will be able to be with us.

The hotel has confirmed that bookings and payments may be carried forward to March 2022. As bookings were made directly with the hotel we have asked the hotel to notify participants individually. If you have not heard from the hotel please let us know by e-mail to chairman@thefrms.co.uk

The hotel can be contacted by e-mail at sales@craiglands.co.uk or by phone on 01943 430001. The postal address is Best Western Craiglands Hotel, Cowpasture Road, Ilkley LS29 8RG. It may be possible to accept additional bookings for the new dates. If you are interested please e-mail chairman@thefrms.co.uk for further information before contacting the hotel.

Programme

New feature - stories from the societies

Click here for current stories

FRMS - WHO ARE WE?

The Federation of Recorded Music Societies (FRMS) can claim to have played its part in developing greater enthusiasm and understanding of recorded classical music over a substantial portion of the past century.

The Federation was formed in 1936 as the National Federation of Gramophone Societies. Although the title has changed to reflect more recent developments, the aims of the movement have remained basically unaltered and the attraction is still present in the 21st century as well over 100 societies continue to meet on a regular basis.

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ADVANTAGES OF AFFILIATION TO THE FRMS

The Federation was formed in 1936 as a voluntary association of societies in the British Isles for the purpose of protecting their interests and furthering their aims. Twenty-three Societies originally affiliated - now the number is well over 100. Our main function is to manage licensing arrangements with Performing Right Society Ltd (PRS) and Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) for the licences necessary for performing recorded music in public, on terms favourable to our members. The fees are greatly reduced from those normally applied by these organisations for individual licences. A particular benefit of this arrangement is that it is the society itself that is licensed and not the premises. This means that the society is covered for PRS and PPL wherever it chooses to meet.

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FEATURED LINK

Each month we highlight below one of the links on our Links Page for your special attention:

CRQ Editions is a specialist label that publishes unusual recordings, DVDs and discographies, all devoted to great musicians.

LATEST NEWS

Gigli Archive

David Cutler is looking for a home for a large archive of recordings and other material relating to the great tenor Beniamino Gigli. Click here for more details.

12/10/2021

Brendan Sadler

Street and Glastonbury Recorded Music Group mourns the recent passing of Brendan Sadler, who served on the FRMS committee for several years.

04/10/2021

Torbay 2021

The Torbay Musical Weekend will take place on 19th–21st November.

04/09/2021

Beethoven's Life

The newest recruit to our Presenters Panel, Stephen Davis, has kindly sent us a copy of his essay on the Life and Music of Ludwig van Beethoven.

03/09/2021

Newsletter

Hot off the presses, our September newletter is here for you to read.

30/08/2021

Mick Birchall

We regret to announce the death recently of long-standing FRMS Committee member Mick Birchall.

20/08/2021

Arts In Residence

Last month's featured link was to Arts in Residence. We learned only today that well-known presenter Terry Barfoot, who ran the organisation, had passed away last August, and that consequently Arts In Residence is no longer in operation.

07/06/2021

Fees and Insurance

A letter From the Chairman concerning FRMS fees and insurance during the year of the pandemic.

08/02/2021

Holst

Christmas is long past and spring is here at last. Here's an interesting article about the composer of Britain's favourite carol.

08/02/2021

Obituary

The death of John Gilks, a former Chairman of the FRMS, was announced last year. Gavin Mist of York RMS has sent us this appreciation of John.

Appreciations of several other recently deceased officers of the Society have been gathered together in our new In Memoriam page.

07/02/2021

Past Bulletins

The full set of Bulletins of the FRMS, from 1999 to the final edition in Autumn 2018, can be browsed on the previous bulletins page.

16/11/2020

Newsletter Archive

Copies of previous FRMS newsletters, dating back to 2006, are now available to browse from the link in the left panel. Or just click here.

01/10/2020

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