Bradninch Music Group (BMG) was formed in 2000 with assistance of a £350 grant from Bradninch Arts Group the first Bradninch Music Festival was launched and the Bradninch Music Group formed. Bradninch is a small town in Devon which “punches above its weight in music & arts”. The Bradninch Music Group’s mission is to make music accessible to the community and promote creative performers.

We continue to be amazed and delighted by the new young musical talent which visits our town to share with others their love of musical performance.

The Group is a community organisation created by enthusiasts and professional performers. The first artistic director was Dick Banovich who established the Group’s continuing approach of presenting exemplar performers and encouraging local performers to develop their talent. We also interposed music of different genres in order to widen audience appreciation of the types of music available. Our programme of performers is aimed at engaging a wide age range although by the nature of original music making there is a significant youth element.

The Bradninch CD

In 2003 the Music group produced a promotional CD Eclectica. It contained work of artists who had then recently played in Bradninch. Sadly since the CD was made Cyril Tawney has passed on, his work is legend in folk circles where his songs are often thought of as “traditional” and we are proud that our CD includes his Devonshire Blues – Sally Free and Easy.

This year we release a double CD called Eclectica+ with several bonus tracks including many from a live improvisation event held in 2008, The Chaos Gig which featured artists; Kat Marsh, Dave Sawyer, Jerry Cahill and others with DJ’s and percussionists improvising and mashing music.

The second Collecting Chaos is a musical portrait of original and roots performance in Bradninch. The CD is opened by the festival dynamos from Cornwall the 3 Daft Monkeys with their song Paranoid Big Brother before the delicate title track Collecting Chaos by Bradninch’s own Mandy Porteous.

There are numerous songs from festival regulars and from many of our local young bands such as Wind up Lloyd, Bromley and Hailing Star, three of the six bands who regularly rehearse in Bradninch and other local performers such as Gary Spencer, Steve Snow and Jerry Cahill. It is a tribute to the organisations and pubs in Bradninch that some much practice and performance space is given music making.

BMG has promoted a weekend Music Festival in Bradninch each year since its inception, held over the second weekend of June. Click here for our galley of past events

Folk Club

is run at the Castle Hotel on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Contact Gerard Edwards

Bradninch Acoustic Music Blub

At St Disens hall - Every second Wednesday in the month from 8pm -10:45 pm. Come along and play or sit, listen and enjoy all styles of music from traditional to contempory to instrumentals. Contact Colin 01392 882036 or Jerry 01392 881916 for more information or book a slot

The quality of the BMG events has attracted attendance from a wide area of Devon, Somerset and further a-field. The events are advertised in the town and everyone is welcome.

The BMG website can be found at www.bradninchevents.org

Contacts:-