Chapel Sessions & Royal Victoria Hospital

Chapel Sessions is a community led, not for profit occasional music series in the acoustically acclaimed Victorian Chapel in Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley, on the shores of Southampton Water.

You can enjoy a pre-Christmas party night with six-piece blues rock band The Burns Unit, on Friday 28th November.

The Burns Unit is a six piece blues/rock band covering The Animals to ZZ Top via Clapton, Santana and the Stones, to name but a few. Tickets £6 in advance from Hantsweb Shop. Telephone: 07702 980677. Cost: £6 per person. Venue: Royal Victoria Country Park       

Chapel Sessions hosts and creators: John and Sonja Davison

Chapel Sessions is created by John and Sonja Davison through their love for music and their passion for the community.

In May 2013, Sonja Davison was also named Citizen of Honour, awarded by Eastleigh Borough Council.

John and Sonja Davison said their participating artists come as audience recommendations and leave as friends, who believe in the ethos of the Chapel Sessions – to bring the venue to life whilst respecting its past.

“We were delighted that during the intervals so many people were socialising, chatting, talking about the concept whilst enjoying the quality music, discussing the venue itself and interacting with one another. ”

“So many music venues you go to and either stand like sardines for ages before it starts or sit in a row, and often don’t even have an interval and then you leave. Not exactly a social interaction. We always intend to make this different and it looks like it is working!”

By John and Sonja Davison

Chapel Sessions musicians

Past artists have included musicians from far and wide including:

• May 2013 from New York – Nell Bryden plus Sam Bradley and Herbie Armstrong;
• November 2013 from Nashville – Jenn Bostic with Emma Stevens, Daisy Chapman, Jack Omer;
• April 2014 from Portland Oregon – Tony Furtado, Benji Kirkpatrick and Nigel Stephens;
• May 2014 from Sussex Richard Durrant who has just completed a 30+ gig ‘Cycling-Music’ tour of UK raising funds for a Big C’ Cancer therapy Centre;
• July 2014 Americana with Wood Wire and Words and the Papertrains, and most recently the return of Daisy Chapman to headline with Duo Lily and Meg providing support.

In addition, in October, the skills and expertise of Chapel Sessions helped to make the Jubilee Sailing Trust Autumn Pumpkin Festival music stage a great success.

The overall aim is to put on music sessions from all genres to appeal to a wide audience.

The success of Chapel Sessions will continue by encouraging even more people to attend and support this local community based initiative.

You can follow and interact with Chapel Sessions on Twitter @chapel_sessions and on Chapel Sessions Facebook page.

Chapel Sessions – created out of love

No expenses are charged by John and Sonja Davison. It is run entirely on a volunteer basis for the love of it.

John and Sonja are always looking for people with skills to help them achieve their goal, help them sell tickets as well as volunteering on the day and advertising.

Nostalgia

Are you nostalgic over Royal Victoria Hospital (Netley Hospital)? Here is a stunning photograph by Ryan Prince, and a short film of the old hospital in the 1960s.

Have you got a story of Netley Hospital to share with us?

External links:

• History of Royal Victoria Country Park
• Chapel Sessions Music
• Julie Green: Royal Victoria Hospital