Steeple Aston Church Bellringers
The aim of the Steeple Aston Church Bellringers is to ring the Church bells on Sundays and for other services such as weddings. They meet in Steeple Aston Church tower for practice every Tuesday at 7.30pm and also on Sundays half an hour before the service.
They also ring the bells on special occasions. Following their successful ringing of a quarter peal to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday on April 21st 2016, Steeple Aston Bell ringers and friends took on the much more arduous task of ringing a full peal for her official birthday on Sunday, 12th June 2016.
The ringers taking part, pictured here, were (l to r): Lawrence White (SA), Malcolm Hensher (SA), Michael Austin (Hook Norton), Daniel Austin (Hook Norton), Sally Austin (Hook Norton), Alan Griffin (Bloxham), Graham Clifton (conductor) (SA), Nicholas Powell (SA).
The Bellringers are a very sociable group and welcome visitors. They also have many social events through the year. Anyone over the age of 10 is welcome to join the group. The only proviso is that you must be able to climb the stairs.
There is no fee to pay but when you are able to handle a bell you may become a member of the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers, for which an annual subscription is £9. If you are interested in joining, either give Graham a call to discuss ringing or just turn up on a practice night and have a try.
Contact
Graham Clifton, Church Tower Captain
Tel: 01869 347273
Email: gjclifton@btinternet.com
Website: https://steepleastonbellringers.com/
Steeple Aston Handbell Ringers
The main purpose of the Handbell Ringers is to play Christmas carols door-to-door round Steeple and Middle Aston in the two weeks leading up to Christmas. They choose a different charity to collect for every year.
They meet to practise on Sunday evenings at 7.30pm in a member’s house. Meetings start in September if they have been asked to entertain for a given function, but in late October if they are just practising carols.
The handbells are the property of the parish church and it is traditional that handbell ringers are church bell ringers as well. Anyone over the age of 10 is welcome to join the group. You don’t necessarily have to be able to read music as they play by numbers.
Membership is free. If you are interested in joining the Handbell Ringers, contact Vicky or Graham.
Contact
Victoria Clifton, Handbell Captain
Email: vmcstedman@btinternet.com
Tel: 07817025948
Steeple Aston Choral Society
Honorary Patron – Heather Cleobury
Steeple Aston Choral Society was founded by a former village Rector and is still going strong, more than four decades later. The Society is privileged to have Paul Badley, a professional solo and ensemble singer who has performed all over the world, as its director and Paul Herrington, an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger and educator, as its accompanist. Heather Cleobury, another professional musician and strong supporter of amateur music, is its patron.
The choir numbers around thirty singers and is happy to welcome new members. There are no auditions and singers do not need to read music fluently, so as long as they enjoy music-making and socialising, they may learn the music as they wish.
The choir performs three concerts, with professional soloists, each year, – one in the church, one in the Village Hall and one in either venue (depending on the works being performed.) The summer concert is generally lighter music, with generous amounts of audience participation.
Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 7.45-9.30pm in the Village Hall.
Contacts
Margaret Bulleyment, Secretary
Tel: 01869 347346
Email: mtheb749@gmail.com
Bev Davies, Chair
Tel: 01869 347684
www.facebook.com/steepleastonchoralsociety
www.savh.org.uk (Regular Events)
SACS Concert Calendar 2025
Sunday 30 March – Ahoy! SACS Spring Concert – 6.30 for 7.00pm – Village Hall
Ahoy there! Don your blue and white and sail along to SA Village Hall, for a convivial evening of nautically-inspired music including Stanford’s Songs of the Sea; Elgar’s Sea Pictures, with sing-a-long sea shanties and other watery pieces.
Table seating (8 to a table.) Bar and nibbles.
Tickets £12.00 (Under 16s free) from SA village shop, or from Margaret Bulleyment 01869 347346 or mtheb749@gmail.com
Saturday 10 May – We’ll Meet Again – VE 80 – 6.30 for 7.00pm – Village Hall
From The White Cliffs of Dover to The Lambeth Walk – a family event in music, words and dance, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Come and sing the music that kept people going through the war; enjoy a song or two from Vera Lynn; listen to the wartime bells; hear stories of villagers during the period and strut the Lambeth Walk – Oi!
You can wear whatever you like, but feel free to come in 40s dress and/or red, white and blue.
Paul Herrington – accompanist and arranger.
Table seating. Bar and nibbles.
Tickets: £5 (Under 16s free) will be available from the village shop or Margaret Bulleyment 01869 347346 or mtheb749@gmail.com
Saturday 21 June – SACS Summer Party Concert – 6.30 for 7.00pm – Village Hall
A jolly evening of medleys and sing-a-long with a stage and screen theme. Come and sing your socks off with SACS!
Tab
le seating. Bar and nibbles.
Tickets £12.00 (Under 16s free) from SA village shop, or from Margaret Bulleyment 01869 347346 or mtheb749@gmail.com
Sunday 23 November – SACS Autumn Concert 7.00pm – Village Hall
Programme tba
