The vision

Our vision is to create internationally-leading chamber music education facilities at the beautiful Leiston Abbey in Suffolk. This is the UK’s only full-time music school devoted to chamber music and the many areas of education enabled by the universal powers of small ensemble training.

Pro Corda has launched a £2,000,000 fund at its 50th Anniversary point to provide a legacy to secure the next 50 years of Pro Corda for generations to come. Half of the fund will be devoted to long term legacy and development. The other £1,000,000 represents an immediate ambitious project to upgrade Pro Corda’s student accommodation.

What's happened already?

Over the last 6 years, Pro Corda have commenced a major transformation of the Leiston Abbey site. This has already included:

  • Refurbishment of the 14th century Lady Chapel in the Abbey ruins to transform it into a stunning chamber music performance and teaching space
  • Re-thatching and making good the timbering of the Barn concert hall, together with works to the Barn’s gable ends and masonry
  • Installing a fully equipped recording studio in the 14th century Guesten Hall
  • Adapting both Guesten Hall and Barn to provide disabled access
  • Providing a new Box Office entrance to Hall and Barn, and incorporating a sensory garden path entrance which was exhibited as the “Pro Corda Garden” at the 2016 Chelsea Flower Show.

What's next?

With so many hundreds of Pro Cordians each year now staying residentially at Leiston Abbey (Pro Corda’s permanent home) for their courses, our main accommodation – the Abbey Farmhouse which sleeps up to 45 people – has non stop use and is in desperate need of refurbishment.

The refurbishment project launching November 2019 will see major upgrades to plumbing, decorating, guttering, rendering, windows, together with a whole range of new facilities from a new piano in the Tudor room to brand new student recreational facilities.

The house has  become an educational and artistic home to so many young people now – including many children with disabilities and special needs. New areas of disabled access will also form a key part of refurbishment.

Such projects are always complex in a property that is half Tudor and half Georgian. But it is vital we carry out this work to preserve the house and as part of our overarching ambition to make Leiston Abbey a place of world class facilities for Europe’s only full time music school devoted entirely to the teaching of chamber music.

How can you get involved?

With so much already achieved across the site on other buildings – from the Barn concert hall to the Chapel to the new recording studio, all supported by grant funders – it is important that the Abbey house refurbishment be a community project. From current students and their families to alumni to the many others who are kind enough to support Pro Corda, we can make this happen together!

There are four ways that you can get involved right now…

Donate Now

Click through to our JustGiving page and make your donation now

DONATE NOW
Become a Principal Donor

We will set up a meeting at your convenience to discuss the exciting and unique opportunities on offer to Principal Donors.

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Fundraise

Set up your own 50th Anniversary Fundraising campaign, from organising a concert to a JustGiving campaign.

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Partner your business with Pro Corda

Get your name at the heart of cutting edge education programmes which are making massive difference to people’s lives across Britain.

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