ISM Music Journal - September/October 2016

September/October 2016 Bacc for the Future – the debate Oliver Knussen in conversation Royal Air Force Music Services

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Welcome

Above: Deborah Annetts Photo: Mark Thompson

Front Cover Dancers from the Sujata Banerjee Dance Company perform at the Bacc for the Future campaign pre-debate gathering in front of the Houses of Parliament on 4 July 2016.

See feature on pages 22-25 Photo: Brian Slater Inset images: Left: Composer and conductor Oliver Knussen See feature on pages 14-17 Photo: Maurice Foxall Right: The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment See feature on pages 18-21

It seems like an age since I wrote my last editorial. Whilst we do everything we can to make sure the Journal is up to the minute, sometimes events simply overtake us, so my last editorial was written well in advance of the Brexit vote.

Many people in the music world were concerned about what a leave vote could mean for music. In the past, there have been issues around visas, tax, travel, funding and job opportunities, which to some extent were alleviated by membership of the European Union (EU). And now we are in a period of uncertainty. At present our advice is there will be no immediate legal change to the status of a professional musician who works in the EU. Article 50 – the legal mechanism through which the UK will leave the EU – has yet to be invoked and may not be for some time. ISM benefits that rely on you being domiciled in a member country of the EU will continue to apply and this includes our public liability insurance and legal expenses insurance cover for disputes that arise in the EU. We will be working with the ISM’s Special Interest Groups to develop proposals that will seek to address professional musicians’ concerns in this fast changing world and we will take these proposals to Government.

There have also been changes at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and at the Department for Education, with Justine Greening becoming the new Secretary of State there. She has an extremely full in-tray and one of those issues is the EBacc. An important debate took place on 4 July with a large number of parliamentarians raising concerns about the government proposals (see pages 22-25). As we now head into the autumn, we hope that the new Secretary of State will put an end to this truly dreadful policy proposal before it does any more damage to creative subjects in schools and, in the broader context, to the creative industries.

Lastly, it is that time of year when many ISM members renew their membership.

The ISM Council considered very carefully whether to make any adjustments to the membership rates which have not changed since 2014. Council took on board the fact that there have been increases in costs, particularly around legal expenses insurance, and therefore agreed a very modest increase to the subscription rates. However, ISM membership continues to be extraordinarily good value for money, providing comprehensive services to assist musicians no matter what challenges they face. It includes our in-house specialist legal team who can help you with a very wide range of work problems from contracts and unpaid fees, to recording advice and copyright issues, a full range of insurances including public liability and legal expenses insurances and a full range of professional development seminars and webinars.

The ISM stands ready and waiting to help you with your professional lives so please always feel welcome to give us a call or email us. Remember we are here to help you.

Photo: Christopher Yarrow © MOD Crown Copyright 2015

Contents 2 5 7 11 14 18 22 27 33 38 39 40

News & campaigns Legal and business support for our members Membership benefits and your subscription Professional development Oliver Knussen in conversation Royal Air Force Music Services Bacc for the Future – the debate News from our members News from our corporate members Classified advertising Local events listings Ask me a question

Volume 83 / Number 3 Published by: The Incorporated Society of Musicians 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ T: 020 7221 3499 E: membership@ism.org W: ism.org Editor: Deborah Annetts Sub-editor and Production: Kim Davenport Gee All ISM publications are copyright Printed by Optichrome, Maybury Road, Woking GU21 5HX ISSN 0951 5135

Design: Cog Design cogdesign.com Typography: Marc Marazzi marazzidesign.co.uk Advertising: Cabbell Publishing Ltd, Deer Park Studios 12 Deer Park Road London SW19 3TL T. 020 3603 7940 E. jane@cabbell.co.uk Editorial and advertising copy date: 3 October for November/ December issue Price: £6 per copy Subscription: £30 per year Circulation: 7,250 named recipients Views expressed in MJ are not necessarily those of the ISM. The publication of any advertisement does not imply endorsement of the advertiser or the product advertised.

deborah@ism.org

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

News & campaigns What does the referendum result mean for ISM members?

Henry Vann, Head of External Affairs, ISM

Repeat performances backed by Resonate database

On Thursday 23 June 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union (the EU) in a referendum. ISM members may be wondering about the implications of the referendum result.

The PRS for Music Foundation and the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) are working together to encourage repeat performances of commissioned orchestral music.

It is important to bear in mind that there will be no immediate legal changes to your status as a professional musician who may be working in the EU. Article 50 – the legal mechanism through which the UK will leave the EU – has yet to be invoked. ISM benefits that rely on you being domiciled in a member country of the EU will continue to apply and this includes our public liability insurance and legal expenses insurance cover for disputes that arise in the EU.

The ABO has worked with the PRS for Music Foundation to create a database of orchestral works commissioned in the last 25 years (called the Resonate database).

There have however been changes to, for example, exchange rates which may already be affecting you as you sell work or tour in other countries.

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the ISM has called on the Government to ‘ensure our members and indeed the music sector as a whole can continue to work and perform in Europe as of whatever new agreements are put in place.’

We will be seeking to protect musicians’ rights in any exit from the EU and will work with the ISM’s Special Interest Groups to set out our policy priorities to discuss with Government.

The Foundation is offering grants of up to £10,000 to British orchestras who want to ‘rehearse, programme, tour or promote’ a piece of music from the database.

Musicians can access the list of eligible works at resonate.abo.org.uk.

Composers’ Round Table The ISM Composers’ Special Interest Group held a Composers’ Round Table on Tuesday 12 July.

Many composers attended to discuss what the BBC could do to support contemporary composers and writers of music, and what the ISM could do with PRS for Music to ensure that their processes were comprehensible.

Based on the discussions and composers’ survey, we have produced a series of recommendations which can be found at ism.org/composing.

Give the musicians in your life the security and peace of mind that comes with being part of a professional body. Buy your musician colleague, student, family member or friend a year of ISM full membership for £171 or a year of graduate membership for just £75 (if they graduated from their first degree-level qualification in music in the last ten years).

Or why not buy your pupils ISM student membership when they go off to university or conservatoire? Student membership is just £15 a year.

To order your gift and find out more, go to ism.org/join.

If you have any questions about gift membership, please call us on 020 7221 3499 or email membership@ism.org.

Please note: to be eligible for ISM membership the recipient of the gift must satisfy our entry criteria.

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© iStockphoto/Melpomenem

Be instrumental in supporting the musicians in your life – give them the gift of ISM membership.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Our partnership with the Royal College of Organists If you are both a member of the ISM and the Royal College of Organists (RCO), take advantage of our new partnership designed to increase the breadth and availability of support for organists and choral directors. The partnership sees the ISM and RCO working together to build and deliver a wide range of services, information and development opportunities for organists and choral directors.

Members of either organisation are able to join the other at a 25% discount. The RCO supports and represents organists and choral directors of every age and all levels of attainment.

EBacc campaign reaches Parliament The campaign to reform or abolish the EBacc reached Parliament on Monday 4 July when a 100,000 signature petition to include arts in the EBacc was debated. You can read more about the debate and about the pre-debate coverage and gathering organised by the Bacc for the Future campaign on pages 22-25.

BBC Ten Pieces PROMS On Saturday 23 July the BBC PROMS hosted a performance of all of their selected pieces from their Ten Pieces II project which the ISM is supporting.

The concert, built on the BBC’s music education initiative, included performances by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Alpesh Chauhan with extracts from Verdi’s Requiem (with 400 children singing) and young string players from Greater Manchester Music Hub performing an extract from Carmen.

For more information visit bit.ly/BBCTPSecondary.

For more information about this exciting new partnership including how to join either organisation, visit ism.org/join/rco, contact the ISM membership team on membership@ism.org or 020 7221 3499 or visit the RCO website: rco.org.uk

Northern Ireland arts funding cut after elections The budget of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) has been cut by nearly £500,000. Funding from the Department for Communities has been reduced from £10.95m in 2015/16 to £10.49m for 2016/17.

The funding cut comes shortly after the Northern Ireland Assembly elections which saw the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) abolished and its responsibilities taken over by the Department for Communities (DfC).

This cut also comes on top of a £1.38m cut last year.

Much of the money supports annual running costs and staff at arts organisations across Northern Ireland.

Google’s report on piracy is ‘greenwash’ say musicians Google has claimed that its anti-piracy software used on YouTube has generated ‘£1.5 billion’ for copyright owners.

But record label representatives, the BPI, have accused the report of being ‘greenwash’, covering up the true scale of piracy and copyright infringement that uses the search engine.

The BPI welcomed ‘measures Google has taken so far’ but added that they were ‘still one of the key enablers of piracy on the planet,’ calling on the website to do more with its software to tackle piracy and infringement.

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

ISM Discount+ Giving you access to a huge range of new discounts including Sainsbury’s, M&S, Apple and Boots September sees the launch of a substantial development to our range of discounts, available exclusively for you to use as part of your ISM membership. As we are now all looking for savings wherever possible, through Discount+ we’ve negotiated hundreds of discounts which give you access to money off your bill at retailers including supermarkets, high street stores, cinema chains, travel, music & technology, health & fitness and home and car insurance. Students also get the added benefit of the use of NUS extra, which includes tailored offers suitable for your active student lifestyle!

You will be able to access all these discounts via our website at ism.org/discount+.

Just some of these discounts include: • between 3–14% off via a cashback scheme at stores including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Argos, Homebase, Curry’s, B&Q, Boots and Debenhams • up to 10% off Apple products including free engraving on all iPads & iPods • 5% off package holidays including Thomson, Thomas Cook, Crystal and Neilson • up to 40% off cinemas including Empire, cineworld and Showcase as well as loads of independent cinemas … and there are plenty more for you to browse and select.

Visit ism.org/discount+ for full details.

New Deputy Mayor for Culture in London

Her appointment has been broadly welcomed, although there is no longer a direct link between her role and responsibility for education policy.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has appointed Justine Simons OBE as his deputy mayor for culture and creative industries.

Ms Simons was previously responsible for instigating the Trafalgar Square fourth plinth project and was closely involved in the London 2012 project. She has a long track record of working with and within the arts.

She said: ‘It’s been my lifelong belief that creativity has the power to transform lives and places. Culture is part of London’s DNA. It’s a big reason so many of us choose to visit and live here, it generates billions for our economy and gives London its unique character and dynamism.’

Henry Vann, Head of External Affairs, ISM 020 7313 9327, henry.vann@ism.org

ISM/MMA JOINT PROMOTION Join both professional bodies and get 25% off each membership!

If you are an existing ISM member and would like to join the MMA then we have good news. As of this month we are offering anyone who becomes a member of both organisations 25% off both your ISM and MMA membership. This offer applies to members who currently pay the ISM full or graduate rate membership.

Music teachers holding both memberships will have access to the complete range of services a music teaching professional needs today, along with connections across the music education sector in the UK.

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For more information on how to get this offer, contact the membership team on 020 7313 9316 or email membership@ism.org quoting ISM/MMA.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Legal and business support for our members Caroline Aldred, the ISM’s Business Support Officer, explains how we offer you a full range of legal and business support in your work as a musician.

Legal services

Debt recovery service When you are having difficulties getting paid, our debt recovery team will chase the late payers for you, to ensure you are paid what you are due, however small the sum.

Disciplinary and grievance procedures

© iStockphoto/Pali

Rao

Contract advice service Our in-house legal team is available to give you prompt and free advice on any work-related contract which you are offered. This may relate to performing, composition commissions, recording contracts, publishing contracts, management agreements as well as teaching contracts. Our in-house legal team ca can offer you prompt expert advice to help yyou fully understand what are sometimes lo long and complicated documents. They will h help you to decide whether or not to accept tthe contract. If necessary our lawyers will aalso help to negotiate improvements in the contract for you.

Employment contracts A particularly important part of our legal team’s services is advising on contracts of employment.

Our lawyers will look at employment contracts you are offered and will help you to ensure that your legal rights are fully protected. These include your statutory rights to holiday and sick pay and protection against unfair dismissal and discrimination.

Contract disputes Our in-house legal team will also advise you should you fall into dispute over a work contract. They will negotiate on your behalf with the other party to arrive at a favourable solution for you. If necessary, they will help you to make a claim under our legal expenses insurance to ensure that you have legal representation to take the matter to court.

Our team can also support and represent you at disciplinary and grievance procedures so that you do not have to go through these alone and without expert advice.

Redundancy They can also represent you in redundancy proceedings.

Copyright and performers’ rights Our lawyers can also help you to protect your copyright and performers’ rights. They will advise you on contracts relating to use of your compositions and arrangements and of recordings of your performances.

They will help to ensure you receive all royalties you are entitled to and advise you in disputes where your rights have been infringed.

Template contracts We have a collection of template contracts on our website which members can download and use for free. These include agreements for performances, publishing, music tuition, composition commissions, a template synchronisation agreement and special contracts for organists.

Personal injury Our legal expenses insurance will cover your lawyer’s bill if you should have to pursue a legal claim against someone who has caused you personal injury.

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Criminal defence costs

Tax return filing service

Our legal expenses insurance will also pay for a lawyer to defend you if you face criminal charges arising from your work.

Performance Accountancy Ltd offer members a lowcost flat-rate tax return filing service for only £150.

Record-keeping templates Legal helpline You can call our 24/7 legal helpline at any time of the day or night to speak to a lawyer about any legal problem, whether or not it is related to your work.

You can also access from our website useful templates for keeping records of your income and expenditure.

Maintaining good records makes it much easier to put together your tax return at the end of the year. It also makes sound business sense by helping you to keep track of overdue fees and of your expenditure.

Insurances for your business Public liability insurance Our insurance policy covers all our members for up to £10 million in the event that a claim is made against any member relating to an injury someone else has sustained or damage to someone else’s property which occurred in the course of the member’s work as a musician. This is an essential insurance for all musicians; schools and other people engaging musicians are increasingly likely to ask them for evidence that they have this type of insurance.

It comes free with ISM membership.

Employer liability insurance As an ISM member you are also insured against similar claims for compensation made by someone you employed.

Discounted instrument insurance A number of insurance companies offer members discounts on their standard rates for insuring their musical instruments. Shop around to find out which offer is best value for you.

Tax investigation insurance Our insurance covers you for your accountant’s fees for advising you if HMRC decide to investigate your tax affairs.

Tax Advice Aside from the benefit of this tax investigation cover, you can call our free tax helpline to get expert help with queries about any aspect of your tax affairs.

In addition, our website has generic advice tailormade for musicians, including a list of the main tax-allowable expenses which musicians can claim, and advice on claiming capital allowances.

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Fees information We commission a range of surveys of fees charged by musicians and publish a summary of the results on our website. They include fees charged for music tuition, accompanying, performing and by organists and Directors of Music in places of worship. We also provide tips to help you decide where you yourself fit within the overall fee ranges, both on our website and in the occasional webinar. All this should help you to make those important rate-setting decisions.

Business development and career planning ISM members are entitled to an hour of one-to-one advice (which can be by phone, email or skype) from the ISM’s business development adviser, Joel Garthwaite. Joel can advise you on a range of issues from self-promotion and networking through to marketing, publishing and touring.

We also run webinars on career-planning topics. Look out for the next one on 13 October, when career coach Nick Gendler will draw on his considerable experience of working with musicians in career transition to talk about career planning and career change, and maximising work opportunities.

Online advice Finally, there is advice for musicians on a wide range of topics in the advice centre area of our website at ism.org/advice-centre. We encourage you to take a look.

Caroline Aldred, Business Support Officer, ISM

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Membership benefits and your subscription We are constantly working to develop our services to better meet the needs of our members and this year we are delighted to be introducing several new membership benefits. You can read about all the new additions in this article.

We are always open to your suggestions and you can call us on 020 7221 3499 or email membership@ism.org if you have any feedback or want to suggest a benefit we could introduce to help you further in your working lives.

Brexit and your work After the result of the European Union referendum, it is more important than ever to have the backing of your professional body. We will support and update you with any changes that could affect your work as a musician and seek to ensure that musicians’ rights are protected in any negotiations. Remember – we are here for you.

Do you know about the range of benefits that you are entitled to as part of your ISM membership?

If you are a full, graduate or student member, your ISM membership provides you with free comprehensive insurance including public, employers’ and product liability cover of up to £10 million and up to £100,000 of legal expenses insurance. You are also entitled to 10-20% off musical instrument and equipment insurance through the discounts we have negotiated with insurance companies. There is no limit on the amount of discounted cover or on the number of instruments covered at a discount.

Our specialist in-house legal team is here to support you with expert legal advice and representation including at grievance, disciplinary and redundancy meetings. You have direct access to our team who can advise you on legal matters affecting your work including contracts, unpaid fees recovery, issues relating to employment and self-employment, performers’ and composers’ rights, royalties, DBS checks, safeguarding, child protection and more.

If you have a legal query, however simple or complex the issue, email legal@ism.org or call us on 020 7221 3499.

If you have a legal enquiry which is not connected to your work or you would like to speak to someone out of office hours, you can ring our 24-hour legal helpline which is staffed by experienced legal advisers: 01206 368994. If you need advice regarding tax, you can call the same number during the day to speak to trained tax advisers.

Listing yourself in our Handbook and Music Directory helps you get more work. Full, graduate and student members can list themselves on the Music Directory free of charge and all members have a free listing in our annual Handbook. Log in to ‘My ISM’ (members’ area) on our new website to update your public listings: ism.org/my-ism.

Build your knowledge, hone your expertise and network with other musicians at our seminars and events. All members are entitled to up to 30% off and if you are a student member you get an even better discount.

As a member of the ISM, the UK’s professional body for musicians, you are entitled to use our letters after your name to demonstrate your professional status: Membership type

Post-nominal letters and logos MISM

Full, graduate and retired

SMISM Student

FISM Fellow (15 years or more of continuous membership)

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

You can use our specially designed member logos on your website and stationery to show that you are a member or fellow of your professional body. Log in at ism.org/my-ism to download our member logos.

ISM full, graduate and student members are entitled to an hour of business development advice free of charge with arts marketing and business consultant Joel Garthwaite. Joel can advise you on marketing and promotion, building contacts, developing your business and much more. Log in at ism.org/my-ism to find out more.

This year we will be running more free webinars to give you increased opportunity to understand key issues in the music profession and build your knowledge. You can find out more and register for our webinars at ism.org/webinars.

So that we can continue to offer you premium services, some of our subscription rates will increase slightly from 1 September 2016.

Full

Graduate (year 3)

Graduate (year 2)

£171 or £166 annual Direct Debit £17.10 per month for 10 months £125 £12.50 per month for 10 months £95 £9.50 per month for 10 months

Graduate (year 1)

You can find out about all the benefits you are entitled to at ism.org/membership/ full-membership-benefits.

£75 £7.50 per month for 10 months

Student

£15

New membership benefits this year

Retired

£87

Associate

£60

Friend

£60

Platinum** corporate

£520

Gold** corporate

£330

Silver corporate

£215

Bronze corporate

£100

This year we are introducing several new benefits to provide even better support for our members: • ISM Discount+ from September – hundreds of additional discounts and offers, giving you savings on your weekly shop at supermarkets and popular high street stores. You can also save money on travel, music and technology, restaurants and more: ism.org/my-ism/your-discounts • Road Accident Aftercare Service – prompt free recovery and repair of your car if you are involved in an accident: ism.org/my-ism • Low-cost personal legal services including probate, estate administration, tax planning, will writing, conveyancing, matrimonial and family services: ism.org/my-ism • Make Music Work advice packs to help you with your career, including packs for composers, performers and music teachers: ism.org/ professional-development/advice-packs • New improved website and online Advice Centre – our newly redesigned website will help you find the advice you need, fast: ism.org/advice-centre To find out about the discounts you are entitled to and how to claim them visit: ism.org/your-discounts.

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2016-2017 subscription rates*

*These rates apply to all renewals until 31 August 2017 **includes 20% VAT

Direct debit If you are a full member paying £171, you can receive a £5 discount if you pay by annual Direct Debit.

Alternatively, full and graduate members can spread the cost of membership by paying in ten monthly instalments.

If you would like to set up a Direct Debit, if you have any feedback or want to suggest a benefit we could introduce to help you further with your work in the music profession, you can contact the membership team on 020 7221 3499 or email membership@ism.org.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

EXPERIENCE LEEDS COLLEGE OF MUSIC Study in a city with over 200 music venues and unlimited performance opportunities.

Visit our upcoming Experience Days on:

SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER

@LeedsMusic www.lcm.ac.uk/ experienceday 9

for boys aged 7 & 8 5th November 2016

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Substantial scholarships are awarded and choristers benefit from an all-round excellent education at St Edmund’s School Canterbury.

TICKETS FROM

£5

23 FEBRUARY– 4 MARCH 2O17

The Master of Choristers, David Flood, is always pleased to meet and advise parents and their sons.

For further details please telephone

01227 865242 davidf@canterbury-cathedral.org

@No1Cathedral

WELCOMING THE WORLD'S FINEST YOUNG CONCERT PIANISTS WHITE ROCK THEATRE HASTINGS Hastings International Musical Festival

British Association of Barbershop Singers

MIXED VOICE BARBERSHOP CHORAL CONTEST

2nd Year

Barbershop Harmony Contest for Mixed Voiced Choirs 29th May 2017 - Bournemouth The British Association of Barbershop Singers is inviting mixed voice Acappella groups to enter the second UK Mixed Voice Barbershop Choral Contest, which comes with a £500 first prize.

The open contest will be held on Bank Holiday Monday, the 29th May 2017, at the Bournemouth International Centre. Entrants need to perform two unaccompanied songs in four-part barbershop harmony.

Traditionally barbershop has been exclusively single voice, for either men or ladies, but now we are encouraging mixed SATB choirs to sing a different type of harmony!

Entries are welcome from choruses and choirs of between 18 and 80 mixed voice singers (min age 14).

2016 Winners Strictly Barbershop from Hertfordshire Send for Details Today!

For full details, conditions of entry and guidance on song choice, please email: mixedchoralcontest@singbarbershop.com

The British Association of Barbershop Singers Registered Office: 6 Corunna Court, Corunna Road, Warwick CV34 5HQ Registered Charity No: 1080930

HastingsConcertoCompetition.co.uk

VOICE TRIALS

13 HASTINGS INTERNATIONAL PIANO CONCERTO COMPETITION TH

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

© iStockphoto/davidf

Professional development

Above right: Paul Harris

Music at the heart of school life

The Virtuoso Teacher

One day practical music CPD for teachers at KS1 & 2 led by the Schools Music Association (part of the ISM)

One day seminar in Scotland with Paul Harris

Friday 21 October 9.30am-4pm at The Broadway Hotel, Letchworth, Hertfordshire SG6 3NZ This one-day practical course for teachers at KS1 & 2, is divided into four sessions: • Bringing many cultures to life in your music lessons at KS 1 & 2 – Andy Gleadhill • Put on a musical, build a community! – Ruth Kenward • Music at the heart of KS1 & 2 – Sue Nicholls

Saturday 29 October 10.15am-4.15pm at The University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX Following the huge success of his previous ISM seminars and recent ISM webinar, we are pleased to present this inspirational training event from Paul Harris in association with the department of Music at the University of Aberdeen. This is an opportunity for those working in music education, including private and peripatetic teachers, to explore a range of innovative music teaching techniques that will embrace imagination, diligence and practicality.

• Tuneful Technology: Internet and iPads in Primary Music – Jo Vaizey

During this training event you will learn how to:

The day is arranged so that all delegates will be able to participate in all sessions. Places cost £55 for ISM or ISM-SMA members and £75 for non-members including refreshments and lunch.

• apply techniques that encourage and motivate students

For further details and to download a booking form, go to ism.org/seminars.

Alternatively, call Carole Lindsay-Douglas on 01767 260815 or email carole@lindsaymusic.co.uk.

• engage and inspire your students

• create a memorable and moving learning experience for your students • reward progress and accomplishment • get the most out of your music students Places cost £50 members, £65 non-members including refreshments and lunch. To book your place, visit virtuoso-teacher.eventbrite.co.uk.

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Webinars ISM webinars, delivered through the ISM Trust, offer you the chance to access key professional development opportunities at work, home or on the move.

Our next webinars are: Composing in the classroom A Music Excellence London webinar delivered by the ISM Trust Tuesday 20 September, 4.30-5.30pm This free webinar will explore how to cultivate authentic composing in the classroom working backwards from what composers do professionally through A-level, GCSE then KS3. The work of living composers will be discussed as a stimulus for creative work.

Philip Cashian, Head of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music, and Steven Berryman, Director of Music at the City of London School for Girls will discuss how class teachers can plant the seeds of composing habits early on so students will progress through school and beyond with the confidence to tackle not only coursework but the freedom to approach their own compositional ideas.

An introduction to Grants for the Arts Thursday 22 September, 1-2pm Are you looking for funding for your music project but not sure where to start? Arts Council England’s Senior Relationship Manager, Ben Lane, will present a webinar about ACE’s Grants for the Arts scheme.

Ben will provide essential advice and talk you through the process of applying for funding including how best to address the questions in the application form and how to design suitable projects for funding.

Grants for the Arts offers awards from £1,000 to £100,000 to support a wide variety of arts-related activities including music, visual arts, dance, theatre and combined arts. Project funding is available for activities carried out over a set period, and which engage people in England in arts activities and help artists and arts organisations in England carry out their work.

Register for this free webinar at bit.ly/GrantsForTheArts Career planning and career change: Maximising work opportunities Supported by the ISM Members Fund Thursday 13 October, 1-2pm

Is your career planned or has it been an unprompted series of work opportunities? Do you ever find yourself short of work and needing to consider other sources Music Excellence London is a professional development of income? Do you ever consider making a complete career change? network for London’s Key Stage 3 Music teachers.

It is funded by the London Schools Excellence Legacy This webinar, presented by career coach Nick Gendler Fund, supported by the Mayor of London, and is a and supported by the ISM Members Fund, will offer partnership between Sound Connections, Trinity ideas to inspire and help you manage your career Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Music Mark, more effectively. It will also help you widen your University of Greenwich, and Barbican Guildhall. opportunities for work and get more out of your Register for this free webinar at bit.ly/ComposingInTheClassroom

Find out more about Music Excellence London at musicexcellence.org.uk

working life.

Register for this free webinar at bit.ly/ISMCareerPlanning

Make Music Work with our free advice packs To follow on from our popular Make Music Work event last year, we have published a series of free advice packs to help you build up a successful and sustainable career. The packs include legal and business advice; template contracts; and guidance on promoting yourself, marketing, fundraising, developing relationships and collaborations.

All of the packs are supported by the ISM Trust and can be downloaded for free from the Members’ Area of our website or ism.org/professional-development/advice-packs.

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Teachers’ Pack

A guide for instrumental and vocal music teachers Part of the Make Music Work advice

series

Supported by

ism_music

#MakeMusicWork

Incorporated Society of Musicians

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Oliver Knussen in conversation Composer and conductor Oliver Knussen talks to the ISM’s Francesca Treadaway about his life in music.

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FT: Take us on a journey of your career timeline – parallel existence as both a composer and conductor. Firstly, your First Symphony and stepping in to conduct its performance by the /62 DJHG ² ZKDW ZDV WKDW H[SHULHQFH OLNH"

OK: I grew up in a musical household – my Dad was the principal double bass of the London OK: There was a documentary made about the LSO Symphony Orchestra (LSO) – and there was a in which my father was featured, and the TV lot of music around the house. I began having company saw me hanging around the house: piano lessons, and as soon as I could read this kid that can compose. They decided they music I started to write, at six years old. (I was wanted to commission a piece that would much more interested in writing my own be performed by the LSO. The TV company music than practising!) I realised at around folded and the LSO were left with this piece – age 10 that I wanted to be a composer. I started the First Symphony – and after taking various private composition lessons with John Lambert people’s advice, including Bernstein’s, they who was teaching at our local music school, decided to go ahead with the performance. the Watford School of Music. Soon afterwards The conductor István Kertész fell ill just before I met Benjamin Britten. the performance and, as the piece was not the FT: What was it like meeting Britten, and what easiest rhythmically, I was asked to conduct. It were the circumstances around meeting was a fantastic experience and extraordinary WKH FRPSRVHU" opportunity, but I do wonder about the wisdom of it now.

OK: Dad was working with the English Chamber Orchestra and English Opera Group, and I Jacqueline du Pré and Daniel Barenboim remember being driven up one weekend to were at that concert, and a couple of days Aldeburgh. I remember Dad saying, ‘that’s later I received a phone call from Barenboim Benjamin Britten’ as I shook hands with him. saying that he had been asked to take over Later, Britten wrote the bass part in Curlew the LSO’s concerts the following week in River for Dad. I came up with him for three or New York, because Kertész was still ill. four days to Aldeburgh and watched the dress He asked if I would come along and conduct rehearsals. I was 12 and had just won a local part of the First Symphony in New York with music composition competition and Dad must them. I did. It all sounds a bit dazzling now but have told Britten that – so we were invited there was a part of me that had an instinct to to the Red House to talk to him. We sat and get away from all the hoo-hah for a bit, so I did. talked for an hour about composing; what my I went and stayed with my Mum’s family in favourite music was etc. He took an interest Chicago for two months while it all died down. thereafter and stayed in touch.

I was composing like a maniac then – I did it all the time.

Left: Oliver Knussen Photo: Maurice Foxall

Continued overleaf È

15

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

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Orchestra. Later I had a wonderful stint as Artist-in-Association with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (2009-2014), the orchestra I’ve come to know and love best, and still am Artist-inAssociation with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG).

OK: I did not go to music college or anything like that.

My education consisted of going to literally hundreds of rehearsals and concerts from the age of about seven onwards. But when Bernstein came to town again, I went to see him at a None of those positions were full-time jobs, recording session at the Royal Albert Hall. with the result that I also spent a good deal of He asked me what I was doing now, where the past 30 years travelling to various parts was I thinking of studying, and had I ever of the globe guest-conducting, notably the WKRXJKW DERXW JRLQJ WR 7DQJOHZRRG" , VDLG \HV USA, Japan, Holland and Finland – as well as of course, and Bernstein said he was having GHVSHUDWHO\ WU\LQJ WR ÀQG WLPH WR FRPSRVH dinner with the director that night. The next thing that happened was that I was invited to After all that, I’m now a visiting Professor at the apply to be a Fellow at Tanglewood. That was Royal Academy of Music – a much quieter life! where I met my teacher Gunther Schuller, and FT: Focusing now on your composition: how do my life swung very much towards that side \RX EHJLQ D SLHFH" :KDW LQVSLUHV \RX LQ \RXU of the Atlantic for a number of years. That was FRPSRVLWLRQ" 'R \RX ZRUN RQ VHYHUDO DW RQFH UHDOO\ WKH ÀUVW WLPH , ZDV LQ WKH FRPSDQ\ RI GXH WR \RXU VFKHGXOH" people who were my peers, and in the same position as them rather than somebody who OK: What inspires me is usually something external was rather set apart by privilege. Basically, – I need a bit of grit, or a slightly impossible Tanglewood and Gunther Schuller set me VLWXDWLRQ VRPHWKLQJ WKDW GRHVQ¡W TXLWH ÀW ZLWK on course for what I do now, although having something else. It could be some sort of musical hated the conducting class I didn’t conduct idea or it could be the idea of wanting to write again until the very late 70s when I started something based on something else – music, taking on performances of my own pieces again. or an image, or to commemorate a person.

It’s once I have a knot of these things and FT: Talk to me about your appointments as a Music they sort of irritate each other that the process Director and as a guest conductor. starts. The easiest way to illustrate this is with OK: One appointment in particular that was very my overture Flourish for Fireworks, which was important to me was Head of Contemporary written for Michael Tilson Thomas (an old Music at the Tanglewood Music Center (1986IULHQG RI PLQH IURP 7DQJOHZRRG IRU KLV Ă€UVW 93) – I had stayed involved there over the concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, \HDUV EXW JRLQJ EDFN DV D PHPEHU RI VWDÍż ZDV my Dad’s old orchestra. I made the piece out VRPHWKLQJ VSHFLDO 7KH Ă€UVW WLPH , ZRUNHG ZLWK of the initials ‘LSO MTT’, turned into notes. the London Sinfonietta was in 1978 and a few I also wanted to base it on Stravinsky’s Fireworks years later Michael Vyner gave me the chance which was one of Michael’s (and my own) to conduct some more (again, I stepped in for favourite concert openers. I was also, at that someone). I was assigned various important time, quite obsessed with a picture by a mad premieres early on – the world premieres of Victorian artist, Richard Dadd, called The Fairy works by Takemitsu and Elliott Carter. That Feller’s Master Stroke. All those things together was in 1982. They programmed a good deal put the piece in motion. Those things and the of my music and played my operas Where the fact, my daughter says, that we went to Disney Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop! at World in Florida at the end of that summer Glyndebourne and in the National Theatre in DQG WKHUH ZHUH VSHFWDFXODU Ă€UHZRUN GLVSOD\V 1984. I worked with them in several hundred every night. concerts over the years, and toured all over the )7 :KDW FDQ \RX WHOO XV DERXW \RXU IXWXUH SURMHFWV" place, most memorably Russia in 1986.

In 1983, I was made one of the artistic directors of the Aldeburgh Festival – that was a big part of my life for 15 years and one of the reasons I OLYH LQ 6QDSH 6XͿRON KRPH RI WKH $OGHEXUJK Festival) now. After my role at Aldeburgh ended, I was invited to become Music Director of the London Sinfonietta. It’s not so wellknown that in the early 90s I was also principal guest conductor of the Hague Residentie

16

OK: I usually won’t talk about work in progress, but what I can say is that I am writing a fairly substantial piece for BCMG. When Stephen and Jackie Newbould (Artistic Director and Executive Producer at BCMG) said they were going to step down, I wanted to do something for them. I started last December and hope to JHW LW ÀQLVKHG EHIRUH WRR ORQJ , KDYH YDULRXV other pieces on the go, including a piano

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

concerto for Peter Serkin and a piece for string ensemble, but these days after I’ve done a section or two I like to let them sit and get a bit of distance from them before deciding on their ÀQDO IRUP 7KHUH DUH D IDLU QXPEHU RI WRUVRV lying around the house!

FT: What needs to change in the music sector for WRGD\·V FRPSRVHUV"

Above: Oliver Knussen Photo: Mark Allan, BBC

OK: Things have become very polarised. There is what people put under the banner of ‘classical music’, which is on the one-hand ‘real’ classical music, and on the other this commercialised cross-over rubbish which is too often described FT: Together with Colin Matthews you founded as ‘classical’ on the morning TV news etc. the Composition and Performance Courses Then of course there is horrible ‘modern’ music at the Britten-Pears School in 1992 – is giving that supposedly is such a minority interest aspiring composers opportunities something that it is largely segregated and pretty much WKDW LV LPSRUWDQW WR \RX" disenfranchised, really. Contemporary music is OK: The fact that I was thrown in the deep-end still contemporary with a capital ‘C’ rather than as a kid (which I really don’t think is the best integrated in the main repertory. Historically, way to start), led me to be very concerned music migrated from the specialist areas to the to try to help make more opportunities for mainstream if it was strong enough, which is young composers to hear what they write why Britten, Berg, Shostakovich and others and, particularly, to learn to improve the way started out being played at modern music they have written it down. That is basically festivals and by now have become part of the what we have tried to do: we started out, a bit repertory. That kind of mechanism doesn’t like Peter Maxwell Davies did at Dartington happen anymore, for no good reason at all that in the 1970s, by getting a group of composers I can see. There is some amazing, powerful WRJHWKHU IRU GD\V RU VR WR FRPSRVH RU ÀQLVK D music out there today that should be played piece in situ. We added a group of players who again and again. are also on the course, which means that when FT: What advice would you give to composers the composers write something they can try it ZKR DUH MXVW VWDUWLQJ RXW" out almost immediately. The players are also coached in ‘contemporary’ repertoire, working OK: Exercise your imagination! Write as much together with a young conductor also on the as you can while you have the time to do it course, or with me. because you need to develop a naturalness about the act of composition itself, like Partly because of the work that Colin Matthews exercising a muscle. And try to assess what has done at the LSO and elsewhere to make you do objectively, so you can improve. opportunities for young composers and partly It’s as simple as that. because things have vastly improved in the conservatoires, there are now many more Francesca Treadaway, Communications Manager, ISM chances for people to hear what they write, played well, than there were.

17

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Royal Air Force Music Services Royal Air Force Music Services (RAFMS) has a world-class reputation for innovation and musical excellence in the world of military music. But what comes ďŹ rst: the military or the music? And how does being a musician in the military differ from the profession in civilian life?

The ISM’s Francesca Treadaway discusses the life of a musician in the Royal Air Force with Flight Sergeant (FS) Barry Stringer MBE. perception, always representing the RAF at the highest level. The initial idea of the RAFMS came in 1918: Dr Walford Davies, who later became Master RI WKH .LQJ¡V 0XVLF ZDV LQYLWHG WR EHFRPH WKH Ă€UVW Organising Director of Music for the Royal Air Force and quickly established the RAF School of Music. Dr Walford Davies’ successor, Major Dyson, later reorganised RAFMS, and thus the Central Band of the RAF and the Band of the RAF College ‘In an ideal world, once we’ve found the right musicians we would love them to join us straightaway. were formed in 1920 at RAF Uxbridge (later moving to RAF Northolt) and RAF Cranwell respectively.

However, we cannot do that as recruits are joining The Band of the RAF Regiment was formed later WKH 5$) ÀUVW DQG IRUHPRVW %\ MRLQLQJ WKH 5$) in 1942. In the lead up to World War II, RAFMS family this does give them the opportunity to was expanded with many professional civilian perform as musicians for a living’, said FS Barry musicians – especially from the major London Stringer MBE. orchestras and big bands, forming new ensembles.

I travelled to RAF Northolt on the outskirts of Additional military bands were established, with Ruislip in London to the headquarters of RAFMS. the world renowned RAF Symphony Orchestra Barry Stringer MBE has been a musician in the and the famous ‘Squadronaires’ Dance Band also RAF for 30 years, working his way from the rank being formed. of Aircraftman through to Flight Sergeant. He was This level of expertise is still evident today within leader of the Royal Air Force Salon Orchestra for all three regular bands plus other ensembles. many years, performing as a soloist frequently ‘We have the Salon Orchestra, big bands, jazz octets, in the UK and abroad. He was awarded an MBE and woodwind and brass ten pieces. And each in the New Year Honours List in 2013. band also has a woodwind quintet, brass quintet There are three regular bands in the RAF and two DQG MD]] HQVHPEOH 3HU EDQG ZH FDQ SXW RXW Ă€YH locations in the UK where these bands are based. smaller ensembles at the same time. There is ample RAF Northolt is home to the Central Band of the opportunity for all musicians to develop and Royal Air Force. The Band of the Royal Air Force perform within these groups; a lot of variety and Regiment and the Band of the Royal Air Force chamber ensemble opportunities’, Barry explains.

College are based at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire. ‘The thing is, when people think of military music, The Salon Orchestra of the RAF is also based they automatically think: marching. Yes, our at RAF Northolt. musicians are employed on ceremonial duties The primary role of the RAFMS has always been to and this can be some of the most rewarding work provide music to support state ceremonial events we undertake, with events such as the Queen’s and support the Royal Air Force to enhance public With the exception of some, few musicians dream of a military career. Yet this career path can be very rewarding, provide a secure income, unrivalled EHQHĂ€WV DQG YDULHG RSSRUWXQLWLHV %HLQJ D PXVLFLDQ in the Royal Air Force (RAF), as expected, does not happen overnight. There are many stages to the application process – but the music audition is the principal requirement.

Left: The Band of the Royal Air Force College Photo: Paul Saxby Š MOD Crown Copyright 2015

Continued overleaf Ăˆ

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Diamond Jubilee, the Queen’s 90th birthday, the London Olympics or the Royal Wedding for example, reaching billions of people worldwide.

Performing at these kind of events is not usually available to musicians outside of the military and we are very privileged to have had an important part to play in many memorable events. ‘Of course, the ceremonial aspect is an important part of the Royal Air Force, and an area that the public are fascinated to watch. ‘We have one Drum Major per band and a Senior Drum Major (SDM) who oversees the major ceremonial events in conjunction with the Principal Director of Music (PDM). Before one of our bands undertakes a parade, the Drum Major and Director RI 0XVLF ZLOO Ă€QDOLVH H[DFWO\ ZKDW PXVLF ZLOO EH performed for the parade. The Drum Major would RIWHQ WDNH WKH WURPERQH UDQN RXW Ă€UVW DV WKH\ OHDG the band, and talk them through the parade to piece it together. On a bigger scale, something like the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo where more than one band is used, the PDM and SDM would normally coordinate it all. Depending on the theme, quite invariably being the Royal Air Force, the SDUDGH PD\ Ă€QLVK LQ WKH IRUPDWLRQ RI DQ DLUFUDIW Organising parades is very impressive; a real skill and fantastic spectacle for the public.

Below: The Central Band of the Royal Air Force performing public duties at Buckingham Palace Photo: SAC Ash Reynolds Š MOD Crown Copyright 2014

‘An area where I believe we particularly excel is on the concert platform. The fact that we don’t have a school of music means that most of our musicians MRLQ XV IXOO\ TXDOLĂ€HG ZLWK RYHU RI RXU personnel coming to us as music graduates or with a post graduate background. As well as our annual tour which sees us performing at all the major concert halls in the UK, we often have the privilege of working in partnership with organisations such as the BBC and Classic FM, performing at iconic venues such as the Royal Albert Hall.

‘Our reputation is everything, which is why over recent years we have had numerous pre-eminent civilian musicians acknowledge our standard by asking to perform and record with us. Phil Cobb, principal trumpet of the LSO, has been a regular visitor to RAF Northolt over the last year and he recently recorded his latest solo album with the Central Band of the RAF, for example. Âś:RUNLQJ FORVHO\ ZLWK VRPH RI WKH 8.¡V Ă€QHVW musicians is always a rewarding experience which reinforces our reputation, helps to increase awareness for any potential recruits in RAF Music 6HUYLFHV DQG KDV D SRVLWLYH HÍżHFW RQ UHFUXLWLQJ ‘Before the formal application process to join the 5$) DV D PXVLFLDQ ZH RÍżHU DQ LQIRUPDO YLVLW WR VSHQG WLPH UHKHDUVLQJ ZLWK RXU PXVLFLDQV DQG Ă€QG out a little more about life as an RAF Musician. Âś2QFH LQWHUHVWHG LQ MRLQLQJ DSSOLFDQWV Ă€UVW FRQWDFW the Careers Information Line, a call centre, to begin their application. The information from this initial call is then handed to an Armed Forces Careers 2΀FH $)&2 ZKR ZLOO WKHQ GHDO ZLWK DOO DVSHFWV of your application in conjunction with RAF Music Services. ‘After the process has begun, the applicant will come to RAF Northolt to sit in with our musicians for a formal ‘familiarisation’ (FAM) day.

Other aspects of the process include a presentation introducing them to the RAF, and later a selection interview that references this presentation, then D Ă€WQHVV DQG PHGLFDO WHVW ‘Although potential recruits are applying to join the RAF as a musician, they have to be at the ULJKW Ă€WQHVV DQG PHGLFDO OHYHO WR MRLQ WKH 5$) ,I DSSOLFDQWV IDLO WKH Ă€WQHVV WHVW WKH\ KDYH WKH opportunity to retake it at a later date. If you fail the medical, it may be possible in some cases to appeal the decision depending on the medical reason. ‘After these steps in the application process, applicants receive a date for their audition which involves performing to a panel of four RAFMS R΀FHUV DQG VSHFLDOLVWV ‘Our minimum entry standard is ABRSM Grade 8.

The competition is extremely high for places and success is based on an individual’s performance at this audition. Musically, our reputation is second to none and we maintain this by accepting only the ÀQHVW PXVLFLDQV :H DUH VWULFW EHFDXVH ZH GRQ¡W have the facility to train our musicians, unlike the Royal Marines Band Service and Army Corp of Music who have a school of music’, Barry explains.

Shortly after passing the audition, the applicants have a three-day introductory course to help them adjust to military life before undertaking basic training for 10 weeks at RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire.

20

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

‘Although the whole process takes around 6-8 months, the end result is that you are then paid to be a professional musician within the RAF and HQMR\ WKH MRE VHFXULW\ DQG EHQHĂ€WV WKDW DUH VHFRQG to none.’ After musicians are posted into a regular band they must give a minimum of three years’ service on an initial 12 year contract. ‘The RAF must get a return on the investment made in you during your training’, Barry says. ‘When you join the RAF, WKHUH LV D WUHDVXUH FKHVW RI EHQHĂ€WV WKDW DUH DYDLODEOH to you. Firstly, you’re paid very well – the starting salary is ÂŁ25,200 – for doing what you love. If you take into consideration that on top of your wage, you have subsidised accommodation on base (if you are single). If you are married, the Royal Air Force heavily subsidises accommodation costs (‘married quarters’). You also get the security of a contract, a non-contributing pension, subsidised meals, fantastic medical and dental care, endless sporting opportunities, a crèche, travel‌ the list goes on.’ %XW ZKDW FRPHV Ă€UVW WKH PXVLF RU WKH PLOLWDU\" Is there a chance that musicians will be called WR ZDU ]RQHV DEURDG" Eighteen years into his employment with the RAF, Barry was deployed to Basrah, Iraq, but he feels that the likelihood then was far greater than now.

‘In the present climate, the chance of deployment is minimal. You cannot say it wouldn’t happen IRU VXUH EXW PDQ\ RI RXU PXVLFLDQV KDYH D IXOĂ€OOLQJ career musically without being deployed.

Should musicians be called up, they would not be serving on the front line. Their role would be in a medical and operational support role, or other admin roles behind the scenes’, he explains.

Above: The Band of the Royal Air Force College Photo: Paul Saxby Š MOD Crown Copyright 2015

In these times of austerity, does Barry think that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) value the RAF 0XVLF 6HUYLFHV" ‘Of course, the MOD’s priority is people, as well as aircraft, tanks and ships. But the main function of the music side is to engage with the public to generate the message of professionalism that runs through all the RAF. In addition, we also support the RAF internally, at various events such as passing out parades, graduations and other events to help boost their morale. The pomp and ceremony we provide; you don’t get that from anyone else.

It brings events to life – it’s that bit of glitter to enhance any occasion.’ Francesca Treadaway, Communications Manager, ISM raf.mod.uk/rafmusic

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Bacc for the Future – the debate Schools minister Nick Gibb MP said that there was ‘no reason why the EBacc should imperil the status of arts subjects’ in his response to the Bacc for the Future campaign’s concerns about the EBacc in the Parliamentary debate on 4 July. But the EBacc is endangering the future of secondary education, the impact of which was detailed by MPs in the vital debate.

Francesca Treadaway and Henry Vann from the Bacc for the Future campaign team take us through the day’s events.

The Bacc for the Future campaign (supported by 100,000+ individuals and 200+ organisations from across the creative sector) took their concerns about the Department for Education’s (DfE) English Baccalaureate policy and its exclusion of creative subjects to Westminster Hall, Houses of Parliament on 4 July 2016.

In the early morning of 4 July, Henry Vann, Head of ([WHUQDO $ÍżDLUV DW WKH ,60 GLVFXVVHG WKH XSFRPLQJ debate on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. +H UHPLQGHG OLVWHQHUV RI WKH Ă€JXUHV SXEOLVKHG E\ the DfE in June which showed the decline of uptake in arts subjects. ‘There is no doubt’, he said, ‘that the English Baccalaureate is hitting arts subjects in schools now.’ During the interview, in response to questions from Nick Robinson, Henry had the opportunity to put forward arguments for the economic and educational value of the arts, calling for ‘a broad and balanced curriculum’.

Left: Members of the ISM staff team at the Bacc for the Future campaign pre-debate gathering in front of the Houses of Parliament on 4 July 2016 Photo: Brian Slater

and music sectors about the impact of the EBacc on creative, artistic and technical subjects in schools.

The debate The three-hour long debate took place in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament.

Catherine McKinnell opened the proceedings, stating that she was ‘delighted to introduce the debate’. She agreed that ‘numeracy and literacy are certainly key to future success in life’, but that it was ‘wrong to say that the arts are not worthy of inclusion in a measure used to grade a school’s success.’ She said, ‘our children deserve a broad, creative education, but the EBacc is giving rise to massive declines in numbers of students able to choose arts subjects, at a time when the CBI demands more creative people’.

The debate heard contributions from Labour, Conservative and Scottish National Party MPs, /DWHU LQ WKH GD\ Ă€JXUHV IURP WKH FUHDWLYH LQGXVWULHV including Somerton and Frome MP David including brass quintet Westcombe Brass and Warburton, Washington and Sunderland West MP dancers from The Brit School, St Matthew’s Sharon Hodgson and Glasgow North West MP Academy and Sujata Banerjee Dance Company, Carol Monaghan. gathered outside Parliament to demonstrate the Past ISM member David Warburton MP said that, creative industries. David Crow, UAL Pro-Vice as a former composer and musician, school teacher, Chancellor at the University of the Arts London and the now vice-chair of the All-Party Group on gave a speech to the crowd, along with the ISM’s Music and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Henry Vann, and Lesley Butterworth, General Group for Music Education, he is ‘extremely Secretary at the National Society for Education in ZRUULHG E\ WKH Ă€YHIROG GHFOLQH LQ WKH XSWDNH RI DUWV Art and Design (NSEAD). Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell, who later opened the debate, subjects at GCSE over the past year’. attended the pre-debate gathering, speaking to representatives from the art, dance, design, drama Continued overleaf Ăˆ

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

He said that the debate ‘pivots on what a core curriculum is and whether an EBacc without the arts can ever be seen to provide that’, elaborating by saying that ‘an EBacc without the arts is unthinkable. A core curriculum without the arts will not raise standards, but will lower them’.

Sharon Hodgson MP echoed his statement, saying that the Government’s curriculum reforms, such as the EBacc, have had ‘unintended consequences for creativity’ in the curriculum. She made the point that experiencing and engaging in the arts not only helps to nurture positives in pupils, but that there is ‘tangible evidence’ of the contribution a creative education can make to the UK. She said, ‘Our creative industries contributed an estimated ÂŁ84.1 billion to our economy last year, and it is important to remember that our creative industries can thrive even more if we promote highquality and inclusive art education in our schools |to help feed the skills supply for the market.’ Scottish MP Carol Monaghan added that ‘Scotland’s curriculum for excellence has eight curricular areas, all with equal status. The expressive arts is one of those areas. The Minister should consider WKH SRVVLELOLW\ RI GLÍżHUHQW Ă DYRXUV RI (%DFF VR that some students could have a science specialism while others had a language specialism or an expressive arts specialism, and others could do a general EBacc across a range of subjects.

7KDW ZRXOG DOORZ VWXGHQWV ERWK WR à RXULVK DQG to specialise in their chosen area’.

Below: Catherine McKinnell, Newcastle North MP, meeting protesters before introducing the debate on the EBacc in Parliament.

Below right: A member of Westcombe Brass performs at the pre-debate gathering.

Photos: Brian Slater

24

Nick Gibb MP’s response to the debate and the arguments presented

range of options outside the EBacc, saying that ‘pupils have the opportunity to study subjects WKDW UHĂ HFW WKHLU LQGLYLGXDO LQWHUHVWV DQG VWUHQJWKV¡ and that ‘the EBacc is limited in size so there is Ă H[LELOLW\ IRU SXSLOV WR WDNH DGGLWLRQDO VXEMHFWV RI their choosing’.

Argument 1 7KH 0LQLVWHU Ă€UVW GHQLHG WKDW WKH (%DFF KDG DOUHDG\ impacted on the uptake of creative subjects in secondary schools, stating that ‘the evidence does not suggest that there have been any unintended consequences’ of the EBacc.

He said that, ‘the entries for art and design were 162,000 in 2010-11 and 176,000 in 2014-15 – the latest Ă€JXUHV WKDW , KDYH ,Q GUDPD LQ WKHUH ZHUH 74,000 entries; they dropped in 2011 to 70,000 and then 69,000, but they went up to 70,000 and are now 70,800 ‌ So there is no evidence that the subjects are declining at GCSE.’ The Bacc for the Future campaign noted that this argument refers to entries to GCSEs from before the announcement of plans for the new EBacc (3 November 2015). In 2016, as highlighted by David Warburton MP and others during the debate, WKHUH KDV EHHQ D VLJQLĂ€FDQW GURS LQ WKH XSWDNH RI arts GCSEs. 7KHUH KDV DOVR EHHQ D QRWDEOH GURS LQ VWD΀QJ for arts subjects. Between November 2011 and November 2014 the number of teachers in the England workforce went from 178,884 to 176,343 D GURS RI MXVW ,Q WKH VDPH WLPH WKH QXPEHU of teachers for creative subjects dropped by an DYHUDJH RI DOPRVW WHQ WLPHV DV PXFK

Schools minister Nick Gibb was present throughout the debate and defended the policy of excluding Argument 2 arts from the EBacc.

Nick Gibb MP said that the DfE’s contention is that He argued that the DfE had never said that pupils ‘there is ample room to study, in addition to the EBacc subjects, the arts, economics or a vocational should study the EBacc subjects and nothing else, subject, if that is what interests the young person’.

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

However, the EBacc requires a minimum of seven GCSEs to be studied; if pupils study triple science this becomes eight GCSEs, and if pupils study history and geography this becomes nine GCSEs.

as a whole) and employing 2.8 million people. And for entry to universities, music is actually more likely to be required than geography, despite the latter being included in the EBacc.

With the average secondary school pupil studying eight GCSEs, the EBacc in fact leaves little room for creative, artistic and technical subjects.

It is perhaps no wonder that employers, including the CBI, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Music Industries Association, UK Music and Creative Industries Federation, have all expressed concerns at the impact of the EBacc on businesses.

Argument 3 He argued that the purpose of the EBacc is to ensure that all young people take the combination of GCSEs ‘that are taken by young people in the most privileged schools in our country and in the best and most high-achieving schools in the state sector.’

He said that it concerns the DfE that young people from deprived backgrounds who are eligible for free school meals are half as likely to take that combination, compared with their more fortunate peers, stating that ‘tackling that issue is the core reason why the Government introduced the EBacc measure’.

This argument can, however, be applied to many arts subjects as well. For example, more than RI LQGHSHQGHQW VFKRRO SXSLOV WDNH *&6( PXVLF FRPSDUHG WR DSSUR[LPDWHO\ RI WKRVH LQ DFDGHPLHV RU FRPSUHKHQVLYHV DQG RI those in secondary modern schools.

Argument 4

Above: Members of Westcombe Brass (right) and pupils from The Brit School perform at the pre-debate gathering.

Photos: Brian Slater

Conclusion There can be no doubt that the response from the DfE in England has – so far – been deeply frustrating. There is clearly widespread support for the creative industries and for music education in the Government, but the EBacc is having a real impact on music and the arts in schools right now.

We need to do everything we can to roll back this deeply damaging policy.

Music is a core part of what it is to be human; it cannot be a mere curriculum add-on for the lucky few.

If you want to help, we encourage you to write to your local MP, seek to meet them in person, and lobby them to support the Bacc for the Future campaign and protect creativity, and our creative professions, into the future.

<RX FDQ ÀQG RXW PRUH DW BaccfortheFuture.com.

Nick Gibb MP also argued that the EBacc represents Francesca Treadaway, Communications Manager, ISM ‘the core subjects that will help them succeed in Henry Vann, Head of External Affairs, ISM higher education and the job market’.

This is one of the biggest myths used to support the EBacc and it simply isn’t true.

7KH 8.·V FUHDWLYH LQGXVWULHV DUH D VLJQLÀFDQW SDUW of the UK economy, worth £84.1 billion, growing by 8.9 per cent in 2014 (almost double the UK economy

25

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS We welcome your brief news (max. 150 words) and good photographs. Please email mj@ism.org.

The next deadline for copy is 3 October for November/December issue.

Right: Helen Earey’s summer piano recital

Mozart piano duets

Summer piano recital

Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins have just released their first volume of Mozart’s piano duets with Resonus Classics. In addition to three of Mozart’s duet sonatas, their programme includes a duet sonata

by Johann Christian Bach (with whom the infant Mozart is said to have performed keyboard duets whilst sitting on his lap!). Emma and Julian perform on two original Viennese instruments from the esteemed Richard Burnett Heritage Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments: a grand piano by Johann Fritz c1815, and a diminutive square piano by Anton Walter and Son c1805. Emma and Julian are very grateful to Katrina and Richard Burnett and the Finchcocks Charity for Musical Education for allowing them to record in the Great Hall at Finchcocks Musical Museum – especially as this was the last disc to be made there before the museum shut at the end of last year.

A concert of music was hosted by piano teacher Helen Earey. The event, which is held annually at Helen’s home in Stockport, Cheshire, was attended by family members plus Helen’s former piano teacher, Gladys Terry, now aged 97. Ten students participated and performed pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, Scott Joplin, plus many other exciting pieces. Further details can be found on her website, helenschoolofmusic.wordpress.com.

emmaabbate.com julianperkins.com resonusclassics.com Below: Julian Perkins and Emma Abbate

Brunel: The Little Man in the Tall Hat

a story line relating the journey (by train, of course) of a family from Swindon to St Ives in Cornwall, interspersed by episodic scenes from the life of the great engineer.

This production was a triumph, of a high musical standard, given the challenging music which the young voices coped with admirably. A strong adult chorus completed the vocal lineup, and the Great Western Youth Band was conducted by John Winterflood.

Raymond Head’s harpsichord music h A of Raymond Head’s harpsichord All m music – Le Mystere with Le Rappel d de l’Humanite, Sema Mevlana and P Panorama en Rondeau (dedicated to John Cage) – has just been released Jo o on CD by ARC Prima Facie and brilliantly played by the harpsichordist b Penelope Cave. Entitled Panorama P 19 1919-2013 the disc covers a century o British keyboard music with other of w works

by Frederick Delius, Gustav H Holst (the first performance on harpsichord of A Piece for Yvonne) Herbert Howells, Herbet Murrill, Arnold Bax, Geoffrey Bush, Janetta Gould, Peter Maxwell Davies et al.

Brunel: The Little Man in the Tall Hat – the youth and community opera with libretto by Marian Lines and music by Betty Roe was commissioned by the Janice Thomson Performance Trust ten years ago, and first performed in St Mark’s Church (built by the Great Western Railway for its staff). It has recently been revived in a production at ‘Steam’, the museum which tells the history of the railway in the town.

The structure of the opera relies on a large chorus of a hundred or so young singers who enter and re-enter at different points, with Continued overleaf È

27

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Right: Simon Leach

a stunning church with excellent acoustics and facilities.

This year’s series runs from October to February and is typically eclectic, featuring a wealth of internationallyrenowned talent, including string players Kaija Lukas, Emmanuella Reiter and Pei-Jee Ng, counter-tenor Robin Blaze, the Liane Carroll Trio, piano duo Samson Tsoy and Pavel Kolesnikov, organist Daniel Clark, and Tansy Garrod (violin) and Mary Reid (harp).

Jesse Owens and Preludes In Our Time

A new album of works by composer Michael Stimpson has just been released on the Stone Records label.

Recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra under the direction of conductor Stuart Stratford, Jesse Owens and Preludes In Our Time includes music from Michael’s four act opera based on the life of the iconic US athlete, Jesse Owens, Running alongside the main series, who won four gold medals at the free coffee concerts showcase local 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. The full up-and-coming talent from the local orchestration of the incidental music schools, college and university. is complimented on the CD by a set of songs from the opera. The collection, thamesconcerts.com arranged for soprano, baritone, and piano, is recorded by singers Pass Grade 5 Theory Simon Leach to premiere Abigail Kelly and Johnny Herford, with pianist Megumi Fujita. The new composition by Pass Grade 5 Theory – all you need in album also features a recent work for one volume is the ground-breaking Naji Hakim piano entitled Preludes In Our Time, publication by Dorothy Dingle which Simon Leach is a prize winning provides both instruction and exercises which Megumi originally premiered at graduate of the Royal Northern College in one spiral-bound book. The book St John’s Smith Square in London. of Music and a former organ scholar at was received with wide acclaim when michaelstimpson.co.uk the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. first published in 2006. With a proven He will be giving several organ stonerecords.co.uk track record it continues to be, for concerts in January 2017 with music many, the go-to solution for anyone celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany. (including those with no prior The recitals will include pieces by knowledge of the subject) seeking Langlais, Messiaen and Dupré. a straight-forward, well-structured The highlight of the recitals will be approach to music theory, including the world premiere of an exciting new preparation for A level music. composition by Naji Hakim. The prolific There are now two companion Lebanese-born composer is a former volumes – Pass Grade 5 Theory organist of the Sacré-Coeur Paris.

Answers and Pass Grade 3 Theory His Toccata is based on the Epiphany – all you need in one volume. As all Introit, ‘Ecce advenit dominator exercises are different, the books Dominus’ and will be premiered on can be used either as stand-alone Friday 6 January at the Holy Name products or as a progressive course.

Church, Manchester. Simon is the New publications from Artistic Director of the international To purchase your copies, head to David Barton recital series at the Holy Name which dinglemusic.com where you can houses a fabulous 1871 William Hill buy direct or find a list of stockists.

Lichfield-based teacher and composer, instrument. Subsequent performances For details of bulk-order discounts, David Barton, is pleased to announce of the Toccata will be at Westminster, available to ISM members and to a number of new publications issued Liverpool Metropolitan and Bangor schools, email Dorothy via recently. His Sonatina No 1 for solo Cathedrals. her website. piano (DBM1601, £5.00), received

Thames Concerts 2016/17 Thames Concerts’ Artistic Director Benjamin Costello writes: Thames Concerts (founded in the 1960s) is a charitable trust presenting an annual series of high-quality concerts held at St Andrew’s Church, Surbiton,

28

its premiere given by US pianist, Francesca Hurst (francescahurst.com), at the Washington Piano Society, in May. The 10-minute work, suitable for pianists of around Grade 7-8 level is available to download from: payhip.com/davidbartonmusic. Also published recently is Ladderedge in

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Autumn (DBM1602, £1.50), another solo piano work suitable for pianists of around Grades 5-6 level; and You Spotted Snakes (DBM1507, £1.50), a song for voice and piano, of around Grades 6-7 level. Both these are also available to download from Payhip as above. From other publishers comes A New Commandment (Augsburg Fortress) for SATB & organ, and an arrangement of The Water of Tyne (Tim Knight Music/Spartan Press) for SAB and piano.

At Festival Choral Evensong, the parish’s own choir, with organist Tim Hall, performed a new sacred piece, Jubilate Deo, that Robert composed especially for the occasion.

Written with flexibility, simplicity and singability for younger choristers in mind, the anthem is something of a companion piece to Ave Verum Corpus, written for the choir to premiere on Good Friday, earlier this year. It is dedicated to the Reverend Captain Peter Cowley.

davidbartonmusic.co.uk

In the Festival finale that followed, Robert conducted Liverpool Hope University’s South Liverpool Orchestra in a Proms-style programme that included music by Walton and Elgar, and Robert’s four-movement Festival Suite. In form and style, it echoes both Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony and Malcolm Arnold’s dance suites. Inspired by the various nations making up the British Isles,

Prescot Festival showcases Robert Howard’s works The final night of this year’s Prescot Festival of Music & the Arts (prescotfestival.co.uk) featured two works by the festival’s Founder and Artistic Director, Dr Robert Howard.

it is dedicated to the latter composer in honour of his passing 10 years ago in 2006. Its movements are: Procession (1995); Dance (1994); Folksong (1993); and Like Clockwork (2003), an homage to Prescot’s clockmaking heritage.

Obituaries With regret, we report the deaths of: Thomas Hall of Newcastle upon Tyne Doreen Hooper of London Muriel M W Ray of London

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Our new members We offer a warm welcome to the following members who joined before 28 July.

Full members

London – South West

Sheffield

Birmingham

Miku Pancoast MMusRCM

Jack Chapman Mary E Heyler BA(Mus)Calif Del Scott Miller BA Nathalie Topalian BMusHonsBirm

Reuben Penny BMusHonsBirm

Manchester

Brighton

John Abendstern GRNCM Leah Jackson BMusHonsHuddersfield Alison Lansdown BMus(SA) Stuart Overington BMusRNCM Amy Welch BMusRNCM

Simon Smith BMusHonsHull

Cambridge Jessica Blade BAHonsAngliaPolyUniv Kirsten Jenson BMusHonsRSAMD Karen Wise PGDip BAHons

Cheltenham Joshua Crunden BMusHonsBirm Rachel Emmerson LTCL Yasmin Frampton BAYork

Croydon Su Fang Chua BMusHonsMelbourne Anthony Conway BSc Peter G Dyson GLCM

Hereford & Worcester Georgina Ferrari LTCL

Lancaster Joanna Brennan BMusHonsManch Morris Fogg CertEd LTCL

Liverpool Emma Haughton MA Michael Kenney BAHonsLancaster

London – North Steven Berryman PhD MMusLond BMusCardiff FRSA Alice Farnham BA(Mus)Oxford Nina Nikitina DipMusUralStateCons Daniel Raishbrook Patrick Russill MAOxon

London – South East Alessandro Rota MMus( Jazz)

30

North of England Naomi Haigh BAHonsBirm

Northern Ireland Jane Dickey DipLCM LTCL

Nottingham Mathew Davis BMusHonsHull John Lyon BMusHonsHuddersfield Corinne Marsh ProfCertHonsRAM LRAM LRSM Jennifer Walker BAHons

Portsmouth Matthew Fearnley BAHonsChichester Ken Wharton-Emms BSc

Southampton Bridget Whyte BMusSurrey

St Albans Alison Carter BAHonsMiddlesex

Suffolk Paul Housden BScHons

Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Lucy Kheir BMusHonsBirm

Student members

Brighton Madilyn Cutter Rachel Mosleh

Cambridge Alex Fryer

Croydon

Eastbourne & Hastings

Nottingham

Georgia Tuohey

Oxford

Lea Valley

Fatima Lahham

Lewis Tingey

Reading

Leicester Anthony Anderson BAHonsCantab PGCE

London – North Henry Clay Roberta Diamond Matthew Horn

London – South East Wesley Biggs Ruth Brown Rosa Harradine William Harvey Connor Smither

London – West Jessica Coleman Maria Gilicel Marsailidh Groat Jonathan Hollick BMusHonsRCM Emma Oldfield Zoe Saubat

Manchester Robert Williams

Gareth Loh

Devon & Cornwall Luke Robinson

Reading Amanda Grant BMusHonsSurrey Elizabeth Richardson BMusHonsNapier

Scotland – Highlands & Islands Gemma McGregor BAHonsDartington

Scotland – South West Jessica Cottis ARAM BMus MMusRAM Claire Evans BMusHonsRSAMD Justine McKay LTCL

e Letters after your nam are As a member of ISM you use letters automatically entitled to ember of the (M after your name: MISM mber of the Me ISM) or SMISM (Student tinuous con ISM). If you have been in re, you mo or rs membership for 15 yea tus. sta ) ISM gain FISM (Fellow of the m the fro o log ate Download the appropri d to ad to te bsi members’ area of our we d an ry ne tio sta your website, personal marketing materials.

Tim Edwards

Alexander Garrett Caleb Wilson

Sheffield Thea Butterworth Richard Simpkins

St Albans Anastasia Stahlmann

West Yorkshire Tristram Cooke

Corporate members Cardiff and Vale Music Service David Miller office@cavms.co.uk 02920891231 cavms.co.uk Kent Music Peter Bolton hello@kent-music.com 01622 691212 kent-music.com

Further details and application forms are available from the administrator 1 Speed Highwalk, ,Barbican, , London,, EC2Y 8DX 020 7496 8980

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Available from music shops or direct from OUP: +44 (0)1536 452630, or music.orders.uk@oup.com

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS We welcome your brief news (max. 200 words for Platinum and Gold members, max. 150 words for Silver members) and good photographs. Please email mj@ism.org. The next deadline for copy is 3 October for November/December issue.

Above: Barry Wordsworth with the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the final concert in the Adrian Boult Hall.

Photo: Greg Milner

Birmingham Conservatoire The Adrian Boult Hall has been at the heart of Birmingham Conservatoire’s vibrant community and a key part of the city’s cultural scene since 1986. In the past 30 years its stage has hosted hundreds of our talented students and staff, as well as many famous names.

In order to bid a fond farewell to our beloved hall before it was demolished in July, we held the biggest event in our history – the City of Sounds festival.

This was a two month long festival of events which ended in style on 26 June with Requiem for a Concert Hall; Verdi’s Requiem performed by Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, expertly conducted by Barry Wordsworth. The concert was held just hours before the demolition team moved in, and this emotional occasion for the students, staff, alumni and friends present was broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Having given the hall a fitting send off, we now look ahead to our bright future in the £57 million state-ofthe-art facility under construction for us in Eastside, which will be the first purpose-built conservatoire of the digital age and will house five new performance venues, 100 practice rooms and seven recording studios.

We can’t wait to move in ready for the 2017/18 academic year!

Impulse Music Consultants If you are thinking about distributing and selling your music as downloads then Impulse Music Consultants has the solution for you. Through our associate company, tutti.co.uk, we offer a complete service which takes care of all the statutory ins and outs.

The crucial requirement centres round VAT. Legislation brought in during 2015 stipulates that all paid for downloads must include VAT. The complication is that VAT must be applied at the rate

of the country of download, so in the European Economic Area, (and Brexit hasn’t happened yet!), that could mean 28 different VAT rates applied to your download at the point of sale.

The administrative pain doesn’t stop there! When accounting for the VAT on sales, reporting must be done to HMRC on each of the 28 territories through a mechanism with the acronym VATMOSS (VAT Mini One-Stop Shop).

Even if you are not registered for VAT, and the threshold is currently £83,000, downloads have a zero threshold so whatever your circumstances, your sale must be reported and the tax is due. We take care of all these headaches when your sales are made through tutti.co.uk. We also hold the relevant downloads licence from PRS for Music to contribute back to composer and publisher royalties.

For more information, please go to tutti.co.uk/articles/vatmoss-for-sellers or call us on 01760 441448.

Royal College of Music Professor Colin Lawson, Director of the Royal College of Music, has been appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2016. A clarinettist of international renown and a pioneer of historically-informed performance practice, Professor Lawson recently celebrated 10 years as Director of the Royal College of Music.

This autumn Bernard Haitink returns to the College to conduct the RCM Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in performances of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. The season also includes appearances by a number of major international guest artists, including the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, members of the Chamber Orchestra of Continued overleaf È

33

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

We are very grateful to all our corporate members for their support.

PLATINUM CORPORATE MEMBERS

GOLD CORPORATE MEMBERS

ALFA Education Ltd ABRSM

Orchestralguard

Birmingham Conservatoire Colchester Institute

Bath and North East Somerset Music Hub Leeds College of Music

Luton Music Service Make Music Swindon

Park Lane Group

Drums for Schools Rhinegold Publishing The Royal Central School Of Speech & Drama The Royal Philharmonic Society

NMC Recordings

Forwoods – ScoreStore Impulse Music Consultants J&A Beare London College of Music Music Mark National Preparatory School Orchestra Oxford University Press Paritor Ltd

Trinity College London MiSST – The Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme

Dartington International Summer School

Victoria College Exams

Playnote Ltd Portsmouth Music Hub Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Wigmore Hall

Yamaha Music Europe For further information about our different levels of corporate membership and a full list of over 160 corporate members, visit ism.org

Europe, Dutch renaissance recorder consort The Royal Wind Music, international contemporary music performers Ensemble Nikel, Austrian violinist and conductor Thomas Zehetmair, principal horn of the Berlin Philharmonic Stefan Dohr, German trumpet virtuoso Matthias Höfs and Welsh dramatic soprano Dame Gwyneth Jones. The visits will include diverse recital programmes, thrilling performances alongside RCM musicians and inspirational public masterclasses. rcm.ac.uk/events

34

Victoria College Exams Victoria College of Music and Drama, London has a new partnership with Stringbabies which will see both parties sharing their expertise for the benefit of young string players and their teachers.

be teacher assessed and undertaken in the familiar surroundings of their lesson venue at a time suited to them and their teacher.

VCM are also delighted to accept Stringbabies training days as recognised CPD sessions for their education diplomas. These are an accessible way for practicing arts Working closely with Kay Tucker of Stringbabies, VCM are devising a brand professionals who struggle to devote the time to study or prepare for a new bespoke award built around the practical diploma. Candidates register Stringbabies system to encourage for a set period, and recognised training very young players in their playing days such as Stringbabies events, ESTA to develop their skills through the sessions and Inset days are banked as sound basics of string technique and required by the level of diploma. musicianship. This new award will

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

For more details on these, Victoria Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other examinations, medals and diplomas in string playing, teaching and other subjects contact admin@vcmexams.com or visit www. vcmexams.com or ďŹ nd us on Facebook and Twitter.

Windblowers Margaret Frogson (Oldershaw), coowner of Windblowers and Secretary of Nottingham Symphonic Winds (NSW), has been awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Birthday Honours. This is in recognition of her outstanding contribution to music in the community in the East Midlands.

Margaret has been secretary of NSW for almost 30 years since she and her husband, David, founded the group in 1987. Margaret has also been at the helm of Windblowers since 1983.

In 2006 Margaret was awarded the Making Music Lady Hilary Groves Prize for her outstanding contribution to music in the community, and Windblowers was awarded the 2007 Music Industries Association (Classic FM) Music Award for Educational Initiative for their support of Nottingham Symphonic Winds. The MBE caps off a remarkable career supporting music in the local area.

Margaret said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It was a very delightful yet unexpected surprise. I am truly honoured and humbled to have been nominated and accepted for the MBE.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; sales@windblowers.com

Right: Margaret Frogson

Schools Music Association (part of the ISM) It was four years ago that David and Christa Liggins of Ocarina Workshop ďŹ rst approached the SMA Council (as it was then known) with the seemingly mad idea of attempting a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of ocarina players. A year later, in November 2013, that dream became a reality in the Royal Albert Hall, thanks to many sponsors, and in particular to Barnardoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at whose event the new record was established. Impressive as the new record is (3,081 players), even more important is the legacy from this endeavour.

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With continued support from SMA, Ocarina Workshop has been able to distribute 6,000 free ocarinas to mainly primary schools, and carry out massed playing opportunities iin Southampton, Newcastle-uponTTyne and Central Bedfordshire.

TTeacher training sessions have also been arranged in those areas, as b well as in Sunderland, Barnet and w LLiverpool. In addition a further 40 head teachers have been introduced h tto the ocarina enabling them to rraise the proďŹ le of music in their sschools. Over 100 teachers and their sschools have been equipped with materials and instruments to allow m whole-class active music-making w using ocarinas. A further 1300 young u people experienced not only the p ffeeling of pride in successfully playing aat the Royal Albert Hall, a seven-

minute piece especially devised for the occasion by David Liggins (and arranged by Douglas Coombes with organ accompaniment), but they were also thrilled at the announcement of their record-breaking achievement.

SMA thanks David and Christa Liggins for their enthusiasm and expertise in carrying through this â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;madâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; idea to such a successful conclusion. Childhood memories of this magnitude can last a lifetime and it is to be hoped that those who helped achieve the Guinness World Record will tell their grandchildren in the decades to come, about the day they became record-breakers!

Making Music Making Music is frequently asked by its members, of which 86% are performing amateur music groups (vocal or instrumental), how much others pay the various kinds of professional musicians they engage.

We decided to take a leaf out of ISMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book, and survey our members to ďŹ nd the answer.

The results are extremely varied depending on an array of factors, ranging from number of musicians to the size of the paying audience.

We discovered that 98% of respondents engaged professional musicians, and 8% of those engaged only a conductor and/or accompanist.

Other types of musicians engaged include soloists (87%), individual orchestral musicians, whole instrumental ensembles, orchestral or section leaders, choristers, workshop leaders and composers.

Contracts also varied from regular annual engagements to one-off fees, most frequently for a rehearsal-plusconcert day; and anything in between.

ISM readers can ďŹ nd a summary of the report at makingmusic.org.uk.

To request the full report, please send an email to info@makingmusic.org.uk

Continued overleaf Ă&#x2C6;

35

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Guildhall School Guildhall is delighted to announce that Lynne Williams will become the School’s next Principal, starting in early 2017. She takes over from Professor Barry Ife who has been in post for 12 years and is stepping down to focus on teaching and research.

Williams has been the Director/CEO of Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) since 2008 where she has led transformative change including a reinvigorated teaching and learning environment, selfaccrediting authority for the institution and international partnerships. Prior to NIDA, Williams held many arts and cultural leadership positions in the UK, including leading the development of the Culture, Ceremonies and Education Programme for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.

Williams commented, ‘The Guildhall School is one of the great conservatoires of the world. I am excited to be joining the team and the wider Guildhall community to build on this prestigious reputation at a time when excellence and innovation in arts education and training has never been so crucial to ensuring a creative and cultural future for 21st century society.’

Friends of the Musicians’ Chapel

Concerts from Scratch/ The Really Big Chorus

The annual Service of Thanksgiving was held in St Sepulchre’s Church, Holborn on 26 April. The preacher was Revd Michael Hampel, Canon Precentor of St Paul’s and the service was sung by the London College of Music Chorus under the direction of Paul Ayres. The precentor was Revd Peter McGeary, Vicar of St Mary’s Cable Street and the service was conducted by the Priest-in-Charge, Revd David Ingall. Thirty names were added to the Book of Remembrance including several prominent musicians who passed away in 2015, including Denys Darlow, John McCabe, Christopher Regan, John Scott and David Willcocks.

Marianne Barton writes: We are gearing up for our fourth awardwinning Scratch® Youth Messiah under the direction of Ben Parry on Sunday 27 November at the Royal Albert Hall (2pm). With more than 1,500 young singers registered this promises to be better than ever, so come and listen! It’s an ideal event to introduce children to Messiah: afternoon performance; shorter concert; performers of their own age; generous price concessions. Children 3–15 pay half price, plus family tickets (two adults/two children). Tickets – also for Messiah from Scratch® the same evening – available from the RAH Box Office: 020 7589 8212, online or in person (family tickets cannot be booked online).

The annual Requiem is becoming an established feature of the Musicians’ Chapel and this year will be held on Tuesday 1 November at 6.30pm at St Sepulchre. The service will be sung by the Choir of St Sepulchre under the direction of Peter Asprey.

Singing holidays this autumn find us in New York to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11 (Fauré’s Requiem, St Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Manhattan), and Guernsey, 13–16 October (Gounod’s St Cecilia Mass and Mendelssohn’s Hear my prayer, St James’s Concert Hall). trbc.co.uk

Have you seen the new ISM website?

We have redesigned our website to make it even easier for you to find the information you need. Have a look around and let us know what you think: ism.org.

Our new Advice Centre holds hundreds of resources for ISM members including articles, videos, advice packs, and template documents including contracts and invoices: ism.org/advice-centre.

Visit the Members’ Area, ‘My ISM’, to access exclusive members-only content including discounts, details of our new membership benefits, your insurance documentation, e-publications, resources, useful contact numbers and more..

You can also update your Handbook and Music Directory listings from here as well as renew yourr membership membership, set up direct debits and edit your contact details.

When you log in to ‘My ISM’ you will be asked for your username and password. Your username is the email address you registered with us. If you do not know your password, you can reset it by clicking the ‘forgotten password?’ link at the bottom of the ‘My ISM’ login page: ism.org/my-ism.

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139 years of internationally respected music exams

New Woodwind and Jazz Woodwind syllabuses 2017–2020 Our woodwind syllabuses offer the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their unique skills as performers.

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New Initial exams for flute and clarinet New graded repertoire books (score and part, and part only) for flute and clarinet* CD recordings of repertoire and exercises for flute and clarinet available in late 2016 Technical work includes exercises covering tone and phrasing, articulation, and finger technique Scales, arpeggios and exercises books available for each instrument — new books available now for oboe, bassoon and recorder *Clarinet books will be available in September 2016

Buy books online at

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Traditional and Contemporary exams that have been encouraging performers and teachers for 125 years.

Proud Corporate Members of ISM, EPTA, ESTA, ERTA, AOTOS, MEC, abcd, Music Mark & the Worshipful Company of Musicians. www.vcmexams.com info@vcmexams.com (020) 7405 6483 52 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4LR

Classified advertising MUSIC COPYING SERVICE. Quality printed music produced at reasonable prices. For further details contact David Turner, computer based music copyist, at 23 Overbrook, Hythe, Southampton SO45 5BE, Tel: 02380 848146, email: dfturner@ waitrose.com.

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Visit www.harpgear.net for details.

STEINWAY GRAND PIANO. Model O. White. Bought new in 1991. One musician owner. Treasured instrument but now downsizing. Included, white leather, buttoned adjustable stool. £47,500 ONO. Please reply to Box number 100, ISM, 4-5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ.

CHORISTERSHIPS AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY Westminster Abbey Choir offers a unique experience for musical boys aged 8-13

Excellent all-round education at Westminster Abbey Choir School Generous scholarships Superb instrumental tuition James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers, welcomes enquiries at any time www.westminster-abbey.org/choirschool music@westminster-abbey.org 020 7654 4918

How to Book: Please send advertisement copy with payment (cheques payable to the ‘Incorporated Society of Musicians’ or T: 020 7221 3499 with credit card details) to the ISM, 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ or email mj@ism.org by 3 October for November/December issue.

DO YOU DREAM OF RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL YOUTH CHOIR? We are looking for a dedicated musician and choral trainer who can continue to inspire our splendid young people. This North London based Children’s Choir, has an international profile, has made numerous recordings and has long term SEEKING North-Londonconnections with famous based assistance. If you A. contemporary composers. can read music fluently, It is already a registered B. are well connected charity with funding and in church music circles, has great potential for C. appreciate new more. It is a paid role compositions, D. and have and currently rehearses enough skill to edit and fortnightly, participating prepare music videos, in ten events a year. For I would like to employ more details, please you for a few days per email brilliantchoir@ month. Please reply to gmail.com.

Box number 101, ISM, 4-5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ.

PERFORMANCE NERVES? Stage fright? Call Rosemary Wiseman Tel. 020 8958 8083 www. rosemarywiseman.com.

FRENCH HORNS, Several from £150. 01747 828552.

VARIOUS BRASS, WOODWIND & STRINGED instruments for sale and/or rental. Tel: 07974 412269.

Private and Trade 50p per word, minimum £5.

Advertisements from ISM members are half-price (ie, 25p per word, minimum £2.50). Name, address and contact details must be paid for if included. Box numbers £2 extra. Prices include VAT. A series of six or more identical insertions qualifies for 10% discount.

TRUMPETS! (several) Excellent condition.

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COR ANGLAIS: B&H. Blackwood, Conservatoire, Low E, Serviced. £1295 ONO. 07974 412269.

SW FRANCE: Beautiful gites for rent in the most idyllic surroundings.

ISM members discount and use of Steinway B possible. Full details: www.frenchconnections. co.uk property 157289 or tel 07860238733 moira_ hayward@yahoo.co.uk.

DOUBLE BASS PAESOLD concert model 590.

Excellent condition cost £3k plus in 1997, £1250 ONO. 01747 828552.

SELF ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION – £120.

Contact 01373 302468 or refroudassociates@gmail. com.

STUDENT CELLOS, mostly German, various sizes, from £100. Tel. 07974 412269.

CONCERT PIECES FOR VIOLIN – Chaconne and BASSOONS several, £600, Bulgarian Etude – by 07974 412269.

James Hewitt. View and buy on www.tutti.co.uk.

SPINET WITTMAYER (German) 4 octaves, C-D, Further details www. jameshewittmusic.co.uk. light walnut. BGC needs tuning, hence £650 for a quick sale. Tel 07974 412269.

VIOLA 16” /40.25cms.

Colin Irving 1986. £1200 ono. Telephone 07798 906393.

RODGERS ELECTRONIC CHURCH ORGAN C-440 RANGE for sale from St Matthew’s Church, Derrington, Stafford. It has 2 manuals and a full pedal board. £1,500 ovno – Buyer to collect. Contact: Josephine C Hughes ARCM. Tel: 01785 242968.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

LOCAL EVENTS LISTINGS Full listings can be found on our website: ism.org Thursday 15 September

Sunday 16 October

Sunday 13 November

Oxford

North London Annual Dinner

North London Pupils’ Concert

7pm, Genzo Restaurant, 212-216 High Road, East Finchley, N2 9AY A chance for members to network, make connections with like-minded musicians and meet the committee members of the North London group. Partners and friends welcome.

Cost: £23 per person (three course dinner including wine) Contact: Judith Sheridan, judithclaresheridan@gmail.com, 01525 222131

2.30pm, The Cooper Hall, Hall School, 23 Crossfield Road, NW3 4NU Members are invited to put forward pupils to play or sing by 4 November. Both children and adults are welcome to perform – individually, in duets, or in larger ensembles. Each pupil must not exceed 7 minutes and each teacher may enter up to 5 pupils. Pupils may be at grade 1 or any level above, but should have their performance item at a concert standard.

An accompanist can be provided if requested in advance. Admission will be by programme on the door. Light refreshments will be available. Please encourage pupils to bring an audience.

Cost: £5 adults, £2 children. There is no charge for performers and teachers presenting pupils.

Contact: Sara Medina, 020 8883 2082

(PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE)

Music for Autism event with Derek Paravicini and Christine Cairns 12-1pm Dorchester Abbey, High Street, Dorchester, Oxford, OX10 7HH A concert presented by Derek Paravicini (the blind, autistic, virtuoso pianist) and Christine Cairns, soprano, for people with autism and other disabilities. They will perform a programme of lighter music, and some jazz, in which autistic members of the audience conduct or otherwise participate in the ongoing music. The concert will be followed by a short presentation for ISM members by John Lubbock about his Music for Autism project. More information can be found at osj.org.uk. Refreshments will be available.

Admission: This is advertised as a free concert, but to cover costs and to make a donation to the charity we would like to charge £5 for ISM members and £8 for guests.

Contact: Carolyn King, 01235 522774, carolyn2king@btinternet.com

Sunday 25 September Cheltenham Annual Meeting 2.30pm, Park House, Thirlestaine Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester, GL53 7AS Local members are invited to attend so that we can have your input about what activities/ events you would like the Cheltenham local group to be organising for the coming year.

Contact: Helen Marcus, helenmarcus@ blueyonder.co.uk

Sunday 23 October Brighton Talk and entertainment 2.30pm, Croft 11 (Drama), Burgess Hill School for Girls, Keymer Road, RH15 0EG Members and guests are invited to meet the ISM President, Nicolas Chisholm, who will talk about ‘Working with Yehudi Menuhin’.

After tea and cakes, local group Chairman, Jill Elsworthy, will present a selection of songs from the 30s and 40s with improviser extraordinaire Harry the Piano.

Cost: £9 members, £10 guests, £5 under 18s Contact: Geraldine Rowland, geriboam@live. co.uk, 01273 493889

Saturday 19 November Cheltenham Song Recital and Annual St Cecilia Supper 7pm, Park House, Thirlestaine Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester, GL53 7AS ISM President Nicolas Chisholm will start our popular Annual St Cecilia Event with a song recital.

Contact: Helen Marcus, helenmarcus@ blueyonder.co.uk

Sunday 20 November Lea Valley Advanced Autumn Pupils’ Concert 2.30pm, United Reformed Church, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Herts EN10 7BQ Our concert for advanced pupils (Grade 6 upwards) in a new venue. Please consider joining us in the audience even if you do not teach music. Refreshments will be served afrer the concert.

Contact: Carolyn Richards, ismleavalley@ ntlworld.com, 01245 440004

Recommend a friend and get £10 off your membership Tell your musician friends and colleagues about the ISM and encourage them to become part of our thriving community of music professionals. We’ll give you £10 off your next year’s membership fee every time someone you recommend joins the ISM as a full member (includes graduate rate membership).

£10

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Simply email membership@ism.org with the name and email address of the friend(s) you are recommending and ask them to use promo code ISM12HF when joining. If they join at the full rate we’ll give them £10 off their membership fee too.

If you’d prefer to receive a £10 voucher for iTunes, Amazon, or M&S, or donate your £10 reward to the ISM Trust or the ISM Members Fund, just let us know in your email and we’ll organise it.

Please note: the number of rewards you can redeem is limited to the value of your subscription upon renewal.

39

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Ask me a question Lorraine Womack-Banning Pianist, teacher and adjudicator djudicator

I have some lovely students and am very passionate about teaching and learning.

Over the last few years I have been invited to adjudicate at various events and this is something I have really enjoyed.

I really love performing and though I have been recovering from a hand injury this year with the help of the fantastic team at BAPAM, I am planning on a series of concerts next year.

Who (or what) has most influenced you and your career?

Probably my late husband Raymond who tragically developed Pick’s Disease, a young onset dementia which he died from in 2012.

I now volunteer at the Music for Memory sessions I used to attend with him during his illness.

I have also been lucky enough to study and attend masterclasses with many wonderful teachers including Susan Steele, Graham Fitch, Noriko Ogawa, Artur Pizarro and Leslie Howard, all of whom have influenced my playing in so many ways.

Telll us a little about yourself?

My grandmother was a professional pianist and teacher and my mother was keen for me to learn to play. From my very first lesson I had to be prised away from the piano as all I wanted to do was play. The piano has remained my passion ever since.

In 1994 I moved to Devon where I trained with Jessie’s Fund in the therapeutic use of music in paediatric palliative care.

I then spent almost a decade working in a children’s hospice as Music Co-ordinator using music therapeutically with terminally ill children and their families. I continued to teach and perform but using music in this way completely changed my outlook musically (and indeed on life itself).

I currently run a busy private practice (The Womack-Banning Piano Academy) continuing the vision which my late husband, pianist and Professor at Trinity College of Music Professor Raymond Banning, and I had shared of setting up our own piano school.

In addition, I teach piano at Bedford Girls’ School and am a deputy teacher on the STP programme at Junior Guildhall in London.

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What would you say is your greatest achievement to date?

Last year I gave the world premiere of The Raymond Variations, a composition by S G Potts based on the Andantino Themes from the Raymond Overture (Ambroise Thomas 1811-1896) at a fundraising memorial concert on the anniversary of Raymond’s death. Performing this work on such an emotional occasion felt like quite an achievement – it was an honour to be asked.

Who is your all-time favourite artist and why?

There are too many to choose just one but among my favourites are Artur Pizarro, I just love his intimate sound and beauty of tone which draws the listener in. I love Noriko Ogawa for her absolute clarity of tone, Leslie Howard for his phenomenal technique, command of the keyboard and encyclopaedic knowledge of well just about everything! Piers Lane, Murray Perahia, Richard Goode, I could go on …!

What was the last CD/music download that you purchased?

The last CD I added to my collection was

Artur’s Rachmaninov disc which he kindly gave me at his concert series at The Stables last year.

What are your plans for the future?

I have several projects in the pipeline including recording The Raymond Variations, planning and performing a series of concerts, ‘Raymond’s Concerts’, giving people with dementia and their carers an opportunity to attend concerts in a relaxed setting without the pressure of needing to be totally silent.

I am expanding my piano school to include home visit lessons delivered by my talented team of teachers. I have various adjudicating jobs including a Junior Competition on 16 October organised by fellow member, harpsichordist Lorraine Liyanage, who is founder/director of The Dulwich Music Festival.

I strongly believe that we should never stop learning and striving to be better as people and as musicians. The more I learn, the more I want to learn and the more I realise how much there is to learn; this is what makes life and music such a fascinating journey!

Finally, what is your ISM membership to you?

Having been an ISM member for many years, my membership has become increasingly valuable to me. The ISM leads and is active in so many important campaigns.

ISM events are always well organised, informative and inspiring and with access to podcasts and webinars you don’t miss out if you are unable to attend events. I use the ISM contracts in my work and have benefitted from the help and advice of the legal team at various points in my career.

In addition to this, during my late husband’s illness we benefitted greatly from the other support services the ISM is able to offer its members during such difficult times. It was largely this that led me to volunteer as an ISM Ambassador in order to give something back to the organisation – a role which I am very much enjoying. womackbanningpianoacademy. wordpress.com lorrainewomackbanning.wordpress.com

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