Music Journal - July-August 2015 by ISM Musicians

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Welcome July and August are traditionally times for a great deal of music making. In the last edition we highlighted the BBC Proms and in this issue we look in greater depth at festivals, their challenges and whether they can all sustain themselves in an increasingly crowded arena. There is plenty to choose from – either to perform at or to attend and we have highlighted a few of particular interest across the whole of the UK on pages 17–19.

Above: Deborah Annetts Photo: Mark Thompson

I am delighted that in this edition of Music Journal we have a close up on Orchestras Live who are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Their important work has continued apace and reaches numerous people across the whole of the UK, bringing great music to those who might not otherwise get access to it. And we must not forget that since the last edition of Music Journal, a new government has been elected which already has some plans for our education system. We learnt in June that the Government is planning to reintroduce the EBacc. This controversial measure which the previous Government was forced to drop in February 2013 as a result of the creative subjects including music coming together will, if it becomes a reality, marginalize music in our schools. For more on what you can do to help please see page 2. We must not end up, either through design or omission, with music slipping out of the grasp of the vast majority of young people as they attend school. It is not a broad and balanced curriculum for music and the arts to be moved to the margins of our children’s schooling. And lastly, I am delighted to be able to introduce you to the ISM Composer’s Pack on page 4. What is so wonderful about the guidance is that not only is it backed up with first class expertise from top lawyers in the field, but it has also been developed with the help of ISM composer members. We will be running professional development around the pack so watch this space. In the meantime have a wonderful summer, enjoy your music and if you are performing at a festival, have a great time.

Contents 2 4 5 6 7 8 9

News & campaigns Legal help Business advice Your letters Professional development Members’ Day Annual General Meeting

13 17 20

Make Music Work Summer festivals 2015 Orchestras Live

25 29 30

News from our members Classified advertising News from our corporate members Local events listings Ask me a question

34 36

Volume 82 / Number 2 Published by: The Incorporated Society of Musicians 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ T: 020 7221 3499 E: membership@ism.org W: www.ism.org Editor: Deborah Annetts Sub-editor and Production: Kim Davenport Gee

deborah@ism.org

All ISM publications are copyright Printed by Optichrome, Maybury Road, Woking GU21 5HX ISSN 0951 5135

Front Cover Ksenija Sidorova performing at Make Music Work (see pages 13–15)

Design: Cog Design www.cogdesign.com Typography: Marc Marazzi marazzidesign.co.uk Advertising: Cabbell Publishing Ltd, Wimbledon Studios 12 Deer Park Road London SW19 3TL T. 020 3603 7940 E. jane@cabbell.co.uk Editorial and advertising copy date: 1 August for September/ October issue Price: £6 per copy Subscription: £30 per year Circulation: 7,000 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.

Photo: Mark Woods-Nunn

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

News & campaigns Bacc again

economic and educational wellbeing.’

EBacc to be made compulsory

How can you get involved?

Back in February 2013, ISM members celebrated a huge campaign success; together with colleagues from across the creative professions we managed to protect the place of music and other arts subjects in schools. Henry Vann, Head of External Affairs, ISM

The Government had proposed a new qualification and league table – called the English Baccalaureate or EBacc – which would only place value on maths, English, sciences, languages and a narrow definition of humanities as history or geography. The ISM coordinated Bacc for the Future campaign gathered together 46,000 musicians, artists, teachers and members of the public and more than 120 creative industry bodies to call on the Government to allow creative arts subjects to count towards school league tables. The campaign was a huge success: The then Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, withdrew the EBacc to, in his own words, introduce a ‘more balanced and meaningful [school] accountability system’ which could include music.

Bacc for the Future 2

However, on Thursday 11 June 2015 the Government announced their plans to make the EBacc compulsory for all secondary school pupils in England. The ISM Council has already expressed its deep concerns about the proposals. There is a real risk that creative industry relevant qualifications – including GCSE, AS and A levels in music and other arts subjects – will be forced out of many secondary schools. We have fought these proposals successfully once before and we must do so again. Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the ISM has already called on the Government to revise or withdraw their proposals, saying: ‘The Government is focussed on jobs, growth and a balanced budget. This policy undermines that ambition. The creative industries are worth £76.9bn per year to the UK economy, and the educational importance of creative subjects cannot be over-estimated. It should be a great concern to all of us that the Department for Education is playing fast and loose with the country’s

We need your help to make sure that music counts in schools. We are asking all ISM members to sign the petition at www.baccforthefuture.com today and we are asking you to ask your friends, family and colleagues to sign the petition too. Only by speaking as a united sector can we persuade the Government to properly value music. For members who are using social media, you can also tell people about the news, the campaign and about why music matters to you using the tag #baccforthefuture.

Fighting for musicians’ rights ISM legal support featured in the Sunday Times More than 50 musicians were booked last year to play at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, the company recruiting these musicians has now seemingly abandoned them. The ISM legal team are now supporting the musicians in their legal case and the story has been covered by the Sunday Times. Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the ISM said: ‘This appalling treatment of professional musicians cannot go unchallenged. As the professional body for musicians in the UK we are now investigating the possibility of pursuing breach of contract claims on behalf of our members.’

Apple to launch a new music streaming service Apple has launched a new online music streaming service called Music. The service will be designed to compete with Spotify – which has more than 15 million paying subscribers – and other online music services. However, many performers still get little income from streaming services as contracts usually rule our royalties.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the ISM said: ‘It is great that more and more people have access to more and more music, but the fact is that most professional musicians are excluded from digital royalties altogether. This could not be clearer than in Apple’s own press release where the words ‘musician’ and ‘performer’ disappointingly appear nowhere.’

Deborah Annetts appears on Music Matters The Chief Executive of the ISM, Deborah Annetts, appeared on BBC Radio 3’s flagship programme Music Matters on Saturday 16 May 2015 to discuss the results of the election and the implications of the new Government for music and education. Deborah was speaking with The Times music critic Richard Morrison and broadcaster Tom Service about the implications of the new Government. With John Whittingdale MP appointed as Secretary of State there were grounds for some optimism. Whittingdale is a well-known advocate of tax-reliefs for creators and has spoken up in Parliament in support of intellectual property and in favour of music and other creative subjects being included within the English Baccalaureate.

BBC Music’s Ten Pieces extended to Secondary Schools students BBC Music has announced details of the second year of its music initiative Ten Pieces. Designed to introduce a generation of children to music, the ground-breaking project will be extended to secondary schools, with a new selection of music for students and teachers to explore. The project launches in October 2015. The second year of the project builds on the success of Ten Pieces Primary – which has already engaged more than half of UK Primary Schools (over 10,000 primary schools). The ISM is an official stakeholder for this exciting project which will help introduce secondary schools students to the world of classical music.

New GCSEs, AS and A levels The Government has reformed GCSE, AS and A level music. To help you prepare for September 2016, we have worked with Dr Alison Daubney to produce a comparison chart of the four GCSE courses on offer from AQA, OCR, Pearson (who used to be Edexcel) and WJEC. You can find out more at ism.org/GCSE or ism.org/Alevel. Henry Vann, Head of External Affairs, ISM 020 7313 9327, henry.vann@ism.org

Can you find your way around the ISM website with ease? Take part in a short survey and tell us how we can improve We would love to hear your feedback about the website, specifically whether you find it quick and easy to find what you need. Tell us what you think of our advice section and the members area by spending five minutes completing our short survey. The survey will be open until 7 July and you can find it at ism.org/website-survey. Your comments will inform plans for improvements to the website which will be made this year.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Legal help ISM Composers Pack

Composers Pack

Make Music Work advice series

The ISM is the professional association for musicians. The ISM promotes the importance of music and protects the rights of those working within music with a range of campaigns, support and practical advice. We welcome as members professional musicians from all musical backgrounds and genres, and from all areas of the profession.

ism.org

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#MakeMusicWork

Incorporated Society of Musicians

Composers have frequently come to us with concerns about the contracts they are being asked to sign; and sometimes, with no contract in place at all, untangling the wires of a bad deal can take up a lot of time and money. In this difficult environment, it is up to musicians’ and composers’ professional bodies to draft model contracts for creators. Indeed, a huge study of creators rights in Europe recommended that ‘model contracts should be encouraged to secure a fair protection and remuneration of authors in individual contracts.’ In March this year, we held a successful one-day event for performers and composers titled Make Music Work (see pages 13–15 for a summary of the day). The aim of the event was to provide musicians from all areas of the profession with the tools to grow and maintain successful and sustainable careers; it seems only right that this thread should continue with a new pack of model contracts for composers and a series of resources to help the professional musician survive in the music world.

Perhaps the most important point, however, is to always get legal advice before you sign a contract: make sure you fully understand the terms you are signing up to. We can offer you this advice as part of your ISM membership. Please contact us on 020 7221 3499 or legal@ism.org. As Kirsty Devaney says in her introduction to the pack, ‘being ‘professional’ doesn’t have to mean being paid professional rates, [but] it is about having the mind-set to be informed, realistic and in control of your own work and finances.’ This is one of the many aims of our pack, so do access it now at ism.org/composers-pack. A recording of our webinar, Introducing the new ISM Composers Pack, is available to view at ism.org/webinars

ISM Safeguarding Policy and Procedures for those working with Vulnerable Adults

Although safeguarding of children tends to receive more attention in the media, it is equally important that those who work with vulnerable adults are aware of their safeguarding obligations and know what to do if they have any concerns about the safety of a vulnerable adult. With that in mind we The pack which was launched at our webinar on have recently drafted a safeguarding policy and 13 May and is now published at ism.org/composing procedures specifically addressed to those who contains model contracts covering new commissions, work with vulnerable adults. These documents are signing up to a publishing agreement or licensing now available on the ISM website and all members synchronisation rights. There is also a checklist of what who work with vulnerable adults are encouraged to look out for when signing a publishing contract and to read them. Any members with questions about four template contracts with reference notes to help safeguarding issues can contact David Abrahams our you. The Composers Pack includes four composers’ Head of Legal, or Simon Frais, Membership Officer, voices at the beginning, to give the model contracts on 020 7313 9311. some real context and also some basic sign-posting on where to find opportunities for composers. David Abrahams, Head of Legal, ISM These model contracts are just that: they are a gold standard from which composers can negotiate, and will, we believe, be a valuable tool to ensure that composers get the best possible deal. Building on this work, we created the ISM’s Composers Pack. This was put together by the legal team at the ISM, Russells Solicitors and our Composers’ Special Interest Group in consultation with other composers and colleagues from across the music industry.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Business advice Our help with your tax affairs We offer our members a range of services and benefits relating to their tax affairs. These are designed especially to meet the needs of selfemployed musicians. They include: • an online guide to the main tax-allowable expenses for musicians to help you claim your full entitlement (see ism.org/advice/article/ tax_allowable_expenses_for_musicians) • help with your record-keeping: this includes online guidance on what records you must and should keep and template forms to help you record your fee income and expenses • an online HMRC guide to tax for musicians, which will be particularly helpful to young musicians starting out on their career • our tax helpline to answer your queries relating to both your business and personal tax affairs • discounted accountancy services to help you file your tax return and receive good-value advice on your financial affairs and • the comfort of our insurance to cover you for your accountancy costs if you should be the subject of an HMRC investigation or compliance check.

Our help with the insurances you need We also help members obtain the insurances they need to carry on their work as musicians. A number of insurances come free with your membership: • public liability insurance cover for up to £10m: this covers you for damages awarded against you if you cause of injury to someone or damage to their property during the course of your work as a musician: this is important because many organisations which engage freelance musicians ask for evidence that they have this insurance as a condition of engagement • employers’ liability insurance covers you for damages relating to injuries to people you employ • legal expenses insurance covers you for legal fees incurred in relation to your work as a musician and • product liability insurance covers you for damages if someone suffers injury or incurs damages in connection with a physical good which you have supplied. In addition, we have arrangements with a number of insurance companies to offer discounted rates for the instrument insurance which is essential for musicians. Our members also have access to discounted professional indemnity insurance. Go to ism.org/ members/discounts for further details. Caroline Aldred, Business Support Officer, ISM

The ISM guide for young musicians The ISM guide for young musicians, released as part of the Make Music Work series of vital advice and resources for all musicians, is an essential guide for music students, graduates and all musicians looking to develop their careers. The guide covers important topics such as finding work and selling and marketing music, different areas of work for musicians, portfolio career paths, tips for setting up and running a business (including setting fees, tax and record-keeping), copyright and other legal issues and overall wellbeing and further training. You can view the guide on our website.

The ISM guide for young musicians

Make Music Work advice series This guide is designed for music students and young musicians just starting out in their professional careers.

ism.org

The ISM is the profession al association for musicians . The ISM promotes the importan ce of music and protects the rights of those working within music with a range of campaigns, support and practical advice. We welcome as members professional musicians from all musical backgrou nds and genres and from all areas of the profession . If you are a recent graduate or are still a music student you can join us at a discounted members hip subscription rate.

of Musicians 2015

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#MakeMusicWork

Incorporated Society of Musicians

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Your Letters Unqualified teachers I am responding with some anger to the tone of David Meacock’s letter (Music Journal May-June 2015). I would take issue with him over the contention that a music degree is the only indicator of competence to teach. Shocking as it may be to Mr Meacock, it was on the sole basis of my experience teaching my daughter for a couple of years that I was asked by friends and acquaintances to teach piano to their children. I had ‘only’ grade 7 piano and an irrelevant honours degree in languages. Some of the children I took on had been taught by ‘qualified’ musicians but hopeless teachers. I was horrified by some of those teachers’ methods, which not only failed to pass on good piano playing skills, but often risked putting their pupils off piano for life. As I initially felt inadequate to the task, I attended many ABRSM teaching seminars and workshops, only to find that my teaching methods were not only appropriate and proficient, but in some cases far exceeded the knowledge and understanding of many ‘qualified’ teachers with music degrees. I was appalled at the ignorance and incompetence of some. I did pursue an Open University Music Diploma (which entitles me to letters after my name), only to find it had little bearing on my teaching practice. While it is unfortunately true that there exist incompetent instrumental teachers, the criterion for judgement cannot be their academic achievement. The number of letters after one’s name is no guarantee of a good teacher, and any attempt to limit instrumental teaching to those who have a music degree would deprive the music world of many excellent teachers. ISM member (name and address supplied), BAHons, DipMus

I strongly agree with David Meacock (Music Journal May-June 2015) concerning unqualified people teaching music and using graded exams as a formal qualification. It concerns me greatly when I hear that a pupil is learning piano/keyboard, a wind or stringed instrument at school and being taught by a teacher who teaches several instruments in more than one of those categories. Can they really be proficient in ALL those instruments? It takes years to acquire a good technique – and the learning doesn’t stop there – and I marvel that any teacher can understand and teach the right technique for so many instruments. Amazingly during the past two weeks and prior to reading David’s letter, I have taken on three piano pupils who have asked me for lessons because of dissatisfaction with their current or previous teacher(s). It did not take long to realise when each pupil started with me that the level of teaching they had received was of a pretty poor quality. I find it hard to imagine that anyone who wishes to teach hasn’t provided more thought and consideration regarding their own abilities in understanding their instrument, musical theory and all that goes with it to cover the many facets of teaching music, in other words, all that a study of music at a higher level than graded exams, would provide. Juanita Watson, ISM member

Keep in touch. Send your lette rs and news to

mj@ism.org

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Professional Development A guide to progression, curriculum and assessment

• explore and implement models of assessment and progression which have musical learning at the core

One day seminar led by Dr Alison Daubney

• facilitate musical learning which is mindful of school and Ofsted expectations • lead inspiring and creative teaching and learning in Key Stages 3 and 4, particularly in light of the pending changes to GCSE

Tuesday 14 July (for secondary school teachers) 9.30am-4pm at ISM, 4-5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ One year into the new National Curriculum for Music, this workshop offers a framework for reflecting upon the development of the music curriculum and arrangements for assessment in your setting. Using examples from schools and hubs, it will present a range of new and developing approaches to music education. The workshop seeks to encourage you to share and critique your own work, considering whether the messages your music curriculum sends to pupils are those underpinning your core values and principles. The session also aims to promote understanding and confidence to:

The maximum number of delegates in the workshop is 16 in order for it to be personalised and in-depth. The workshop will be led by teacher trainer and international music education consultant, Dr Alison Daubney, author of many of the National Curriculum support materials developed for the teaching professional and freely available through the ISM. To book (£25 members, £35 non-members including refreshments and lunch) or for more information, please email ceri.wood@ism.org or call 020 7221 3499.

Webinars

• encourage a joined-up and relevant music education which takes into account children’s whole musical lives

ISM webinars offer members the chance to access key professional development opportunities at work, home or on the move.

• develop opportunities for musical learning within and beyond the curriculum

To see what’s coming up and to catch-up with recordings of our latest webinars visit ism.org/webinars.

What’s your ISM?

My ISM is

The ISM’s professiona l development support inspired me beyond measure and propelled me to new heights in the early days of my career.

If you would like to share your story, feedback, knowledge or even a word that you feel sums up the ISM for you, then here are the various ways you can do this:

• • • •

Write us a letter and send it to Freepost RTHK-YYEJ-YCLB, Incorporated Society of Musicians, 4-5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ up-to-date with The ISM keeps me connects

Sharon Mark-Teggart Music Educator and Director, evoco

ISM member since

1998

My ISM is

Philip Herbert

er # my ismser Compo is and Perform facebook.com/mISM member since 1994 yismis

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ic sector, and changes in the mus ork of professional me with a wider netw s. ician mus

Send us an email to membership@ism.org with the title ‘My ISM is’

Join our growing membe of professional musicia rship ns. Make us your ISM.

Share at facebook.com/myismis Share your word Twitter #myismis

We look forward to hearing from you.

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rship Join our growing membe ns. of professional musicia Make us your ISM.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Members’ Day The second ISM Members’ Day was held on 23 April 2015 at the Royal Overseas League in London. Around 50 members attended the day which started with the AGM and Open Forum. (The minutes of the AGM are printed on pages 9–11). After a short break, members split into different sessions to discuss various topics including: • Membership Services led by Natalia Fenyoe • Educator, Performer and Composer Round Tables led by Henry Vann • Setting your rates led by Caroline Aldred Right: Composer Geoffrey Poole with violinist Madeleine Mitchell, who performed the premiere of his new work, Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra, in June. Below: ISM President 2015–16 Jeremy Jackman Photos: Francesca Treadaway

• Safeguarding update – update on the latest developments in safeguarding and child protection including DBS checks, led by David Abrahams • Website and Directory led by Natalia Fenyoe The sessions topics were chosen based on feedback from last year’s Members’ Day. We hope to vary the sessions each year so that we are able to cover the broad range of interests in our diverse membership. A number of key points arose from the sessions, including the need for: • Intellectual property training • more training and advice for working with vulnerable adults • contracts advice and more flexible contract templates • further information and advice on the Music Directory and how to get the most out of it.

feedback from members on the issues that are facing them in their work and what the ISM can do to help them. We look forward to the next Members’ Day in 2016! ‘May I just take the opportunity to thank you and everyone involved in the Members’ Day. It really was an enjoyable day and such a joy to meet a good mixture of new and familiar faces.

When you work mainly in private teaching, as I do, an organisation such as the ISM is hugely important. Lunch gave a great opportunity for members to Not only does it provide the professional support and speak to one another, some old friends and some backup, but also a forum where we can exchange ideas for the first time. and share challenges. This was particularly apparent Jeremy Jackman, President for 2015-16, closed the in both the ‘round table’ discussions I attended. It was day with an example of how members can network very clear what a sense of community can be found at these events. At a previous ISM event, composer within the ISM. Although the membership is wide(and ISM Council member) Geoffrey Poole met violinist ranging both in terms of age and experiences, Madeleine Mitchell which led to a brand new piece, we all share a common interest and a concern for Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra Orchestra. Geoffrey composed the wider music profession. this piece especially for Madeleine, who performed It feels a great privilege to be part of such a highits premiere on 27 June 2015 with Stroud profile organisation as the ISM and I hope to Symphony Orchestra. continue to be part of it for many decades to come.’ Feedback and key points from the sessions will help to shape the work of the ISM for the future. This is a really David Barton valuable way for the staff team and Council to get

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Annual General Meeting Royal Overseas League, London, 10.30am, Thursday 23 April 2015

members and 154 were non-members. This represents a 164% increase in musicians engaging with the In the Chair: Professor Barry Ife CBE, President 2014-15 programme compared to the previous year. A total of 47 Local Group events were held by the Society’s active The signatures of the full members present were 24 Local Groups during the 2013-14 financial year. recorded in the AGM file. The President welcomed In April 2014, the ISM held its annual conference entitled all members to the AGM and introduced the Music in the 21st Century at Birmingham Conservatoire. President Elect, Jeremy Jackman, Past President, Our President for 2013-14, Richard Hallam MBE, hosted Richard Hallam MBE, and the Treasurer, Trevor Ford. the two-day event which considered the place and The Chief Executive, Deborah Annetts was in role of music in the 21st Century. A full write up of the attendance, as were Jeff Roberts (Collyer Bristow), conference appeared in the July/August 2014 issue of Rebecca Mair, David Abrahams, Henry Vann, Music Journal. At the close of the AGM, Professor Barry Francesca Treadaway and Natalia Fenyoe. Ife CBE took over as President for 2014-15. Apologies for absence had been received from The financial year 2013-14 saw the Public Affairs Catherine H Poole, David Nevens, Dr Anne Dunn, team have more than 110 meetings with external George Pratt, Danielle Perrett, Liz Partridge, organisations and key stakeholders. Two campaigns Jeremy Huw Williams, Beverley Downes and focussed on petitions gathered 5,496 and 1,569 Gabrielle Burgin Lister. signatories in their support and more than 650 Members stood while the Chief Executive read out the responses were received to a variety of external affairs names of colleagues who had died during the past year. focussed surveys. One campaign secured the backing of more than 130 music industry and education Minutes of the last meeting organisations including the London Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Services, PRS for Music through, The minutes of the last Annual General Meeting, held at the Royal Overseas League on Thursday 24 April Yamaha, the UK’s Conservatoires, ABRSM and Trinity College London. 2014 and printed in the July/August 2014 issue of Music Journal, were approved (proposed Nicolas Since the 1970’s the ISM has, at various points, Chisholm, seconded Ed Scolding) with no abstentions investigated the possibility of owning its own and the minutes were signed by the President. premises. With the ISM lease for 10 Stratford Place

expiring and the negative impact of the Crossrail works, together with the need for more space, Council ISM Annual Report, 2013-14 took the decision to look for new premises and was The Chief Executive introduced the Annual Report of delighted to find Inverness Mews a large, modern the ISM for the year ended 31 August 2014 which was included in the March/April 2014 issue of Music Journal. space in Central London. The move to Inverness Mews She noted that despite the challenges that professional was completed in February 2014 with only minor works being necessary before relocation. The purchase musicians and the music community have faced, the membership of the ISM has continued to increase of Inverness Mews is an important development for the future security and prosperity of the organisation during 2013-2014 and by August 2014 stood at over and has already proved to be a wise investment. 6,600, including 160 organisations. The ISM’s core services in support of professional musicians – legal advice and insurances – remained hugely valued by members. The ISM continued to expand its professional development programme for members in the financial year 2013-14 with a total of 10 seminars and 6 webinars. A total of 602 musicians engaged with the professional development programme during the year, of which 448 were

Three Elected Council members, namely Margaret Lion, Peter Nickol and Reg Fletcher and two Appointed Council members, namely Danielle Perrett and Nicolas Chisholm stood down at the AGM in 2014. Nicolas Chisholm and Jay Deeble were elected unopposed as Council members for the South and West areas respectively.

Continued overleaf È

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

After careful consideration, Danielle Perrett and Ed Scolding were both appointed by Council to the role of Appointed Council Member. Council also appointed Jeremy Jackman to become President Elect for 201415. With Jeremy Jackman becoming President Elect, a vacancy was created on Council for an Appointed Council Member to serve for the balance of the term and Tim Daniell was appointed to this role by Council. Council would like to thank the tremendous contributions made by Council members who retired during the course of the financial year namely Margaret Lion, Peter Nickol and Reg Fletcher.

fees the ISM had incurred as a result of this action. The CEO confirmed that the ISM was enforcing a costs order against one of the Claimants but that the view of Council was that instituting legal proceedings was not a productive activity when there were so many critical issues facing the music profession. Thanks were extended to the Treasurer, the Auditors and the ISM for the preparation of these accounts.

Annual Report of the ISM Members Fund 2013-14

This item was for information since the Trustees of the ISM Members Fund are responsible for approving and adopting the Members Fund Annual Report and Accounts which were printed in the March/April 2015 issue of Music Journal. The Chief Executive noted the following points: the Fund had expended £79,534 on grants, a 13% increase from £79,534 which it spent in the previous year. During 2013-14, the value of the Fund’s investments grew to £3.3million (£3.2 million The Chief Executive thanked Council, the staff team in 2012-13). The Trustees thanked all those who help and the many members of the ISM who give their time further the work of the Fund particularly the members voluntarily to the ISM. Without their substantial efforts, of the Grant Making Committee, Gregor Logan the the ISM would not be as successful as it is today. Hon Investment Advisor, all members of the Society She also thanked Professor Barry Ife CBE, for his work and others whose donations have made it possible as President for the past year. to support members in need and to Caroline Aldred the Head of Operations of the Fund, for her hard work Accounts for the year ended 31 August and commitment. In November 2013, an EGM was called by ISM members to discuss a number of issues. The EGM was held on 25 November 2013 at the Royal Overseas League and a full discussion took place chaired by the then President Richard Hallam. The overwhelming sense gained from the membership was support for the programme of modernisation which Council has adopted and the way in which the Society is being led.

2014: Auditors’ Report

The Treasurer introduced the Accounts for 2013-14. It was noted that this would be his last AGM report as Treasurer. He outlined key points and issues and noted that this was a very significant year in the ISM’s history due to the purchase of Inverness Mews. During the year, the ISM continued to enjoy growth and financial stability with a 5.3% increase in subscription fees from the previous financial year 2012-13. The Treasurer noted that Professional costs had almost doubled and this was related in large part to the substantial legal fees in defending litigation brought by a small group of members. The ISM achieved a surplus of £199,451 which has been added to the Society’s reserves. The Treasurer emphasised that the primary objective is to generate other income streams so that the ISM is not so dependent on income streams such as Cable. The accounts were received and approved unanimously and adopted for the year ended 31 August 2014 (proposed Ivor Flint, seconded Carolyn Richards). The Treasurer answered questions from members covering a range of issues including the depreciation of the property, the mortgage rate for the property, the categories of membership of the SMA and the merger process between the SMA and the ISM and the ISM’s financial year. A member asked if the ISM had considered suing the person who had instituted proceedings against the ISM given the level of legal

Alexa Wightman asked why a new charity had been formed and the Chief Executive responded that in line with the Treasurer’s report the ISM needed to look for new ways to support its work. The new charity was not going to take over the work of the Benevolent Fund.

Appointment of auditors The meeting unanimously agreed to reappoint Berg Kaprow Lewis as auditors for the ISM and the ISM Members Fund and to authorise Council to fix their remuneration (proposed Nicolas Chisholm, seconded Ed Scolding) with no abstentions.

Retirement of Council members It was noted that Walter Blair, Graham Phillips and Jeremy Huw Williams (Elected Council members) and Tim Daniell and Virginia Rushton (Appointed Council members) were retiring. Following the advert in Music Journal in January/February three members came forward in respect of the Scotland and Northern Ireland, the North and Wales areas; namely Dr David Smith, Virginia Rushton and Meinir Heulyn who were elected unopposed. Nicolas Chisholm, a former Headteacher of the Yehudi Menhuin School, has been appointed by Council as President Elect and will become President in 2016. Tim Daniell and Sue Sturrock were appointed by Council as Appointed Council members.

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Next Annual General Meeting

Members of the ISM Council for 2015-16

The next Annual General Meeting will provisionally take place on 22 April 2016 in London.

Jeremy Jackman (President)

Open Forum

Barry Ife CBE (Past President)

Nicolas Chisholm MBE (President Elect)

The Annual General meeting was followed by an Open Forum. Various members raised issues relating to the location and timings of AGMs and conferences, and the Disciplinary Procedure. These matters were discussed fully with a number of points being made which led to further clarification and explanation. The President encouraged Alexa Wightman who had some specific concerns in relation to the Disciplinary Procedure to put these in writing to the Chief Executive.

Peter Dunkley (Treasurer)

The President thanked the Chief Executive and the staff team, Richard Hallam as Past President who would now be leaving Council, and also those who had served on Council who were retiring: Walter Blair, Jeremy Huw Williams and Graham Phillips. Huge thanks and appreciation were given to Trevor Ford, Treasurer for all of his work during his time as Treasurer. The President said that he had enjoyed his year as President enormously and that it had been a joy to work with the Board.

Virginia Rushton

The President then introduced the President Elect, Jeremy Jackman before presenting Jeremy with the Presidential Medal.

Elected Council members Jay Deeble Beverley Downes Meinir Heulyn Elizabeth Partridge Geoffrey Poole David Smith

Appointed Council members Tim Daniell Ivor Flint Danielle Perrett George Pratt Ed Scolding Sue Sturrock

The Incoming President thanked the President for the introduction. He said that he was proud and humbled to be the office holder for the next year. He said that he holds great respect for this office, given the high profile members who have held it before him. He thanked Professor Ife for his leadership over the past year on behalf of the Council, staff and all members. The meeting closed at 11.50.

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Make Music Work Our hugely successful event Make Music Work took place on 31 March 2015 at Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s brand new venue Milton Court and brought together performers and composers from different stages of their careers looking to take their work to the next level. Francesca Treadaway gives an overview of the day. The core purposes of the day were to give today’s working musicians the opportunity to exchange knowledge; to give them the chance to network with like-minded professionals, and above all arm them with the fresh insight to go forward with their own careers in the music profession.

Above: Professor Barry Ife with Alison Balsom at the start of the day Left: Gabriella Swallow performed with her urban family Photos: Mark Woods-Nunn

The day kicked off in suitable fashion with Elgar Howarth’s Processional Fanfare performed by the talented Westcombe Brass, swiftly followed by arrangements of Jimmy McHugh’s On the Sunny Side of the Street (fitting for the glorious weather that we had on that day) and Irving Berlin’s Putting on the Ritz. According to the murmurs on Twitter, the audience very quickly noticed that second trumpet Nial Mulvoy read his music using his iPad. With the fanfare sounded and the audience nicely warmed up with the day ahead, Professor Barry Ife, the ISM’s President 2014-15 and Principal of Guildhall School of Music & Drama, gave his brief introduction before introducing awardwinning trumpeter and Protect Music Education advocate Alison Balsom to the stage to address the eager crowd of musicians – an incredibly exciting moment for many delegates in the crowd.

Alison took the audience on the journey of her own exceptionally successful career, focusing on the crucial stages that pushed her work to the next level. She emphasised the importance of young musicians ‘finding their own voice’ and the great significance of creating programmes with the right balance of integrity and popularity. She also advised how to keep perspective when embarking on the difficult path to becoming a professional musician – by ‘going to as many concerts as you can to remind yourself why you’re doing this’.

by juice vocal ensemble. Their performance of a self-arrangement of the traditional song Cruel Mother, Paul Robinson’s Triadic Riddles of Water and Sally Whitwell’s Going Somewhere was compelling and startling in equal measure.

The first panel discussion was titled The Jury’s Out and focused on the world of competition or schemes, namely if they have career-boosting qualities. This was an especially crucial discussion for many delegates that have lost out on places in both. How much was their career potential damaged? The panellists comprised a careful mix of performers, organisers and teachers, including: Richard Morrison, Chief Music Critic, The Times who chaired the session; Benjamin Baker, violinist, YCAT; Emma Bassett, trombonist, Westcombe Brass; Roderick Lakin, Director of Arts, Royal Overseas League; Mark Messenger, Head of Strings, Royal College of Music; Ronan O’Hora, Head of Keyboard Studies and Head of Advanced Performance Studies, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Anna Snow, juice vocal ensemble. Mark Messenger began the discussion with an interesting viewpoint. He stated that ‘99% of the benefit of taking part in the competition is the preparation’, rather than the career benefit afterwards. He admitted that he felt that the creativity and spontaneity of performance ‘can be lost in the competition’, and that performing could turn into ‘an Olympic sport’.

Roderick Lakin’s impression of competitions were that of a ‘ruthless’ nature. He shared his experience of competitions that had become ‘subjective’ in their judging. This prompted the rest of the panel to discuss how much of a performer’s competition Her advice was right, confirmed and deep-rooted in performance is actually based on technique and the musicians’ mind by the spellbinding performance musicianship. This was met with agreement – Continued overleaf È

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not least in the hall but on Twitter where delegates took the opportunity to start their discussion about the points being raised.

to learn – more than my music college is preparing me for,’ was one of many comments she heard.

session; Rebecca Driver, Rebecca Driver Media Relations; Tom Hutchinson, Projects Co-ordinator, Royal Philharmonic Society; Igor Toronyi-Lalic, London Contemporary Music Festival; Clare Wilkinson, Senior Grants Manager at the Garfield Weston Foundation and former fundraising consultant and Michelle Wright, Chief Executive, Cause4.

Delving further into the subject of financial exploitation, Gabriel Prokofiev urged an ‘open dialogue’ between artists and agents. He developed his point further, going as far to say it was easier to ‘self-manage’ your work and that many of the tools on offer from agencies ‘are easy to take on yourself’.

The naivety of musicians when it came to selfpromotion was discussed with PR expert Rebecca Driver admitting that she never ceased to be surprised at how little understanding musicians had of good networking skills and making their own PR package of website, videos and social media accounts. This was met with a ripple of disbelief from the audience – surely this cannot be the case?

with Sergej Voitenko’s Revelation. Her performance was met with astonishment in the hall and on social media – with Classical Music magazine citing on Twitter that her performance ‘should have a headline’.

Lack of knowledge continued to be a central point of discussion in the next session Getting it Straight – the most crucial and anticipated session of the day for musicians, especially those who have found themselves circling the drain of legal loophole. The panel comprised Ivan Hewett, Classical Music Critic, Telegraph as chair, with David Abrahams, Head of Legal, ISM, James Brown, Managing Director, Hazard Chase, Richard Paine, Director of Commercial Rights and Business Affairs, Faber Music; Justin Pearson, Cellist and Governor, Royal Society of Benjamin Baker felt that the biggest benefit from a Musicians and Gabriel Prokofiev, Composer and competition was the sense of ‘personal discovery’. After the first session drew to a close, he showed the founder of Nonclassical record label as panellists. Justin Pearson admitted that he felt that ‘musicians fruits bourn from many years of preparation with an exquisite performance of the Allemanda from the make too much music available at a low price’ which was first met with agreement. This developed Sonata No. 4 n E minor, Op 27 by Eugene Ysaye. – controversially – into the opinion that it is The second session of the day ‒ Making Something ‘unprofessional to accept work for little or no pay’ from Nothing ‒ focused on musicians discovering and that musicians should be ‘choosing gigs wisely’. their creative entrepreneurship to boost career One delegate counteracted this on Twitter, asking potential. The panel comprised the ISM’s Chief ‘what can we do when there is no work around?’ Executive Deborah Annetts, who chaired the From the performers’ side of the panel, Emma Bassett said that the most enjoyable part of preparing for competitions was learning repertoire, and that her quintet looks for new works to stand out. It is worth noting that Westcombe Brass had just taken part in the final of the Royal Overseas League competition and had been placed highly – not surprising based on their extraordinary performance that started the event.

After this session of sobering home truths about the music profession, light relief came in the form of cellist Gabriella Swallow and her eclectic In the break, we heard from delegates who were most looking forward to learning how to stand out Urban Family (Lizzie Ball, violin; Bartek Glowacki, accordion; Pedro Segundo, drums and Dave Maric, from the crowd in this session, and luckily they piano). Their rousing performance of two of their were not disappointed. The discussion launched own arrangements of Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances into the need for a portfolio career in the current music industry, and most crucially, Michelle Wright and Tango Esqualo by Astor Piazzolla provided the perfect antidote to lift the audience’s spirits. said ‘that being good at your instrument is no longer enough’. The need for a musician to have a Mirroring Gabriella Swallow’s diverse programme ‘core message’ or ‘good story’ strong enough for was Ksenija Sidorova, who converted the entire coverage in the diminishing arts space was also audience to excited fans of contemporary accordion discussed. But a warning came from Igor Toronyimusic with gusto. She too featured Astor Piazzolla Lalic – ‘a musician’s “good story” has to be natural’, in her performance with Vladimir Zubitsky’s he strongly advised. arrangement of Omaggio, neatly programmed

Above: Participants at Make Music Work Photos: Mark Woods-Nunn

During the lunch break, delegates were able to share their fresh knowledge with each other and with the ISM’s Communications Officer Francesca Treadaway. ‘There’s just so much

Reminding everyone why to pursue a career in the music profession was the last session, titled The Idea’s the Thing featured musicians. The panel comprised BBC Radio 3 presenter Sara MohrPietsch as chair; Professor Helena Gaunt, Assistant Principal, Guildhall School of Music & Drama; John Slack, Clarinettist, Berkeley Ensemble; Gabriella Swallow, Cellist; Samantha Ward,

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Above Left: The Jury’s Out panel discussion Left: Juice vocals Above: Benjamin Baker Photos: Mark Woods-Nunn

‘With such distinguished panel members, such topical sessions, quality refreshments and lunch, top of the range venue and brilliant musical interludes, it was one of the best events – most probably the best – I have ever attended.’ Artistic Director, Piano Week Festival; Toby Young, Composer and Ruby Hughes, Soprano, BBC New Generation Artist 2011-2013.

‘Reality’ was the core message throughout this discussion – especially that musicians might not be able to do the work they want to first in order to make ends meet. Negative as it sounds, the discussion was inspiring. It meant that musicians in the audience were able to see that no two journeys into the music profession were the same; there is no conventional path. Sometimes life gets in the way, a point emphasised by Gabriella Swallow. Because of a big change in her personal situation, she had to make her music financially viable quickly. She did this by pursuing a collaborative project with like-minded musicians, which resulted in her successful Urban Family ensemble.

The Director of BBC Proms 2015 Edward Blakeman continued this discussion by basing his closing address on carving your career path as an art. He spoke of basing his own career on three stages: ‘identify’, ‘consult’ and ‘risk-taking’, and focused on the importance of continually reinventing yourself. The day ended on a high at the more informal part of the day – a cocktail reception sponsored by Classical Music Magazine where delegates were able to continue the discussion about building their own careers armed with the tools and insight generated from this incredibly successful day. Francesca Treadaway, Communications Officer, ISM Visit ism.org/makemusicwork for video round-ups, images and more.

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Summer festivals 2015 We take a look at what is on offer this year.

Left: Crowds at the Hebridean Celtic Festival Photo: Leila Angus

There have been recent murmurings about the future of the increasingly crowded arena of music festivals. There were approximately 900 music festival events in the UK between May and September last year and, according to leading music promoter and manager Harvey Goldsmith, there is no way they can all sustain themselves. He said that ‘music festivals have probably run their course. What is going to happen is a growth in events where it isn’t just music, but with poetry or books or magic shows.’ With this in mind (and on a positive note) it is fair to say that with more festivals of all sizes covering many genres of music and supporting more emerging artists than ever before, there is something for everyone to perform at or attend. So we want to know if you are organising or performing in a festival over the summer period and if you are, please send me the details and your best pictures (francesca.treadaway@ism.org) so we can Facebook and tweet your event. At the ISM we deliberated over the many, many festivals on offer in the UK this summer and bring you our picks.

The Presteigne Festival

Cecilia McDowall, Joseph Phibbs, Michael Small and composer-in-residence, Matthew Taylor. They will also mark the 150th anniversaries of Sibelius and Nielsen with several performances of orchestral, chamber and vocal works, and their outreach work continues with an education project which will deliver a children’s opera from composer Liz Lane and librettist David Lewis. The Presteigne Festival takes place on 21 August – 1 September 2015. For tickets and further information, visit www.presteignefestival.com

SUPERNORMAL festival SUPERNORMAL is an ‘iconoclastic’ experimental arts and music festival curated by a collective of artists, musicians and enthusiasts. It was launched in 2010 with a founding belief that valued the ‘currency of ideas and imagination rather than commercialism and profit’, offering a platform for artists, performers and musicians to work collaboratively and creatively for a new kind of audience who are ‘seeking experiences out of the mainstream’. The festival is one of the smallest on offer this summer with an anticipated audience of 1500.

The Presteigne Festival, (or in Welsh ‘Llanandras’), is held in the idyllic Welsh Marches on the Powys/ Herefordshire border. It was founded over 30 years ago with the purpose of supporting young perfor mers and composers and making the work of living composers more accessible. The festival’s programme is almost entirely contemporary music, interspersed with established repertoire. Outside the festival surroundings, the festival brings music to the local community by supporting vital education projects in the Welsh Marches.

What to expect this year

The festival’s programme is brimming with new music this year with commissions from Charlotte Bray, David Knotts, David Matthews, Continued overleaf È

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What to expect this year

SUPERNORMAL festival aims to be a more alternative and experimental event so the line-up is quite diverse, including artists such as English rock band Mugstar, modular trumpeter/synthelectric duo Hirvikolari and Irish experimental vocalist, musician and artist Jennifer Walshe. If an out-of-the-box musical experience is what you are after this summer, this line-up does not disappoint. This was a keen choice from the ISM’s Marketing Manager Rebecca Gleave who in her spare time is also a member of an experimental music ensemble. SUPERNORMAL festival takes place on 7-9 August in Braziers Park in Oxfordshire. For tickets and further information, visit supernormalfestival.co.uk

Three Choirs Festivals The Three Choirs Festival, one of the world’s oldest music festivals, is held annually at the end of July, rotating between the cathedrals of the ‘Three Counties’ (Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester). The title of this festival comes from the three cathedral choirs that are central to the festival’s programme every year. The Festival Chorus performs the bulk of the largescale choral repertoire, accompanying other major ensembles and international soloists.

What to expect this year

Above: Three Choirs Festival choristers and youth choir Top photo: Ash Mills

The festival marks its 300th birthday this year with a celebratory programme of significant repertoire, including Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Verdi’s Requiem, Sir Arthur Bliss’s Morning Heroes, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius and Messiaen’s Turangalíla. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will accompany the Three Cathedral Choirs in the St Matthew Passion while other evening concerts feature the Three Choirs Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia orchestra. The Three Choirs Festival takes place on 25 July – 1 August 2015. For tickets and further information, visit 3choirs.org

The Ryedale Festival The Ryedale Festival, now surviving without a penny from Arts Council, is best known for its ambitious programming brimming with fullystaged performances, large-scale orchestral works and a plethora of brand-new commissions. After a humble beginning in 1981, it grew quickly in popularity and gained the support from BBC Radio 3, who has brought the festival’s work to a national audience through dedicated broadcasts.

What to expect this year

Ryedale’s elite festival programme shows its unwavering commitment to new music, featuring 11 world premieres, including two by their

composer in residence Michael Berkeley. On the other end of the timeline, there will be a 100th anniversary performance of Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil, a complete cycle of Chopin’s Nocturnes and performances of works by Schoenberg, Mozart, Ravel, Tallis, Britten and others. The Heath and Doric Quartets, and the Lendvai Trio are resident chamber ensembles at Ryedale this year, while on a larger scale, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of Opera North, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and renowned choirs Ex Cathedra and Stile Antico will be performing. To support emerging artists and young musicians, Ryedale Festival has also planned a series of free workshops and their new initiative, titled Ryedale500 to help more young people explore the festival. The Ryedale Festival takes place 17 July – 2 August 2015. For tickets and further information, visit ryedalefestival.com

Cambridge Folk Festival The Cambridge Folk Festival, founded in 1964, is one of the longest running and most renowned folk festivals in the world. It is most well-known for its unique atmosphere and its wide definition of what might be considered folk in a diverse line-up featuring folk, bluegrass, gospel, cajun, zydeco, jazz, world and klezmer music among many other genres. It also embraces emerging artists, and has acted as a launching pad for many artists who have gone on to have successful careers.

What to expect this year

Their line-up this year, announced in March, again promises an eclectic line-up featuring folk singer Joan Baez (her only UK appearance this year) international chart-topper Passenger, emerging talent The Den, award-winning folk/punk artist Frank Turner, Australian roots band John Butler Trio and Mercury Prize nominated artist Nick Mulvey alongside many more acts. The Cambridge Folk Festival takes place on 30 July–2 August 2015 in Cambridge. For tickets and further information, visit cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/folk-festival

Hebridean Celtic Festival The Hebridean Celtic Festival is an international Celtic music festival, which takes place annually in Stornoway on Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. In its 20 year history it has firmly established itself as one of Scotland’s great summer music festivals and the area’s flagship event, attracting thousands of visitors from around the world. Each year the festival presents a stellar line-up of artists from near and far, including

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international headliners such as KT Tunstall, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers and The Levellers, and local musicians including Julie Fowlis, Niteworks and Capercaille.

What to expect this year

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, several international acts have been programmed in to attract the global crowd, including Canadian folk music group Le Vent du Nord and American singer songwriter Chastity Brown. Closer to home, internationally-renowned Scottish band Idewild will perform, as will BBC Young Folk Award– winner Siobhan Miller and folk-rock Glaswegians Sunshine Social. If you are keen to immerse yourself completely into the very roots of this Scottish celebration, Na h-Òganaich, Shinty’s Heroes, Norrie Maciver and more will be performing. Also ‒ many, many ceilidhs are on offer, so there is no excuse to not join in. The ISM’s Chief Executive Deborah Annetts is just clearing her diary… The Hebridean Celtic Festival takes place on 15-18 July 2015 in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. For tickets and further information, visit www.hebceltfest.com

Brecon Jazz Festival Brecon Jazz Festival is the pinnacle of jazz festivals in Europe, bringing artists from all over the world to a small market town in Wales.

Brecon Jazz Festival is now known as a significant cultural event in both the Welsh and jazz calendars but had humble beginnings, built on an ethos of passion and jazz by the festival’s founder and Artistic Director Jed Williams. He organised the

first Brecon Jazz Festival in 1984 on a shoestring budget and took the festival to great heights for almost two decades.

A precarious few years followed Jed’s untimely death in the early 2000s which led to Arts Council Wales bringing the festival back from the brink. It is now run by Orchard Media, the brains behind the neighbouring Hay literary festival.

What to expect this year

The line-up for 2015 was announced in early March and is the most international to date, including Timo Lassi Band from Finland; Brazilian percussionist and composer Adriano Adewale and many American artists, including their headliners Dr John and Robert Glasper who are both Jazz pianists, and more musicians from Romania, Spain, Denmark and further afield. The best of British include Ray Davies CBE, Norma Winstone and Dave Holland and Welsh-native Nia Lynn. But before booking in any international artists, the festival looks after the local Welsh musicians and their younger musicians, providing Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with platforms to showcase the fresh jazz talent emerging from their esteemed jazz department. Brecon International Jazz Festival takes place on 5-7 August 2015 in Brecon, Wales. For tickets and further information, visit breconjazz.com/info Francesca Treadaway, Communications Officer, ISM If you are performing at any of the many festivals on offer this summer in the UK, do let us know by sending in your pictures and short videos to francesca.treadaway@ism.org

Below: Polar Bear at Brecon Jazz Festival

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Orchestras Live Orchestras Live leads the way in taking excellent orchestral experiences to the widest possible audience. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, Henry Little talks about the organisation’s commitment to provide a national platform to showcase the work of living composers.

Above: Henry Little, Chief Executive of Orchestras Live Photo: Simon Weir

At Orchestras Live, we are passionate that people from all backgrounds should have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the highest quality orchestral provision, regardless of their age or geographical location. We are the only organisation of our kind that works in this way in the orchestral sector. Our partnerships with a national network of promoters, with the country’s leading orchestras, with music education hubs and numerous other stakeholders ensure that the widest possible audiences, particularly those who are geographically and socially isolated, can be inspired by the excellence of professional British orchestras.

This year, Orchestras Live celebrates 50 years of taking world-class British orchestral music to audiences, many of whom will be experiencing the thrilling power of hearing a live orchestra for the first time. Championing new music has always been a cornerstone of our work and has been a recurring feature of our partnerships going back decades. In 1995, we started an associate composer scheme building regular relationships with some of the UK’s top composers, including James MacMillan, Robin Holloway, Graham Fitkin, Tunde Jegede and Paul Patterson. The common theme in all of these partnerships was the ambition to take orchestral work written by some of the country’s leading artists to audiences that wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to hear them. Fast forward on to 2010: at our then new home at Kings Place, London, we brought together 95 people, including promoters, venue managers, orchestra managers, musicians, composers, their publishers and funders for a day of discussion called The Creative Partnership which explored the whole process of commissioning, performing, presenting and experiencing new orchestral music. The event coincided with our programming the

world premiere and five subsequent performances of Alec Roth’s new Concerto for Guitar and String Orchestra performed by Morgan Szymanski and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, which sold over 1,150 seats in five venues, achieving average capacity of 90% attendance. That day of discussion alongside the success of the tour confirmed our belief that our unique national role was about helping the very best new British orchestral music to reach the widest possible audience. With that we launched our Beyond the Premiere programme with three distinct aims: 1. To provide new platforms for composers to showcase and develop compelling and significant new orchestral music;

2. To create new and exciting experiences for audiences, increasing the appeal of new orchestral music for people of all ages and backgrounds;

3. To give promoters the help and support they need to present new work to their audiences and help develop their skills, confidence and effectiveness in presenting contemporary orchestral music.

Contrary to popular belief, people aren’t afraid of new music – they just need to be better prepared and have the opportunity to experience more of it. Vital to this is building promoters’ skills and confidence in presenting and marketing contemporary orchestral music. This includes helping them to enhance and deepen the audience experience, by looking at ways that an audience could make a real connection with the composer. Audiences don’t need to be told that new orchestral music will ‘challenge’ them, they need reassurance, so all our Beyond the Premiere programmes are introduced, wherever possible, by the composer either at the performance or in programme notes

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Above: Alec Roth Photo: Helen Smith Far left: Tunde Jegede Photo: ??

or in an online interview that promoters can direct their audiences to before the concert. There’s also often an opportunity for audiences to meet the composer and the orchestral players during the concert and to exchange and share views about what they’ve just heard.

Our philosophy behind Beyond the Premiere is for the composer to be a dynamic ambassador and champion of their work and the research that we’ve undertaken confirms that our audiences value the opportunity to build a face-to-face relationship with the composers and to feel that they are active and engaged partners in the new work. Beyond the Premiere is less about commissioning and much more about establishing a sustainable market for new orchestral work by enabling as many performances of it as possible to take place immediately after its first – and too frequently, only – hearing. So when a large number of new orchestral pieces sit on a shelf gathering dust after a glitzy metropolitan premiere, we know that it’s repeat performances that decide whether or not a new piece is going to enter and remain in the repertoire.

innovative and appealing new orchestral work our financial investment reduces the risk both financially and artistically. We also ensure that new work is usually programmed alongside more familiar and complementary repertoire. It’s not dumbing down; it’s a way of awakening people’s interest in orchestral music. For many it will be the first stage in a life-long journey of engagement with new orchestral music, and that’s what we aim to inspire.

Above: Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Audience feedback from our Beyond the Premiere concerts suggests there is little resistance to new work. A recent survey asked a range of questions related to musical preferences, particularly new music, and attendance habits. •

•

• Securing repeat performances is perhaps the biggest challenge for a composer and we’re realistic that including new orchestral work in a concert • programme is a risk for our promoter partners. Alongside our ambition to present the most

76% of people scored 4 or 5, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, when asked ‘how important do you think it is for new work to receive additional performances after its Premiere?’ 67% of audiences agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘I enjoy new orchestral music when it is part of a broader concert programme’. 44% of audiences agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘I find new orchestral music exciting and stimulating’.

31% of audiences agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘I would like to hear new orchestral music featured in more concerts I attend’. Continued overleaf È

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This is something we’ve been able to do with City of London Sinfonia where Gwilym Simcock’s new work for orchestra and solo clarinet, On a Piece of Tapestry, winner of a PRS New Music Biennial Award, was commissioned with further performances in mind and after the first performance at Wiltshire Music Centre, we secured further Beyond the Premiere performances in Hull, Southampton, Hereford and Oswestry.

‘Having a series of performances rather than a one-off premiere makes the commission a far more attractive investment for funders. We are also able to reach a far wider audience right across England, simultaneously allowing our musicians’ relationship with the piece to develop and explore myriad elements to it as they would with a well-known symphony.’ Matthew Swann, Chief Executive, City of London Sinfonia

Above (clockwise from top left): Tunde Jegede Alec Roth Photo: Helen Smith Huw Watkins Photo: Benjamin Ealovega Gwilym Simcock Photo: Eric Richmond

•

13% of audiences agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘I seek out concerts that include new orchestral music’.

In 2013 we featured the work of two composers, Huw Watkins and Sally Beamish. With the generous support of the Royal Philharmonic Society and the PRS for Music Foundation we secured five performances of Huw’s Little Symphony in Bradford on Avon, Cockermouth, Beverley, Chelmsford and Holt performed by the Orchestra of the Swan, a chamber ensemble with a long and successful track record of promoting new orchestral work.

Having such a clear endorsement from orchestras, composers, promoters and audiences gives us the confidence to expand our ambitions for Beyond the Premiere. Alongside our commitment to feature the work of living composers across at least a quarter of all our concert programmes, from 2015 we aim to mount at least one Beyond the Premiere programme each year.

Our next project will see us working with Composer and long-term Orchestras Live collaborator Jane Wells whose new work, Two Wings and a Prayer, commissioned by the European Union Chamber Orchestra, has been written so that local string players can perform it alongside the professionals, giving the performance a great local resonance and ownership. With plans for repeat performances in rural towns in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and North Norfolk, our commitment to provide a national platform to showcase the work of living composers remains at the heart of our work.

At the same time, as part of the Britten 100 commemoration, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields performed Sally’s new work, Variations on a Theme of Benjamin Britten, at Turner Sims in Henry Little, Chief Executive, Orchestras Live Southampton, where it received its world premiere, Discover more online: www.orchestraslive.org.uk/ with further performances in Stamford, Bradford projects/beyond-the-premiere/ on Avon and North Norfolk. David Curtis, Artistic Director of Orchestra of the Swan was delighted with the audience feedback that he believed validated their choice of composer and repertoire: ’More importantly, Beyond the Premiere has enabled new work to be presented in an accessible and relevant context in venues where new music is sometimes perceived as difficult or impenetrable rather than exciting and stimulating.’ For orchestras the ability to properly ‘bed in’ a new piece is a very welcome luxury these days. Beyond the Premiere also helps orchestras to think more long term about commissioning, enabling them to embed new work into their artistic plans in the knowledge that there is a body of promoters eager to present new work to an audience that is open and well prepared to receive it.

NEW DEGREE PATHWAYS STARTING IN 2016 We keep our curriculum aligned to the needs of the music industry so that our students remain in demand. Find out more about our new degree pathways in Film Music and New Music at: prospectus.lcm.ac.uk

@LeedsMusic www.lcm.ac.uk

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

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 1 August for September/October issue

made by Mabyn and William Bailey in London in c1770, and a double-manual harpsichord after eighteenth-century Franco-Flemish models, made by Ferguson Hoey in Oxford in 1982.

Graham and his team are busy adding new piano, woodwind and ensemble pieces to the catalogue. He would welcome feedback about the site from members.

The CD is available online, and a 3-minute video can be seen on Youtube under Smith and Handel Julian Perkins.

www.usefulmusic.com.

www.julianperkins.com

Graham Lyons goes digital After composing and publishing music in print for 45 years, composer and inventor of the Clarineo, Graham Lyons has just launched a new digital venture, usefulmusic.com Working with developers, he based the design on how he would have liked to buy music during his 50 years of teaching. For example, sampling score and audio first, or replacing lost parts straight away and cheaply, or being able to select (and only pay for) one piece from an album. Above: Julian Perkins

With this in mind, individual pieces from his albums, many of which have been set for grade exams, can now Julian Perkins be easily obtained. Popular pieces Julian Perkins has recently brought such as Natasha’s Hedgehog and out his latest solo harpsichord The Cool Camel are downloadable recording on Chandos (CHAN 0807). from the online catalogue along with Entitled Smith & Handel, it features the new compositions such as The Lazy world-premiere recording of suites by Leopard and Annie Darwin. John Christopher Smith – best known Many teachers were consulted before as Handel’s amanuensis who helped launch. Most of them welcomed the put Messiah on the map. Smith’s own idea of more music online for student music shows that he was a brilliant instrumentalists. Graham is therefore composer in his own right, whose interested in hearing from members music was greatly inspired by the who have written short and appealing daredevil virtuosity found in many pieces for budding instrumentalists, of Domenico Scarlatti’s keyboard up to grade 4 level. sonatas. Two rare harpsichords are used; a single-manual harpsichord

Yvette Price North West England member Yvette Price is to become the London College of Music Representative for a new exam centre based in Heysham, Lancashire. London College Examiner Yvette says ‘This is an exciting development for the area, which is a diverse and thriving musical hub. To be able to take LCM exams locally will be such a bonus to candidates and teachers alike, and I am honoured to act as the Representative for the Board. The LCM offers exams for a wide range of instruments, from Early Learning and Pre-Grade One exams right up to the Fellowship Level of Diploma, and the flexibility within the exam structure (Recital, Leisure Play and Performance options in addition to the ‘standard’ graded exams) means there is something for everyone.’

David Barton Staffordshire-based composer David Barton, is pleased to announce the publication of a number of new works. Three new choral anthems: Deep Peace (Unison/2-part), Blest Are the Pure in Heart (SATB) and The King of Love (SATB) have been published by Paraclete Press (US); these were recently included in a choral reading session at Salisbury Cathedral. The often-named ‘choral guru’, Tim Knight, continues to do sterling work with the Accessible Choral Library. Continued overleaf È

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

David has added another folk-song arrangement to the series, this time Cockles & Mussels (SAB). Tim will be promoting the series at the ABCD conference this year. Finally, David has made a number of his works available for download via ‘Payhip’. Currently available are Three Highland Sketches and Five Romantic Sketches (piano); A Winter Tale (voice & piano); Sutton Park Suite (clarinet & piano); Imagination (flute & piano) and All Year Round (flute solo). www.davidbartonmusic.co.uk

Obituaries With regret, we report the deaths of: Irene M Spares of Worcester Colin M Thomson of Tynemouth Janet Pearse of Atherton Timothy Gilson of Tadley Frances Howell of Norbury Virginia Rushton of Bramhope Andrew J Rootham of Nottingham David Nevens of Cowbridge Christopher Regan of Tewkesbury

Virginia Rushton, 1944-2015 It is with deep sadness that we report that Virginia Rushton, a current member of the ISM’s Council, has died. Virginia had been a member since 1979 and was active at all levels of the ISM, in particular as the Warden of the Private Teachers Section (2001-2002), Executive Committee and the ISM Council. We have received a huge number of heartfelt emails from those who knew her and valued her contribution not just to the ISM but in the wider music community. ‘Throughout the forty or so years I knew her, Virginia was unfailingly loyal, devoted to her family, supportive to those who needed help, and always positive – a quality which lasted until the very end of her life, when she returned to Leeds, bought a period cottage and had it and its garden imaginatively renovated; characteristically, when in hospital and with full knowledge of the outcome, she said ‘It will be lovely for whoever lives there next’. Affirmative to the end, she will be much missed. I am thankful to have known her and been her friend.’ Marion Raper ‘In 2004, at an age when many might have been winding down to retirement, Virginia established the music charity Operahouse Music Projects. Its purpose was to write and perform new, original, stage work for voices and instruments, working with people from disadvantaged areas and backgrounds, including schoolchildren, young carers and older people living with dementia. She had the gift of releasing the creativity in others and consummate skill in recognising the potential in the most dynamic of situations for bringing the liberating benefits of music to people of all ages and all walks of life.’ David Figures ‘Virginia was passionate about all that she undertook. The hallmarks of her work were dignity, compassion and total commitment and these were the attributes which gave all that she did such integrity. As Founder and Artistic Director of Operahouse Music Projects, she touched many lives: an immensely appropriate legacy for someone who loved to share. And share she did – her music, her faith and her love of life.’ Sarah Rodgers ‘Virginia will be very fondly remembered by so many of us who started singing, or came back to it after a long absence, under her inspirational guidance. When she started the Second Chance Choir choir for people who ‘couldn’t sing’, it was a very novel idea. Moving very slowly from rounds of Frere Jacques, Virginia eventually instilled such confidence into her new singers that we were able to take to the Royal Albert Hall and sing The Messiah. She will be remembered as the woman who introduced us to the pleasure of singing and enhanced our lives. We are so pleased and grateful to have known her and been the fortunate beneficiaries of her skills and enthusiasm.’ Lesley Brook on behalf of Second Chance Choir

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Our new members

We offer a warm welcome to the following members who joined before 31 May Full members

Birmingham Sally Barras BMusCardiff Karen Collet GLCM LLCM LLCM Stella Disney GradDipMus LTCL PGCE Meg Doyle BAHonsLCM Marc Williams

Bournemouth

Myra E Dover LRAM Michael Whiteside BAHonSoton

Brighton Camilla Duthie BAHonsSussex Robbie Mitchell Marc Yarrow

Bristol

Siobhan Davies Philip Draisey BAHonsSoton Carolyn Farnell BAHonEAnglia Sophie Holden BMusHonsSheff Jane Lee BAHonsExeter Luke Pickett BMusWales PGCE QTS Kim Rance BEdPlymouth Claire Schollick BAHons PGCE

Cambridge Emma Mason BMusGoldsmiths PGCE

Cheltenham Sandra Dukes Helen Fink BAHonsSurrey Victoria Kane BAHonsHuddersfield Simon McCarthy BASalford Rosemary Meyrick Justine Tomlinson LRAM

Croydon Sam Kinrade MPerf

Mark Probert BMusHonsRCM MMusRCM PGDipRCM

Devon & Cornwall Charlotte Bowden LTCL Simon Dunbavand MMusSheffield

Eastbourne & Hastings Marcus Chapman BMusCCCU Ruth Elias BMusHonsSheff LRAM PGCE

Guildford Harriet Ellis LTCL Wendy Lowe BMusHonsWales

Kent Michelle Harris LRAM Neil McTaggart AGSM Neill Parrish MMusNSW BAHonsKingstonPoly PGCE Rea Qunta BAHonsSalford

Lancaster Keith Bentley GRSM LRAM ARCM ARMCM

Leicester Gillian Ramshaw DipRSAMD

Liverpool Stuart Brown AMusTCL GradDipMus PGCE Stuart O’Meara BAHons

London – North Kate Aldridge ARAM DipRAM LRAM Jatanil Banerjee MMusRCM Astrid Brook MMusBathSpa Gwendolen Burton MACantab PGDipLCM Anna Caban MMusCityUnivGSMD Adam Howcroft BMusHonsRCM Elif Karlidag MA John Landor

Alan McCulloch MMusLond Robert Mingay-Smith BMusTrinityLaban Ben Mullon BAHonsBrunel PGCE James Sherlock MPerf Emma Walsh BMusHonsGSMD

London – South East Stephen Barchan MMus Alex Carpenter BMusHonsKings David Connolly BAHons Yvonne Eccles BAHonsBristol Sigurd Feiring MEdOstlandetsMusikkonservatorium Karin M Greenhead GRSM ARCM DalcrozeLicentiateDip Elizabeth McNulty BMusHonsLond MMus Matthew Schellhorn James Turnbull

London – South West Ee Fong Chang-Lee LTCL Nina Clara Danon MMusGoldsmiths Yvonne McGuinnes Helen Neilson PGDipRCM Antonio Oyarzabal MPerf Nicola Tagoe MMus Philip Tebb BAHonsDurham Charlotte Ward-Caddle BAHonsYork

London – West Malcolm Baxter Sam Cave BAHonsSoton PGDipRCM Lorena Paz Nieto BMusHonsGSMD Tim Turner GTCLHons LTCL PGCE

Manchester Heather Barlow BMusHons Sarah Langdon BMusHonsBCU

Katherine Moore BMusHonsGradRNCM Helen Rogers BMus

Norfolk Geraldine Evans LLCM ALCM

North of England Elizabeth Curry BAHonsYork

North Wales Jennifer Coates BAHonsMusLeeds Nia Roberts

North Yorkshire Hannah Feehan BAHonsHuddersfield

Northern Ireland Paula Elder BMusHonsUlster Elizabeth Pringle MAMusOpen

Nottingham Katie Richards BMusHonsHuddersfield

Oxford Abigail Crossman ARCM DipRCM PerfDipRCM Catherine McKee BALeeds Samuel Mitchell BMusHonsManch David Rix

Portsmouth Thomas Belbin BMusHons

Reading Rachael Gillham Susan Holmes BMus MMusRSAMD Andrew Thompson PGDipTCL

Scotland – South East Frances Cooper LTCL

South Wales Huw Evans BMusHonsWales LTCL PGCE

Southampton Michael Mace DipRAM Rosie Woods BAHonSoton

St Albans Margareta Burrell Marinda De Klerk BMusPretoria BMusHonsPretoria DipMus MMus PGDipEd Wendy Topping

Suffolk

Janet Banks BAMusOxford Mary Anne Barclay MACityUniv Emma Bishton BAHonsDurham Dylan Christopher BAHonsColchester PGCE ATCL

Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Nicola Harvey LGSM Timothy Smith BAColchesterInstitute Karen Venables BMusHonsLond

West Yorkshire Peter Birkby

Wiltshire

Sarah Hooper BAHonsBristol CertTABRSM LRSM Mark Lodge BMusTVU Christine Moore GLCM LLCM LLCM PGCE Robert Priestley BMusHonsSurrey CertEd Bryony Swinger BMusCityUniv

Sheffield

Student members

Maxine Adams BMusHonsManch Robert Adams Andrew Lingard Alice Needham BMusHonsRNCM Rachel Shirley

Birmingham Ben Foulds Zoe Marklew Anna-Margarita Oprenova Rhiana Powell Maria-Smaranda Vizitiu Ting Ting Yao

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Our new members (continued) Brighton

Lancaster

Stuart Bayliss Camilla Morse-Glover Fumi Sakuma

Rudolf Solman

Lea Valley

London – North

Devon & Cornwall

Jake Perrett

Kent

Brendan Powney Joshua Smith

Matthew Hill Jessica Holmes Mirjam Mesak Raphaela Papadakis Jolanta Vaiciunaite Toby Young

London – South East Scott Bowley Elisabeth Desruisseaux Natasha Elliott Mireia Gonzalez Ricart Catriona Igoe

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London – West

Victoria Downey Vladislav Siksnian

Cambridge

Guildford

Aleksy Kornicz Sally Martin-Brown

Liverpool

Elinor Cooper Jonathon Ethridge MAOU

Sam Murray

London – South West

Chris Hatton Brooke Lawrence

Bristol

Luke Fitzgerald Nicola Radford Jay Richardson

Barnaby Medland Rebekah Smith Stephan Solomonidis

TRUMPETS! Bach700 (several) Excellent condition. All serviced. £100 each. 07974 412269.

Aleksandra Henszel Daniel Johnson Catriona McDermid Marianne Schofield

Manchester

South Wales

Corporate members

Rebecca Hurn Sebastian Walker

Music Education – University of Sussex Duncan Mackrill E: d.r.mackrill@sussex.ac.uk T: 01273 877614 W: www.sussex.ac.uk/ education National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain Roger Clarkson E: mail@nco.org.uk T: 01934 418855 W: www.nco.org.uk

West Yorkshire Nina Burdell

Wiltshire

Lucy Bosley DipLCM

Friends

Lea Valley Sandra Dixon

Elizabeth Ng Joe Watson

Northern Ireland Sophie O’Donnell

Oxford

Stefan Roberts

Sheffield

Tierney Kirby

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 1 August for the September/October issue.

SO45 5BE, Tel: 02380 ALL YOUR MUSIC 848146, email: dfturner@ PUBLISHING NEEDS CAN waitrose.com BE MET. Professional VARIOUS BRASS, typesetting by WOODWIND & STRINGED NEED AN ORCHESTRATOR experienced musician – instruments for sale NEED TO MAKE OR ARRANGER? digital realisations of your and/or rental. Tel: 07974 A RECORDING? Experienced orchestrator music, arrangements 412269. Chantry Sound offers and arranger available etc. – all to the highest comprehensive and for hire - competitive standards and at a very STUDENT CELLOS, mostly affordable recording rates. Please visit reasonable cost. Phone German, various sizes, services throughout www.anthonyesland. 01234 822703 or email from £120. Tel. 07974 Southern England and com or email info@ muserv@globalnet.co.uk 412269. Wales. 10% discount for anthonyesland.com for more information. CONCERT PIECES FOR BASSOONS several good ISM members. www. VIOLIN – Chaconne and student instruments from chantrysound.co.uk or YORKSHIRE DALES phone 01954 231117. Bulgarian Etude – by £600, 07974 412269. Wensleydale (centre of James Hewitt. View and MUSIC COPYING SERVICE. village) Self contained, SPINNETT WITTMAYER buy on www.tutti.co.uk. one bedroom apartment, Further details www. (German) 4 octaves, C-D, Quality printed music produced at reasonable sleeps 2/3. Full details: light walnut. BGC needs jameshewittmusic.co.uk prices. For further details Tel. 01696 63368 or tuning, hence £695 for contact David Turner, email: john_joanfoster@ PAESOLD 3/4 CONCERT a quick sale. Tel 07974 computer based music hotmail.com DOUBLE BASS. Model 590. 412269. copyist, at 23 Overbrook, £1,250 ono. 01747 828552. Hythe, Southampton

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.

QUALITY, ALL SILVER MURAMATSU FLUTE. Excellent condition. £1,500 or offers. 01619 736852. VIOLONCELLO BOW FOR SALE. Ebony and silver mounted, stamped ‘HILL’ (possibly by William Grieve Johnson), branded ‘30’ on the stick and stamped ‘H’ on the frog silver slide. £3,000. Telephone 01661 852665 or email barbaramcintosh@ btinternet.com BEAUTIFUL CELLO BY TONY PADDAY FOR SALE. Played professionally since commissioned in 1997. It has a full, warm and projecting tone

and is very responsive and open. Very finely crafted and in excellent condition. Please contact Una Birtchnell on 07966 080264 PERFORMANCE NERVES? Stage fright? Call Rosemary Wiseman Tel. 020 8958 8083 www. rosemarywiseman.com 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 07860 238733 moira_ hayward@yahoo.co.uk

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

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 1 August for September/October issue.

of the orchestra. This partnership offers LCM’s talented classical music students the unrivalled opportunity to work closely with ECO musicians In May, The Royal Central School of in performance and composition Speech and Drama was delighted to workshops. In 2014-2015, students host the World Premiere of new participated in side-by-side rehearsals Opera Lysistrata. and orchestral coaching with ECO. Lysistrata was commissioned by They enjoyed a series of eight master Central’s MA Music Theatre course classes given by ECO musicians, and written by Helen Watts and gained insight into the professional David Merriman, after Aristophanes. orchestral world and undertook Directed by Bill Bankes-Jones (Founder work experience placements in the and Artistic Director of Tête à Tête), orchestral administration office and with Musical Direction by Julian Kelly, the music library of ECO. In partnership Movement Direction by Yarit Dor and with Arts 4 Dementia, LCM and ECO Design by Colin Mayes, Lysistrata ran also piloted an innovative programme in the School’s Embassy Theatre from of workshops for musicians in the 12-14 May 2015. early stages of dementia, thus actively Lysistrata was performed by students contributing to research into the therapeutic potential of music in on Central’s MA Music Theatre course, this area. which is led by Professor Paul Barker. The MA Music Theatre is an intensive, LCM has recently installed RedNet practical course which integrates cutting-edge networked audio acting, dance and movement, technology across all its recording singing and spoken voice within a studios and performance spaces. framework of relevant theory and Working in real time thanks to LCM’s research, in order to train students high-speed ethernet connection, to a professional level of artistry and RedNet has already been used in technique. concert events (www.uwl.ac.uk/

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

London College of Music, University of West London LCM has been working with the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) to create an Ensemble-in-Residence made up from leading members

Guildhall School of Music & Drama Soprano Jennifer Witton and mezzosoprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons are joint winners of this year’s Gold Medal, the Guidhall School’s most prestigious prize for outstanding soloists, which this year celebrates its centenary. The prize is awarded to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. Jennifer Witton’s winning performance included Poulenc’s Fêtes Galantes with piano accompaniment from Ben-San Lau and Bellini’s La Sonnambula – Ah! non credea mirarti…Ah! non giunge uman pensiero with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra. Marta FontanalsSimmons’ winning performance included Britten’s A Charm from A Charm of Lullabies with piano accompaniment from Timothy End and Rossini’s La Cenerentola – Nacqui all’affanno…Non più mesta with the orchestra. The other Gold Medal finalists were Milan Siljanov and Thomas Atkins.

The final took place before a distinguished panel of judges academic-schools/music/lcm-news/ including Sally Matthews, soprano chopin-debussy-and-ravel-modernand Guildhall School alumna, Sara dress). Bringing together performance, Mohr-Pietsch, BBC Radio 3 Presenter, technology and contemporary Alan Opie OBE, baritone and Guildhall production, LCM staff and students are School alumnus, David Syrus, Head of exploring the potential of RedNet for Music, Royal Opera House, Jonathan creating ground-breaking ‘takes’ on Vaughan, Director of Music, Guildhall established classical music repertoire School, and Dominic Wheeler, Head of and traditional performance practice. Opera, Guildhall School. LCM’s Professor of Composition, Francis Pott, is currently writing a Royal College of Music work for four pianists which shortly The Royal College of Music has been will extend the process to include ranked first in the Guardian University new composition, while Professor Guide 2016 league table for Music. The David Osbon is planning further RCM is placed considerably higher than utilisation of the technology to involve any other conservatoire and awarded simultaneous input by performers on a top rating of 10/10 for the individual separate continents. investment in each student.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

opportunities for young musicians across Wales. The alliance partners are committed to engaging with stakeholders in government, education and the performing arts to help develop and realise these important ambitions.

Music Education Solutions

Above: The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is part of the alliance that seeks to extend and champion the benefits of music as a central part of education in Wales.

RCM musicians continue to achieve huge success around the world. Only recently, the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier awards saw the RCM enjoy a clean sweep of all prizes. Other recent successes included winning performances by RCM students and alumni at the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) Competition, where RCM musicians were awarded first prizes in the vocal and string sections of the competition, allowing them to compete for the Gold Medal and First Prize in the ROSL Competition grand final on 1 June 2015. The College’s top ranking in the Guardian University Guide 2016 league table follows our success in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), where the RCM was named as the London conservatoire with the highest percentage of world-leading research. The REF results and the Guardian University Guide 2016 league table consolidate the reputation of the RCM as a world-class centre for an inspiring and innovative music education.

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama A number of Wales’ leading orchestral and classical music organisations have joined together in a unique alliance that seeks to extend and champion the benefits of music as a central part of young people’s education across Wales. With arts and creativity set to be embedded as a central platform within a new educational curriculum in Wales, the eight organisations have joined together to set out their vision. The alliance includes the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Welsh National Opera, Sinfonia Cymru, Wales Millennium Centre, Philharmonia Orchestra, St David’s Hall and Cardiff Council. The vision – The Power of Music – seeks to cement Wales’ international reputation for musical excellence by providing access to high quality performance as well as developing important resources for teachers and

Music Education Solutions consultant Kirsty Devaney will lead Composing at KS2 and Composing at KS4 & 5 CPD courses throughout England this July. Kirsty is a Junior Fellow of Birmingham Conservatoire, and was recently commissioned by the ISM to provide a piece for In Harmony. These courses will draw on Kirsty’s experience both as a composer and as a composing in education researcher. They are suitable for class based and instrumental and vocal teachers, and are linked to current initiatives such as BBC Ten Pieces. Further information about these courses is available on the MES website www. musiceducationsolutions.co.uk.

Making Music Making Music, the UK’s number one organisation for amateur music, is challenging people across the UK to learn an instrument to Grade One standard by the end of 2015, as part of BBC Get Creative – a year-long celebration of British arts, culture and creativity. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/ getcreative for more details. The Grade One Challenge offers a supportive and fun opportunity for anyone to learn an instrument, whatever their previous experience. Making Music will assist participants in all aspects of taking part in the challenge, from choosing an instrument and finding a teacher to setting achievable goals along the way and covering the cost of the exam fee. Continued overleaf È

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

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

GOLD CORPORATE MEMBERS

ABRSM

NMC Recordings Park Lane Group

Avid

Bath and North East Somerset Music Hub Leeds College of Music

The Royal Central School Of Speech & Drama

Luton Music Service

The Royal Philharmonic Society

Make Music Swindon

Trinity College London

MSST – The Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme

Victoria College Exams

Musicguard

In return, participants are encouraged to support Making Music’s fundraising efforts by asking friends and family to sponsor them along the way. All participants will be invited to take part in a public performance at the end of 2015, to celebrate their achievements. Anyone who’d like to take up the challenge or to find out more should email info@makingmusic.org.uk.

British Voice Association The theme of the British Voice Association’s annual Study Day is Management of the Young Voice. Held in London on Sunday 5 July, it will look at physical development, problems encountered during adolescence, possible medical problems and advice on teaching singing to children. Looking ahead, there is a Rock and Pop training day

Rhinegold Publishing

Yamaha Music Europe

on 13 September and a further Accent Method (Breathing) course on 17 and 18 September: a challenging and diverse programme in tune with the BVA’s multi-disciplinary ethos. www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk

Birmingham Conservatoire Colchester Institute Dartington International Summer School Drums for Schools Forwoods J&A Beare London College of Music Music Mark National Preparatory School Orchestra Oxford University Press Paritor Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Wigmore Hall For further information about our different levels of corporate membership and a full list of over 160 corporate members, visit ism.org

international Dalcroze teacher from Australia, will be there alongside UK teachers Karin Greenhead, Bethan Habron-James, Monica Wilkinson, Andrew Davidson, Nicola Hadley and Cynthia Wilson.

Dalcroze Society

http://dalcroze.org.uk/event/ summer-school/

The Dalcoze UK International Summer School will be held at Coventry University on 2-8 August. Classes in rhythmic movement, aural training and improvisations will be supplemented by a focus on the teaching applications of Dalcroze. Workshops will include topics such as What makes a lesson a Dalcroze lesson? and Dalcroze applied to piano studio practice. Children’s classes will enable you to see Dalcroze in action. There will be creative movement classes, vocal workshops and much more. Dr Sandra Nash,

Students from the Dalcroze training centre in Scotland successfully passed their Foundation Award exams in rhythmics, aural training and improvisation. These took place at the annual Easter Course at the RNCM. They have all been training with Monica Wilkinson. Anyone wishing to study Dalcroze Eurhythmics in Scotland or to take part in a Taster Day workshop should contact Monica via the move2music website: www. move2music.co.uk

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Concerts from Scratch/ The Really Big Chorus Marianne Barton writes: Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man remains popular amongst singers and audience alike. Our performance (conductor Brian Kay) on 12 July at the Royal Albert Hall showcases over 2,000 singers from The Really Big Chorus; the supporting orchestral programme comprises Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and ‘Mars’ and ‘Jupiter’ from The Planets by Holst. Brian also leads our Choral Summer School (11–16 August, Warwick University), with detailed study of Brahms’s incomparable Ein deutsches Requiem concluding with a concert at Coventry Cathedral. There will be other music to enjoy during the week, plus Confessions of a Composer with John Rutter. ISM President Jeremy Jackman is one of the country’s top choral directors. Experience his inimitable style in Nuremberg for another of our popular Christmas Market trips (2–6

December) or book your Easter Escape with us on the River Douro (23–30 March 2016) – a relaxing singing cruise also led by Jeremy. More information about us at www.trbc.co.uk.

English Folk Dance and Song Society A free online resource to encourage more people to learn and teach folk related music, dance, drama and other arts has been launched by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). The charity has created its Resource Bank – which is freely available to anyone to browse at www.efdss.org/ resourcebank – to encourage more people to learn about traditional music, dance, drama, other arts and customs. It includes an extensive range of learning materials, audio and video (for streaming or download) to be used in a range of subjects at different levels for teachers and educators.

Its three main components are: Beginners’ Guides – introductions to folk music, dance, song, drama, costume, customs and collectors Resources and Teaching Tools – a variety of resource packs, many with audio and video resources, for use in educational, and other informal learning settings. Jargon Buster – an easy reference guide for folk related terms and phrases. The Resource Bank is the lasting legacy project of EFDSS’ celebrated project, The Full English, which saw the digitisation of thousands of English folk manuscripts to create the world’s largest free online searchable database from some of the country’s most important folk music collections.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

LOCAL EVENTS LISTINGS Full listings can be found on our website, ism.org

ISM Representatives We are currently looking for members to act as local group representatives for Guildford. The deadline for applications is 11 September 2015. For more information or an application form please call 020 7221 3499 or email bess.walker@ism.org. Sunday 5 July

Sunday 26 July

South West London Sunday Brunch

Brighton Open Garden Afternoon

11.30am, All Bar One, 37-39 Wimbledon Hill Road, London SW19 7NA Great menu including pancakes, eggs, pastries, and more substantial meals for lunch. Not peckish? Just come for a coffee and a chat. Contact: Sarah Clevely, music.theory@ hotmail.co.uk, 07771 905965

2.00pm–5.30pm, The garden, Brunswick House, 37 London Road, Horsham, RH12 1AN Members are invited to this event which has been arranged as part of the Horsham Music Circle’s annual programme. There will be tea and cakes available (donations very welcome) and there will be stalls for bric-abrac and plants. If any ISM members would like to bring music/CDs they want to pass on, these would be gratefully received. If you would like to come, please contact Jill by 18 July 2015. Contact: Jill Elsworthy, jelsworthy@ btinternet.com, 01403 252602

The Lea Valley local group held a pupils’ concert in April. The now Past President of the ISM, Professor Barry Ife CBE, attended the event and gave a speech about the ISM. The programme was varied, the sun shone, and a great afternoon was had by all! The Hereford & Worcester local group also held a pupils’ concert in May, in the Recital Room at the Elgar Birthplace Museum in Lower Broadheath. The repertoire ranged from Debussy, Handel and Field to Styne/Merrill, Marx/ Lopez and Bart. To see all of our event reports in full, please go to the Local Group section in the members’ area of the website at ism.org

ISM meeting room We have a fantastic meeting room available for hire at our new home at 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ. Members can hire the space at the special members’ rate of £100 for a half day or £190 for the full day. Included in your hire rate is free use of tea and coffee, internet facilities and flat screen TV. The room takes up to 16 people board room style, with 25 theatre style. For further details and bookings, please contact Rebecca Mair at roombooking@ism.org or 020 7313 9321.

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2015

Ask me a question

piano geek’ (I am the owner of a beautiful 1913 Bechstein grand). The performance on the Graf fortepiano is fascinating as this is perhaps the closest we can get to a ‘true Schubert piano sound’. And contrary to what people may think, the bass on this piano is incredibly rich and mellow.

Frances Wilson Pianist, piano teacher, blogger, music reviewer and concert promoter

What are your plans for the future?

music teacher at secondary school and my then piano teacher Mrs Murdoch. Since I Tell us a little about yourself. started blogging and concert reviewing, I’m a pianist and piano teacher based in encounters with other pianists and SW London. I’ve been teaching for 8 years. musicians all feed into my musical life Prior to having my son (in 1998) I worked for and inform my teaching and performing. 10 years in art and academic publishing and My study with Penelope Roskell (since bookselling. I started my blog The CrossNovember 2008), and other master Eyed Pianist in 2010, initially as a way of teachers and concert pianists, including keeping a note of the music I was working Murray McLachlan, Norma Fisher, James on and listening to. Over the past five years, Lisney and Graham Fitch, has had a huge it has grown into a very well-respected impact on my confidence and skill as a classical music blog, in part through my pianist, and knowledge as a teacher. popular weekly interview series ‘Meet the I also continually learn from my students. Artist’, in which musicians, composers and What would you say is your greatest conductors discuss various aspects of achievement to date? their creative and professional lives. I am also a passionate advocate of amateur pianism and co-host the London Piano Meetup Group which organises performance platforms and other events for pianists and piano fans in and around London. Alongside this, I am Artistic Director of the South London Concert Series, a unique concert concept which offers talented amateur pianists the chance to take to the stage alongside young and emerging professional and semiprofessional artists. Who (or what) has most influenced you and your career? My parents nurtured and encouraged a love of classical music. From a very early age I was taken to concerts and the opera. Seeing Simon Rattle conduct the CBSO in Birmingham in the 1970s was unforgettable and an experience that has stayed with me; also seeing some of the ‘greats’ of a now senior generation of pianists – Vladimir Ashkenazy, Radu Lupu, John Lill, Murray Perahia, Daniel Barenboim – and other fine musicians such as cellists Jacqueline du Pre and Paul Tortelier. This fantastic musical grounding was enhanced by my

Two things immediately come to mind: My blog, which has put me in touch with a fantastic range of musical people, from internationally-renowned professional artists to keen amateur musicians, and allows me to enjoy an amazingly full and busy musical life outside of my teaching and performing. Setting up my own private piano teaching studio and convincing people that piano teaching is not ‘doing my hobby’ but a professional job which I take very seriously. Who is your all-time favourite artist and why? Glenn Gould – an eccentric genius, whose playing of Bach in particular, continues to offer insight and excitement and a sense of wonder every time I hear it. What was the last CD/music download that you purchased? Paul Badura-Skoda playing Schubert’s final Sonata (D960) on three different pianos – a Graf fortepiano of 1826, a modern Steinway, and a 1923 Bösendorfer. I love this Sonata and I admit to being something of an ‘old

Hard to say….I’m not terribly keen on doing too much forward-planning as I like to remain receptive to and interested in whatever life may throw up. However, much as I enjoy teaching and sharing my passion for the piano with young people, I don’t envisage doing it into my later years (I certainly don’t see myself as the next ‘Dame Fanny’!). In the immediate future, I am concerned with promoting private piano teaching as a respected and recognised profession, and improving the image of the independent piano teacher (we need to get away from the ‘old lady with cardigans and cats’ stereotype). I am also keen to spend more time at the piano, giving concerts and studying towards a final performance diploma (not to enhance my teaching profile but simply to extend and test my pianistic abilities). I function much better if I have a focus. In the longer term, I am interested in concert promotion and supporting young and emerging artists and artist management and promotion is an area that interests me. Finally, what is your ISM membership to you? For me it feels like my ‘union’: an organisation which offers support, practical advice, and opportunities for continuing professional development. More importantly allows me to connect with other musicians. When one works alone, as I often do, it is incredibly important to have a network like this. www.crosseyedpianist.com www.franceswilson.co.uk www.slconcerts.co.uk www.meetup.com/LondonPMG/

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