THE MAKING MUSIC MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE | SUMMER ISSUE 2016
Jazz it up NYJO Chair Nigel Tully on why Bach would have been a jazzer • PAGE 12
HIDDEN MUSICIANS Ruth Finnegan discusses her influential amateur music study • PAGE 10
MONEY TALK
How much should you be paying musicians? • PAGE 8
Music Courses for Adults at Uppingham Summer School
Uppingham Orchestra Course
English Choral Music
An opportunity for experienced adult musicians to play in a full symphony orchestra and receive specialist sectional tuition.
A course exploring some of the best English choral music from the romantic era – previous singing experience is not necessary.
13-20 August
14-18 August
For further information and to book:www.uppinghamsummerschool.co.uk summerschool@uppingham.co.uk 01572 820800 Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
GLOUCESTER 2016 23–30 JULY 3choirs.org @3choirs 3ChoirsFestival
The British Association of Barbershop Singers
42ND ANNUAL CONVENTION
UNMISSABLE BARBERSHOP
Up to 60 hours of Singing, Contests, Entertainment & Fun! HARROGATE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE - 27th TO 30th MAY 2016
www.sing2016.com
CONTENTS & EDITORIAL
It’s all systems go this year to develop more resources on our new website.
CONTENTS NEWS
5 In brief 6 Around the UK FEATURES
8 Money talk 10 Hidden musicians 12 Jazz it up
Remember all members of your group can register to access online services and receive iNotes.
FROM OUR TEAM
14 Membership and services 16 Projects 18 Volunteers
Meanwhile, Sharon Moloney in England, Abby Charles in Wales and new manager Alison Reeves in Scotland have been hosting Information and Advice events, to extremely good feedback. Find one near you by going online to makingmusic.org.uk/events.
MEMBERS
19 Corporate members 20 Blow your trumpet 22 Readers’ page
Meeting members at events is one way to consult you, another is via the Making Music Council (makingmusic. org.uk/council). We are also grateful for your time spent responding to surveys, specific ones (such as the one open now for promoter members!) and wide-ranging ones like the Treasurers’ Survey, out this month, which is invaluable for our advocacy work (2013 report: makingmusic.org.uk/ resource/treasurers-survey-2013).
If you have suggestions or would like to contribute to Highnotes, please contact the Commissioning Editor, George Acock, on 020 7939 6041 or editor@makingmusic.org.uk The copy deadline for Highnotes Autumn 2016 (published 1 September) is 1 July Any views or opinions expressed by external contributors may not necessarily represent those of Making Music Highnotes is the official journal of Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL 020 7939 6030 info@makingmusic.org.uk www.makingmusic.org.uk
Recently, we have been lobbying again on music libraries, helping groups in Norfolk achieve a temporary stay of execution and getting involved once more with the future of the Yorkshire Music Library. Together we really can make a difference, so do get in touch if you encounter local issues.
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 308632 Registered charity in England and Wales no. 249219 and in Scotland no. SC038849 If you need us to make any of this information more accessible, please get in touch £6 where sold, annual subscription £15 (3 issues) Designed by Cog Design Printed by Gemini Press Advertising by Space Marketing: 01892 677740
Barbara Eifler Email: barbara@makingmusic.org.uk Twitter: @BarbaraEifler
Cover image: Carl Hyde
Photo: Damien McFadden
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MAKING MUSIC
Monday 21 November 2016 at 7.30 pm
YAP Artists 2016 Wigmore Hall Showcases Part of the Monday Platform series
Hannah Morgan Oboe
Pelléas Ensemble Flute, Viola & Harp
Monday 13 February 2017 at 7.30 pm
www.thetilletttrust.org.uk The Young Artists Platform scheme offers concert promoters sponsorship towards the fees of participating artists. Complimentary tickets for the Wigmore concert for promoters and further details of the artists available from
info@thetilletttrust.org.uk
Investing in choral futures Conducting | Singing | Musicianship | Repertoire
BOOKINGS NOW OPEN
SfP Summer School – 13-21 August 2016
Keele University, Staffordshire Choral enthusiasts: • Full-week courses in conductor training at all come and join us for levels, from absolute beginners upwards a truly unforgettable • Part-week singers’ courses, focusing on musicianship skills and choral training for all abilities summer experience! • Concert rehearsals and performances throughout the week
Visit singforpleasure.org.uk/events for more information and to book your place
Weekends for Conductors, Vocal Leaders and Singers: BOOK INGS NOW OPEN DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES
Walsall (4-5 June 2016) Bolton (5-6 November 2016) London (4-5 February 2017)
Sign up to our e-newsletter via our website for updates on these and other training events.
Tel: 0800 0184 164 or visit singforpleasure.org.uk Registered Charity No. 270384. Freephone supplied by Verizon
Emily Sun Violin
Vickers Bovey Guitar Duo
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies Tributes pour in for the longest serving President of Making Music Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, worldrenowned composer, conductor and Making Music President for 27 years, passed away on 14 March 2016. Whatever reputation he may have had as an enfant terrible – cheerfully watching Prommers storm out of his performances in the 1960s – Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, known by everyone affectionately as ‘Max’, always cared deeply about connecting with audiences and performers. This is obvious in the wide range of his compositions, which include adult and children’s operas, symphonies, piano, chamber and vocal music, comic, tragic and political (he was passionate about environmental issues) works. Nor was it a one-sided relationship: many of his pieces have been championed by amateur groups, not least The Kestrel Road, for SATB chorus and piano, cocommissioned and performed by 49 National Federation of Music Societies (now Making Music) member groups in honour of his 70th birthday in 2004. Former NFMS General Secretary
Russell Jones writes: “Max became President in 1989 succeeding Sir David Willcocks. He was only the second composer to hold the post, the other being Vaughan Williams. “He was an ideal fit for an amateur music organisation. His pioneering work with children, his sense of community, the works he wrote for choirs and the life he made in the Orkneys. It is important to realise that the Federation was not in a great state when he was asked to be President and yet he didn’t hesitate to take it on and it gave us a boost that such a major figure and the UK’s leading composer should give us a vote of confidence and underline the importance of amateur music when the word ‘amateur’ still had very negative connotations.” Current Chairman of Making Music, Peter Lawson, also paid tribute: “Peter Maxwell Davies was a towering presence in British musical life. Through his generous patronage of Making Music over many years he shared with us his vision and dedication. Along with all musicians, we shall miss him.”
“Of all the giants of UK classical music, none was a more committed supporter of amateur and community music making than Max.” Former Making Music Chief Executive Robin Osterley Above left: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies Photo: University of Salford Press Office
CHORAL FUNDRAISING British vocal ensemble Apollo5 is offering subsidised concerts to choral organisations wishing to put on fundraising events in 2016/17. The celebrated a capella group, known for its diverse repertoire of retro jazz, pop and classical arrangements, was included in last year’s roster of Selected Artists. This year the group is offering its services for 30 fundraising events around the country at a reduced rate of £600, as part of the VCM Choral Music Foundation’s outreach programme. For bookings and enquiries please contact the manager of Apollo5, Robin Tyson, on robin.tyson@editionpeters.com or 020 7553 4032. CHOIR GAMES The world’s amateur choirs will head to Sochi, Russia in July for the World Choir Games. The registration deadline has passed but don’t worry — the European Choir Games are just around the corner! Held in Riga in July 2017 this enormous event will see thousands of singers from all over the continent performing traditional and symphonic choral pieces in the beautiful Latvian capital. Earlybird registration deadline is October 17. Apply at interkultur.com
Amazing Day member discount John Brunning is well known for presenting Classic FM’s popular Drivetime programme, but he’s also a skilled musician and composer. His latest composition Amazing Day is an oratorio in seven parts for choir and orchestra and is available to Making Music members with an exclusive 15% discount. “It has always been my intention for the work to be as accessible as possible” says John, “and I look forward to some inspiring performances”. Listen to the work in full on John’s website (johnbrunning.com). To claim the discount go to musicshopeurope.com and enter MAKINGMUSIC15 at the checkout.
Summer 2016
HIGHNOTES
5
NEWS
AROUND THE UK WEST SUSSEX
SOMERSET
Para-gondola singers From Bath to Venice — 2016 is shaping up to be a big year for the Paragon Singers In 1976 eight people met in a flat opposite the Paragon in Bath with one aim – to sing chamber music as a group of friends. Flash forward 40 years and the Paragon Singers now boasts over 25 voices and is getting ready to perform in the gilded splendour of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The Making Music member will celebrate four decades of choral singing in 2016 with a series of events that honour its past while also looking to the future. The group has trawled the archives to find contact details for as many past members as possible for its birthday concert on 25 June. The event will see members past and present gather at St Swithins church in Bath to perform favourites from the group’s repertoire in aid of Musicians without Borders, which promotes music as a bridge builder in war6
HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
torn areas of the world. Before this, however, the Paragon Singers will be performing a little further from home – Venice, to be precise. In May the group joins forces with the Thomasselle Vokalensemble from Berlin for a concert at St Mark’s (pictured), where the choirs will perform examples of Venetian sacred music by Croce, Monteverdi and Gabrieli. Finally, the year comes to an end with a performance of Bach’s magnificent B minor Mass at Wiltshire Music Centre in December, under the direction of Keith Bennett. Keith is stepping down after thirty years of programming, choral training and conducting with the group but he’ll certainly be able to look back at 2016 feeling confident the Paragon Singers are in excellent shape. paragonsingers.co.uk
Above: St Mark’s Basilica in Venice; photo: Glen Scarborough
Change is afoot for the Weald Choir of Crawley and Concordia Singers this year, as the two Making Music members prepare to merge into one supergroup. The West Sussexbased choirs will be joining together to perfom Haydn’s Mass in the Time of War and Karl Jenkins The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace in the Hawth Theatre, Crawley on 18 June. After this, both choirs will close down until the start of September when a new choir will be born — the Phoenix Choir of Crawley. The decision to join forces came as both choirs needed a new Music Director, says Weald Choir’s Christine Ollis, so the idea of a new ‘big’ choir seemed the most sensible solution. “This has all been agreed democratically” she says, “the choir members are very keen to get the new choir off the ground”. EDINBURGH
As festival-mania hits the Scottish capital again this August, those seeking refuge from the crowds on the Royal Mile should look no further than the Rehearsal Orchestra’s annual music course. This marks the 60th year of the Making Music member’s residential course, which runs from 6 to 13 August. The eight day event offers a chance to learn a wide range of challenging symphonic repertoire, from Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine to Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, under conductors Levon Parikian and Robert Chasey, with support from professional string section principals. The course is open to music students and amateurs of all ages, with a bursary available to recent college-leavers, and rehearsals take place during the day – leaving your evenings free to enjoy the festival atmosphere! To book your place visit rehearsal-orchestra.org
NEWS
BELFAST
It’s not even a year old yet but New Belfast Voices is already making itself known in fashionable circles. The intercultural choir, which formed last summer, made its Ulster Museum debut in March as part of the Trash Fashion catwalk show. The choir meets every week at the Sunflower pub and encourages anyone to join, whatever their musical experience. “If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing”, is the choir’s motto. We couldn’t agree more. facebook.com/newbelfastvoices CARDIFF
Overtures come in all shapes and sizes. They set the scene for what is about to unfold, and more often than not are bursting with great tunes.That’s why Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra decided to offer audiences the chance to hear their favourite overtures in one concert for the first time at St David’s Hall this spring. With votes cast ahead of the date, audiences had to wait til showtime to discover which had made the top ten. cardiffphilharmonic.com BEDFORDSHIRE
From inauspicious beginnings in 1867 (when a local paper dismissed the proposal of a music society because “musical people were a quarrelsome lot and could not hold together for any length of time”!), Bedford Choral Society has developed into a thriving music group with over 130 full time members. This new biography, written by long-standing member Michael Benson, celebrates the society’s facinating history and the people who helped shape it over a century and a half. Bedford’s Musical Society, £25 from Boydell and Brewer. boydellandbrewer.com
Did you know? A new study has found that singing in a choir can boost the immune protein levels in people affected by cancer
NORWICH
Symphony of a thousand Vast Mahler concert marks Norwich Philharmonic Society’s 175th anniversary Making Music member the Norwich Philharmonic Society celebrates a remarkable landmark this year with its 175th anniversary. To mark the occasion the group is staging a spectacular performance of Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 8 at the Norfolk Showground Arena – transformed for the occasion into an enormous concert hall for an audience of over 2,200. Mahler’s gigantic 8th Symphony, the ‘Symphony of a Thousand’, is so-called because it is scored for a vast orchestra, multiple choirs, organ, off-stage band and eight solo singers. In fact it is conceived on such a large scale that the Norfolk Showground Arena is the only venue in Norfolk capable of staging it – the first time an event of this kind has been held there. With over 500 performers on stage, combining an orchestra of around 150 (including organ, harmonium, piano, celeste and
mandolins), off-stage band, double choirs and children’s choir of 350 singers and eight soloists, it will almost certainly be the largest scale classical music concert ever staged in Norfolk. As well as musicians and singers of the Norwich Philharmonic orchestra and chorus, and conductor Matthew Andrews, the concert will also involve singers from other local orchestras including fellow Making Music member Sheringham and Cromer Choral Society, plus Kings Lynn Festival Chorus, and the choristers of Norwich Cathedral Choir. Alongside the main event will be orchestral and choral workshops, plus a one day workshop for the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra, which aims to create a legacy for the project by sharing the experience with the local younger music community. The concert is on 21 May as part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival. Tickets cost £12-28, available from nnfestival.org.uk
Lancashire East Lancashire Concert Band is revisiting history this summer, with a series of concerts to remember the Accrington Pals. One of the best remembered battalions raised in response to Kitchener’s call for a volunteer army, the Accrington Pals suffered devastating losses on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. East Lancashire Concert Band, which led the parade of the newly formed Accrington Pals Battalion in 1914, will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme with several concerts this June, followed by a performance at Accrington Town Hall on 1 July, to be broadcast by BBC Radio Lancashire. Find out more at eastlancsconcertband.org
HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
7
FEATURE
Money talk We asked members how often they use professional musicians, and how much they pay. Barbara Eifler takes a look at the results Members often ask us: how much should we pay our conductor or accompanist? What is the going rate for players? What do other groups pay? We ran a survey in January to find out the answer, and over 400 of you responded. Another prompt for this survey was a meeting we had with the Musicians Union (MU). Until we withdrew from it last year, Making Music was included in the MU’s agreement with the Association of British Orchestras (ABO). In 2015, when the MU sought a significant uplift in payments from ABO members, it became clear that even the category 3 rates applicable to Making Music members would be mostly out of the reach of amateur music groups. We also suspected that the agreement – with only three simple rates for Principal, Sub-Principal and Tutti for a concert day with rehearsal – wasn’t differentiated enough to help members decide what they should pay musicians in the huge variety of situations and roles they were seeking to engage them in. The survey now confirms that our instinct on this was correct: one size does not fit all.
Key findings • • •
• •
8
90% engaged professional musicians. 8% engaged only a conductor and/or accompanist. 87% of all groups engaged professional musicians as soloists to sing or play with their group for concerts. 76% engaged a conductor. The number of musicians engaged by groups ranges from 1 to 250.
HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
Most Making Music members are working to tight and limited budgets, with income generated by membership subscriptions, and a modest amount of box office from events (which generally only just break even). Many survey respondents therefore negotiate fees based on what they can afford. If they cannot source the musicians they need within their budget, they change their programme or reduce the number of musicians. The amount of money is determined, and higher rates mean fewer musicians, as was already clear from our 2013 Treasurers’ Survey. Compared to 2010, the survey found that groups spent the same amount of money on professionals – but it bought fewer of them. We know members appreciate the training, commitment, skill and experience of professional musicians, and want to ensure they are fairly rewarded. The wide range of amateur groups and the huge variety of work they offer professional musicians means we are looking for a new way forward with the MU and are meeting with them again shortly to discuss the survey findings. •
•
Orchestral musicians are paid more than choristers, and harpists and percussionists are paid more than other orchestral musicians. Choirs hire orchestras between 2 and 6 times a year, with an average number of 1230 musicians in each ensemble, and mostly at a cost of between £1,000 and £4,000.
Go to makingmusic.org.uk/artistfees to read the full report.
Photo: Igor Zubkis
“Most Making Music members are working to tight and limited budgets… higher rates mean fewer musicians”
FEATURE
Hidden musicians We chat to Ruth Finnegan about her landmark study of amateur musicians, and how much has changed since it was published In the early 1980s Ruth Finnegan embarked on a very specific task – to study the amateur music scene in Milton Keynes, where she lived, and note its impact on the community. The result, The Hidden Musicians: MusicMaking in an English Town, had a profound effect on the study of music that echoed far beyond the borders of Milton Keynes. Almost three decades after her book was first published, Ruth talks to Highnotes about its influence and how she sees amateur music today. You published your study in 1989, how have things changed since then? They have and they haven’t! Obviously there are new groups (Milton Keynes has nearly doubled in size — new schools, new churches, new inhabitants) and there are many more immigrants, with their own musical traditions and activities. The professional scene is stronger too, for example the new Milton Keynes Theatre attracts visitors from all over to concerts with its nationally famous professional orchestra. But some of the same groups remain, particularly larger ones like brass bands and Gilbert and Sullivan societies, and individual musicians too — music is something for life. Do you think your book opened up a conversation about amateur music? Are these musicians still as ‘hidden’ as they were in 1984? There were of course some studies about amateur arts and about ‘popular music’, but generally all this was thought very marginal to ‘proper’ academic study. It does seem to have opened up a new approach, much more than I realised. I was flabbergasted by the recent Hidden Musicians Revisited international conference, which had sixty or so serious scholars — both established and young —
10 HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
influenced by my book’s approach. From the many books, articles and dissertations that there now seem to be on these lines I would say that such musicians and their activities are certainly now more visible in the scholarly world than before. What are the benefits of the music networks created by amateur musicians? They help create sociability, both urban and rural, and in widening circles — not just the musicians proper. Individuals can develop their birthright to partake in one of the greatest human — and divine — gifts in the universe (yes I mean that!). How do you think the digital world has affected the way amateur musicians communicate with audiences? My impression is that, just as ebooks have, contrary to predictions, encouraged rather than replaced the sale of print books, so there is now more music around, and more widely distributed too than before. Also digital radio like Classic FM has led to a much wider appreciation among the population of many forms of music. What are the key challenges facing amateur musicians today? I would say much as in the 1980s, practical ones: finding an affordable place to rehearse (music does cost), drumming up an audience, learning, practising, transport, struggling for the recognition of a new or hitherto unpopular genre. For choirs — getting enough tenors! Ruth Finnegan OBE is Emeritus Professor at The Open University. Hidden Musicians is available to buy online, published by Wesleyan University Press.
Above: Ruth Finnegan Top: An Arts and Heritage Open Day concert in Milton Keynes, Photo: Milton Keynes Council
“Amateur practitioners are just as worth investigation as professional performers... their cultural practices are as real and as interesting” Preface to The Hidden Musicians, 2007 edition
FEATURE
Jazz it up Jazz lover Nigel Tully explains why improv is a vital skill for musicians and why Bach would have been a jazzer Listening to live music involving improvisation is what gets me away from my hi-fi and out of the house – it’s a real thrill! I believe that improvisation is one of the most important techniques available to the creative musician, and that hearing good improvised music is one of the most rewarding experiences for the discerning listener. Improvised music is a unique art-form, the only one created and communicated faster than the conscious brain can control it, and this results in music which is qualitatively different from that which is pre-composed – not always better, but it can be! Improvising in public is one of the bravest challenges that an artist can take on, but it is so fulfilling when it’s successful that jazz musicians constantly practice to improve their technique and their real-time communication with their co-band members. I am often surprised by the number of well-educated music fans who don’t realise that improvisation was a normal part of the musician’s armoury until well into the 19th century. Bach, Mozart and Beethoven were all known as improvisers early in their careers, and the story of Bach’s The Musical Offering, stimulated by the challenge by Frederick the Great to improvise there and then on a theme which he supplied, demonstrates how normal improvisation used to be for a serious musician. The cadenza used to be the moment in the concert
12 HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
when the virtuoso demonstrated that he or she could improvise and was not restricted to “playing the dots”. Yet somehow this skill disappeared from conservatoire curricula, partly because of the availability of industrial printing technology which allowed all the details to be included on the score rather than improvised, and once it had disappeared it became self-perpetuating. The tide turned in this country in the 1960s, when Leeds College of Music started the first jazz degree course at a UK conservatoire. Today, all our conservatoires except the Royal College of Music and the Royal Northern have degree courses in jazz, and several have post-graduate courses too. (Full disclosure: the RCM does have a part-time Jazz Professor, Mark Armstrong, but without a jazz faculty or staff. Much of the rest of his time is taken up as Artistic Director of NYJO, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, of which I am Executive Chair.) I contend that many of the UK’s most interesting young musicians have graduated from these courses – people like Gwilym Simcock, Laura Jurd or Phil Meadows. They all play at virtuoso level, compose important original work, and lead fascinating bands which any music fan would be delighted to hear. Gwilym of course leads the trio which accompanies
Members of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra perform at Ronnie Scott’s Photo: Carl Hyde
FEATURE
“Improv was a normal part of the expert musician’s armoury until well into the 19th century”
all the finalists in the BBC’s Young Jazz Musician of the Year programme, thankfully repeated this year after its successful introduction in 2014 – another sign that the importance of the jazz art form and the talent of its young practitioners is becoming recognised. Of course jazz is not only about improvisation, important though that is. Jazz feel, or ‘swing’, is just as important, and a vital part of the training of any young professional musician except those who will perform only in traditional classical contexts for the rest of their lives. NYJO frequently has members who join because they are on classical courses which don’t teach them how to swing or groove — crucial skills for the professional musician this century. I hope that I’ve succeeded in encouraging anyone who finds jazz off-putting or intimidating to open their ears to it, either by booking young jazz musicians or going along to hear them if they appear at your local music society. The best will not only be wonderful musicians, they will also be able to explain what they are playing and its structure, so that this strange improvisation thing loses its mystery and becomes as familiar as sonata form. Most improvised jazz has a formal structure and important helpful conventions; as with any serious art-form, it rewards the listener who invests time and effort in understanding what’s really going on. I suggest starting with the twelve bar blues; it really is a universal language. Happy jazz listening!
WHAT NEXT? Booking a jazz musician for your group will introduce your members to some of the most creative young musicians playing in the UK and could encourage all sorts of interesting cross pollination between your musical styles. Making Music’s Selected Artists programme, sent to all groups with this issue of Highnotes, features a jazz musician who can be booked at a specially negotiated rate by Making Music members. For more information about working with jazz musicians you could also contact: •
The National Youth Jazz Orchestra, which has been the starting point for the cream of British jazz for over 50 years. nyjo.org.uk
•
The Musicians Company - one of the oldest music organisations in the world, it nurtures and promotes musical talent through outreach and live music events. wcom.org.uk
Nigel is Executive Chair of NYJO, Vice-Chairman of the Jazz Committee of The Worshipful Company of Musicians, and bandleader of The Dark Blues.
Summer 2016
HIGHNOTES 13
FROM OUR TEAM
MEMBERSHIP AND SERVICES Helping you get the most from your membership
Feng Yu
Left: Registering with the Charity Commission just got a whole lot easier with the launch of our new service
Charity registration
You may be operating as a charity without realising! Fear not — our new service gets rid of the paperwork Does you group have a charitable constitution that establishes you as a charitable organisation? If you do, and your income is over £5000 a year, you have to register with the Charity Commission. That might sound like a lot of work, but don’t worry — we have plenty of guidance to help you through the process, and to make things even easier we have just launched a brand new charity registration service, designed to minimise the admin so you can get on with making music. This new service means we take care of the application for you. It is only available for groups using our Model Constitution
and costs just £75. All you need to do is complete some simple questions about your group and we will compile and submit the application for you. To find out more about charity status and our registration service give one of the membership team a call, or go online to makingmusic.org.uk/charity Register today - save £15! To celebrate the launch of our charity registration scheme, we are offering a £15 discount to the first 10 groups to sign up. Join online or give us a call on 0207 939 6030.
New web resources (Jan-Apr) • •
Discount: Up to 88% off sheet music hire by Paul Patterson Publication: Browse the Kirby Collection of sheet music sets
• • • •
Guidance: Ways to practise Guidance: Tips for learning scales Guidance: How to choose a teacher Guidance: What to expect from the Grade 1 exam More at makingmusic.org.uk/resources
CONTACTS Ben Saffell, Membership and Services Manager: ben@makingmusic.org.uk Laura Shipsey, Membership and Office Coordinator: laura@makingmusic.org.uk
14 HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
Did you know? Of the 160,000 registered charities in England, nearly 90% have an income below £500,000 per year
INFORMATION AND ADVICE
There are lots of opportunities to brush up your knowledge on a range of subjects this summer. Information and Advice events take place around the UK and are free to Making Music members and the general public. For more information and to book go to makingmusicuk.eventbrite.co.uk •
Good practice for promoting groups Sat 7 May, Welwyn
•
Recruiting and retaining members Sat 14 May, Exeter
•
Tips for improving your income Sat 14 May, Aberdeen
•
Getting to grips with PR Sun 22 May, Edgbaston
•
Managing events Thu 26 May, London
•
Removing barriers to audience attendance / Improving your income Sat 4 June, Isle of Wight
•
Introduction to the new music library service Sun 3 July, Nottingham
•
Good practice for choirs Sat 9 July, Lancaster
•
Good practice for Treasurers Sun 10 July, York
•
Removing barriers to audience attendance Sat 16 July, Norwich
Is there a subject you need guidance on? Let us know and we will see if we can arrange a suitable Information and Advice event. Contact info@makingmusic.org.uk
FROM OUR TEAM
MEMBER NEWS With the issue of Europe high on the agenda this summer, we’re very interested to hear that Invicta Jazz is busy forging links with a music group in France. The Kent-based orchestra is in talks to form an exchange programme with the Liberty band, a jazz group from Arras in northern France, with the aim of staging home and away tours in 2017. A great way to share skills and reduce the cost of international touring. invictajazz.com Bournville Young Singers turns 30 this year. To celebrate, the choir’s members — who range in age from five to 18 — will take part in an exchange programme with the Frankfurt Cathedral Choir in May, where they will get the chance to sing in the stunning cathedral and practice their German by staying with their choir hosts in Frankfurt. Not only does the visit celebrate BYS’s 30th birthday, it also marks 50 years of cultural exchanges between Birmingham and Frankfurt. byoungsingers.org Congratulations to North West Harps on being crowned runnerup at this year’s Epic Awards. The group was recognised for well and truly embracing the internet age with its Newvember Challenge — a month long initiative that encouraged harpists to learn a new piece of music through short online tutorial videos. Committee member Mary Dunsford says the group’s success was “a wonderful accolade that makes us want to go out and do more and more!”. harpsnorthwest.org.uk Send your news to editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Get in touch: We are working with the BBC to shine a light on amateur orchestras this summer. Got an inspirational story to share? Let us know!
Making Music staff Barbara Eifler Executive Director Workineh Asres Head of Finance Ben Saffell Membership and Services Manager Sally Palmer Projects and Membership Coordinator Laura Shipsey Membership and Office Coordinator Alexandra Scott AYCA Administrator Ollie Mustill Marketing and Communications Manager
George Acock Publications and PR Manager Rey Trombetta Communications and Events Coordinator Sharon Moloney Member Engagement Manager Abby Charles Manager – Wales Alison Reeves Manager – Scotland Xenia Davis Youth Engagement Manager Call 020 7939 6030 Email info@makingmusic.org.uk We are here Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm
Making Music AGM
A chance to catch up with other Making Music members and enjoy a live concert from this year’s AYCA winners Our summer event takes place in London on 18 June and we’d love to welcome as many Making Music members as possible. If you’ve never been to one of these events, here’s what to expect: • We start with our AGM at 11am. This is a chance to hear about what we’ve been up to, and our plans for the year ahead. • This will be followed by a session with the Charity Commission. • After a buffet lunch we will enjoy the Philip and Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists (AYCA)
presentation concert. This is a great opportunity to see some of our best young musical talent — all of whom will be available to book at subsidised prices by members. Every group will have received a copy of the Selected Artists guide with this mailing of Highnotes, so turn to the AYCA pages to learn about this year’s winners. Attendance to the whole day, including a sandwich lunch, is free, but please book your place. For more information please see makingmusic.org.uk/agm
Lady Hilary Groves Prize This prestigious award, a certificate signed by Making Music’s patron, the Duchess of Kent, is presented annually to an individual of a Making Music member group who has made a significant positive impact on the musical life of their group, or has made an outstanding contribution to music in the
wider community. Applications open on Monday 4 July 2016 and Making Music members can submit nominations using the form on our website, where you’ll also find a list of previous winners. Go to makingmusic. org.uk/about-us/awards/hilary-groves
Summer 2016
HIGHNOTES 15
FROM OUR TEAM
PROJECTS Keeping you up to date with our national projects and programmes Left: A Sing for Water event at the Scoop. Credit: Water Aid
Raising funds for Water Aid Our Sing for Water pop up project, in partnership with Totally Thames and Water Aid, aims to encourage music making in 15–35 year olds Sing for Water London is an annual event that raises money for Water Aid, helping to provide access to clean water in some of the world’s poorest communities. It takes place as part of the Thames Festival at the Scoop in September, and involves over 500 people coming together to sing to help combat poverty. We are recruiting a team of 30 young people to form a pop up choir, learn seven songs and perform them as part of Sing For Water London on Sunday 11 September. It’s free for young people to take part in the project, although everyone is asked to raise a minimum of £50 for Water Aid. Xenia Davis, Youth Engagement Manager, says: “We believe that the short term nature of this project will appeal to young people with busy lifestyles who feel unable to commit to being
part of a regular choir or music group. In reaching out to young people who are engaged in international development but who might not have previously thought of joining a choir, we will be engaging with a new audience of potential singers. We hope this will act as a trigger, with participants discovering the joy singing with other people can bring to their lives, and once the project is complete, that some of the singers will wish to go on to become members of other choirs.” For more information contact xenia@makingmusic.org.uk
Arion and the Dolphin The premiere of Jonathan Dove’s new work took place in March, with more performances from Making Music members scheduled for June and July. For a list of dates see makingmusic.org.uk/arion
CONTACTS: Sally Palmer, Projects and Membership Coordinator: sally@makingmusic.org.uk Xenia Davis, Youth Engagement Manager: xenia@makingmusic.org.uk
16 HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
MUSIC DAY UK How better to celebrate the longest day of the year than with a worldwide celebration of music? Music Day takes place on 21 June, which falls on a Tuesday this year, and Making Music is making plans to host events in England, Scotland and Wales. We will publish details of our events online very soon and encourage all members to get involved, either by dropping in to our events or by staging their own. International Music Day has been happening worldwide since 1982, but the UK only got involved in 2013 so it relies on musiclovers like yourselves to make it a success! musicday.org.uk ADOPT A COMPOSER
In 2014-15 Water Aid reached over 2 million people with safe water and 3.1 million people with sanitation Water Aid annual report 2014-15
Premieres for our 2015–16 project are now taking place and we’d love to see as many members as possible at the concerts! Dates for your diary are: • Chris Hutchings with Jan Modelski Community Orchestra: 9 July, 7.30pm at Caldy Valley Centre, Chester. • Ed Scolding with La Nova Singers: 16 July, 7.30pm at Christchurch Priory, Quay Road, Christchurch, Dorset. • Neil Tòmas Smith with Thame Chamber Choir & TCC2: 15 October, 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church, Thame. Applications for 2016–17 are now open. For an application form and to read blogs from our current groups and composers, go to: makingmusic.org.uk/resource/ adopt-composer-scheme
advert:Layout 1 04/04/2016 22:12 Page 1
Follow Champs Hill Records
This year Champs Hill Records celebrates its 100th release
Taster Days: London - March and September Easter Course: Manchester - April Summer School: Coventry - August Workshops and Teacher Training Courses
PURCELL : BRITTEN The complete Britten realisations of songs by Purcell featuring a fine cast of young singers with Joseph Middleton. CHRCD106
“the impressive Mr. Middleton” The New York Times
For further information: www.dalcroze.org.uk or contact admin.dalcroze@gmail.com
STUNDEN, TAGE, EWIGKEITEN Benjamin Appl James Bailieu CHRCD112
BBC New Generation Artist baritone Benjamin Appl makes his Champs Hill Records debut with a disc of lieder with James Baillieu at the piano.
“in a class of his own” The Daily Telegraph
NOCTURNAL VARIATIONS
Ruby Hughes Joseph Middleton
CHRCD098
Ruby Hughes and Joseph Middleton explore the contrasting moods of night – from foreboding thoughts to the tranquillity of darkness – in songs by Schubert, Mahler, Berg and Britten.
The Sixteen Choral Workshop Series Come and explore the contrasting soundworlds of William Byrd and Arvo Pärt in our 2016 choral workshop series. Dates and locations 14 May - Truro 22 May - London 18 June - Edinburgh 10 September - Tewkesbury
17 September - London 8 October - Blackburn 5 November - Belfast
Visit www.thesixteen.com for more details and to book tickets.
“Ruby Hughes is a delight” BBC Music Magazine
“Champs Hill is, simply, an inspiration for artists.” Dame Felicity Lott
Champs Hill Records available on CD or for download from all good record shops & online, or direct from:
www.champshillrecords.co.uk
FROM OUR TEAM
VOLUNTEERS Interested in volunteering for Making Music? Visit www.makingmusic.org.uk/volunteers OBITUARY
ANDREW POTTER
BOARD SPOTLIGHT
ANDREW PALMER Trustee
We were very sad to learn of the death of Andrew Potter, Vice President and former Chairman of Making Music, at his home in Sussex on 18 February 2016. Andrew spent his professional life in music and publishing and was a lifelong singer and advocate for the joys of music, including in his role as the Musical Director of the Sussex Gruffs Male Voice Choir. He was an active and enthusiastic Trustee of Making Music from 2005 until his retirement as Chairman in September 2011. He saw the organisation develop strong alliances with like-minded charities including the Association of British Choral Directors (which he was instrumental in creating, John Rutter describing it as ‘Andrew’s brainchild’), and the British Association of Barbershop Singers. From 2011 he was a Vice President of the organisation while also chairing the New Music Group. Andrew brought to Making Music a great depth of experience. For many years he was the Publishing Director of the Oxford University Press and in that position, he chaired the Music Publishers’ Association from 1999 to 2004 and subsequently was a Non-Executive Director for the Copyright Licensing Agency from 2007 to 2014. Over the same period, he lectured in Music Management at Buckinghamshire New University. Andrew’s enthusiasm for driving participation in music found voice in his chairmanships of Creative Futures and of the London Arts in Health Forum. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Jan, to his family and to those close to him in so many spheres of musical activity. He will be sadly missed at Making Music.
When did you join Making Music? June 2015 Why Making Music? I am enthusiastic about education and youth and I want to ensure that I can help young people achieve their goals and aspirations. If we can inspire and mentor young people then Making Music will have a relevance as they join various music groups, and hopefully we can encourage students to find out more about Making Music. I would like to see Making Music take a collaborative approach to work with other organisations. I think we need a campaign to promote music and the arts both in education and throughout society. What do you do when you’re not doing Making Music Board-related activities? I am Chief Executive of North of England Excellence; a pan-northern membership body that provides business solutions for companies — so that’s the day job. I play badminton for Ripon Nomads and I enjoy road cycling through North Yorkshire on the weekends. Besides Making Music I am also a Trustee of the Pilling Trust. Do you play an instrument or sing? I am an occasional church organist now due to time pressures, and also play the clarinet. What Making Music member group are you part of? Ripon-based St Cecilia Orchestra which mixes the amateur, professional and educational side of things. We put on four major concerts a year. Who is your favourite musician or composer (past or present) and why? I am a great fan of Richard Strauss especially both Horn Concertos and the Four Last Songs.
Orchestral repertoire courses for advanced players London weekends spring & autumn LOOKING GOOD, SOUNDING GREAT. l SUPPLIERS OF QUALITY CLOTHING TO CHOIRS AND BANDS. l EXCELLENT SELECTION OF COLOURS AND CLOTHS FOR JACKETS AND
TROUSERS.
l EXTENSIVE RANGE OF ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE. l FULL EMBROIDERY SERVICE. l FULL OR PART SUPPLY.
WE VISIT AND MEASURE AT YOUR CONVIENIENCE. PLEASE CONTACT US TO DISCUSS YOUR NEEDS.
Tel: 01299 827360 | Web: www.lynoakes.co.uk | Email: sales@lynoakes.co.uk
18 HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
Edinburgh Festival summer week Follow us on Facebook Twitter @RehOrch
www.rehearsal-orchestra.org The Rehearsal Orchestra does invaluable work on the quiet and with the minimum of fuss. Sir Simon Rattle
CORPORATE MEMBERS
Platinum members
Specialists in creating tailor– made concert tours throughout the UK, Europe and further afield for all types of youth ensemble! Your repertoire, venues and excursions will be selected to meet both the performance and leisure objectives of your group. rayburntours.com/concert
Gold members Opera Anywhere are touring throughout the UK in 2016-18 and are looking to collaborate with Making Music members, including choirs and orchestras. For information about us and how we work with Making Music members contact Mike Woodward on 01865 735910 / mike@OperaAnywhere.com or visit operaanywhere.com
Celebrating 60 years at the beautiful Dartington Hall, Dartington International Summer School offers courses and concerts for musicians and music-lovers of all ages and abilities. Workshops for amateurs, teachers and group leaders in playing, singing, composition and conducting delivered by industry professionals. dartington.org/summer-school OneStage is a team of musicians and travel experts providing tailormade tours for all types of choir and instrumental ensemble, and one of the few tour operators dedicated solely to concert tours. With a great reputation, their focus is squarely on the music. 0121 2402972, 020 8568 5486, tourenquiries@onestage.co.uk.
Silver and Bronze members
Fantastic musical instrument cover for amateur musicians
020 7939 6030
www.makingmusic.org.uk/instrumentplus
It was so simple and straightforward to set up, and good value. I just had to choose my level of cover and that was it. Jane, County Durham
*includes ÂŁ15 Making Music membership fee A5 leaflet.indd 1
12/1/2015 11:26:52 AM
MM quarterpage ad 2016.pdf
1
24/11/2015
17:24
A Music Summer School providing Excellence in Tuition Lifelong Musical Education Musical Collaboration Registered Charity Number: 1122957
admin@m4p.org.uk | www.m4p.org.uk
Sherborne
Summer School of Music 31 July - 14 August 2016
Summer School of Music C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
th
Four Choirs
Cappella Chamber Choir, Lighter Side Choir Choral Masterpieces Choir, Voices in Harmony
th
6 to 13 August 2016
Mixed Chamber Music Piano and Vocal Masterclasses
at Giggleswick School Settle North 2016 Yorkshire BD24 0DE
Piano Course, Piano Accompaniment Course Masterclass for Singers 1 and 2
Jazz Four Conducting Courses
George Hurst Conducting Course Wind Conducting Course, Practical Conducting Choral Conducting
More than 20 Courses to choose from Classical to Folk to Jazz to Electronic First rate tutors -Idyllic surroundings For more details call 0800 023 5631 or email info@m4p.org.uk or see www.m4p.org.uk
Composition Wind Ensemble Two Orchestras
Chamber and Symphony Orchestras
Sherborne Summer
School of Music
email summermusicschool@btinternet.com tel +44 (0)1342 893963
www.sherbornemusicsummerschool.co.uk
AMATIS PIANO TRIO Mengjie Han piano Lea Hausmann violin
“All the world’s a stage…” So what are you waiting for?
Samuel Shepherd cello Winners of the 2015 Parkhouse Award, the Amatis Piano Trio will perform works by
Schubert & Shostakovich Supported by
Tailor-made Concert Tours include:
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
• A C C O M M O D AT I O N
E XC U R S I O N S
01332 527 761
16-001_making_music_Q.indd 1
• PUBLICITY •
rayburntours.com
13/04/2016 14:49:17
The Gordon Foundation The Tertis Foundation Registered charity 1014284
WIGMORE HALL Director John Gilhooly 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
Tuesday 27 September 2016 7.30pm
MEMBERS
BLOW YOUR TRUMPET Code of conductor Launched last year, the Ripieno Choir’s Apprentice Conductor scheme gives real world conducting experience to young musicians, says Helen Keating
Imagine being 16 years old and conducting a choir of experienced singers in front of a full house. Last November, that daunting prospect faced Tasmin Sarkany, winner of the 2015 place in the Ripieno Choir’s Apprentice Conductor programme, as she prepared for her first public outing at the choir’s regular concert venue, All Saints in Esher. The new Apprentice Conductor position is offered to talented sixth form music students who are looking towards
a career in music, and includes one-toone coaching from the choir’s conductor, David Hansell, and the opportunity to rehearse the choir in a short work and then perform it. Tasmin won the position against other high calibre candidates, following a challenging interview testing musical skills as well as skills in leading, coaching and interacting with people much older than herself. She joined the choir as a singer for a term before taking up the baton, and has since conducted two performances of Monteverdi’s Christe Adoramus, one of which was for Hampton Court’s Sing500 festival, and prepared the choir in two pieces for their recital of English Cathedral music on 19 March. “In my youth, I had the opportunity of conducting tuition”, said David, “and it was an enormously formative
experience for me. I was keen to offer that opportunity to others, and delighted that Ripieno agreed to the scheme.” Choir members were won over by the idea of supporting education in the local community and engaging with young musicians, and have been pleased with the outcome. “It’s been a real pleasure to see Tasmin growing in technique and confidence over the period”, said choir chairman Cameron Marshall, “so we are keen to see this continue”. As for Tasmin herself: “I have immensely enjoyed being the choir’s Apprentice Conductor. I have learnt many valuable skills from this experience which I can take away with me and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys music making.” ripienochoir.org.uk
Music in the Minster project manager Louise Taylor tells us how the group created an opera for Sunderland Music in the Minster creates opportunities for people in Sunderland to experience opera as participants, performers and audience members. In 2014 we commissioned award-winning writer David Almond and composer Marcos Fernandez to create an opera for the City of Sunderland, with football at the heart of the story. Accompanied by a community engagement programme, our aim was to increase public involvement in and awareness of opera and the profile of our organisation. 220 participants took part in opera, drama, singing, song-writing and digital story-making activities, culminating in MIRACLE! An Opera of Two Halves, performed by 36 local singers aged 12 to 70, attended by 625 audience members. 21 HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
We approached fundraising by identifying the component parts of the project — commissioning, community engagement and production — and staggering our fundraising milestones over an 18 month period. This enabled us to tailor applications according to funders’ priorities and utilise investment at each stage to lever funds for the next. Our community engagement programme was delivered in partnership with local organisations including The Cultural Spring, the Foundation of Light, Sunderland City Council Library Services, community venues and schools. This significantly increased our ability to reach new audiences and utilise complementary skills, experience and resources that increased our capacity.
Mark Savage
An opera of two halves
With 72% of participants and 37% of audience members experiencing opera for the first time, sell-out performances and our first national review in Opera Magazine, the outcomes of An Opera for Sunderland have exceeded expectations. We’re currently embarking on a three to five year artistic and business plan and we’re looking forward to developing a regular programme of exciting operatic opportunities for local communities. Our top tips for anyone embarking on similar projects: be ambitious; share your vision with funders and key stakeholders; seek out complimentary partnerships; and budget for professional PR support to spread your message as widely as possible. musicintheminster.org.uk
MEMBERS
READERS’ PAGE This is your page and we’d love to hear from you: editor@makingmusic.org.uk. Could you be an occasional or even our resident cartoonist? Would your group like to feature in a 60 second interview or send in an anonymous column?
DaleDiva
when we compete we have professionals evaluating how we are doing - that’s important for me as it confirms I am doing things right.
60ond
sec iew
rv inte This women’s choir has been winning awards across the globe. The group’s founder Aly Law tells us more
Describe DaleDiva in three words. Fun, supportive and hardworking. Why was the group formed? I set the chorus up in 2007 because my family and I had re-located to Derbyshire and felt very lonely. My experience in barbershop singing told me this was the best way to find new friends as well as to achieve my dream of directing my own chorus. I now have 50 friends and my daughter has 50 honorary aunties who have watched her grow since the age of two. You recently won silver at the Harmony Classic World Championships in Las
Vegas, do you enjoy the competition process? It is wonderful to say that we have competed on the MGM stage in Las Vegas — there are now lots of chorus mums and grandmas who have become cool to their children and grandchildren! In a way the creative and vocal improvement processes were more enjoyable than the Vegas performance itself, because standing on that MGM stage was signifying the end of this particular chorus journey. DaleDiva have always enjoyed the competition process because it means that we are always striving to be better and that
REBRANDING CLASSICAL I’ve been playing in classical concerts for almost 40 years. My wife recently alerted me to a new trend in music circles for abandoning traditional genre classifications, including the term ‘classical’, in case audiences find it off-putting. This is ridiculous. ‘Classical’ refers to a specific, complex, style of music which can be traced back to the 11th century. It is clearly distinguished from genres such as folk, or jazz, or
Why make music? Because it means that whatever kind of a day you have had, it can all be left at the rehearsal door and you can just lose yourself for two hours of singing with your friends. It has also been a great confidence booster for some. I have had the honour of watching so many members being empowered. What would be your desert island disc? At the moment, although corny, it would be DaleDiva’s version of The Parting Glass. It was the last song we performed in Vegas and it gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. The sentiment and emotion for me depicts the chorus beautifully. If not that then anything by Depeche Mode — there’s contrast for you! dalediva.com
pop. I fear it is part of a wider trend in society for dumbing down anything and everything that might not seem instantly accessible. If we lump all genres together then how is one to seek out the works one loves? Will future audiences have to endure pic-n-mix concerts of Prokofiev’s 4th Symphony followed by a trio of acapella Madonna songs? I do hope not. Anon Got something to say? Let us know: editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Clare in the Community WWW.HARRYVENNING.CO.UK
22 HIGHNOTES Summer 2016
Credit: Harry Venning / The Guardian
BY HARRY VENNING
Music School
at The Leys
A stunning music venue in the heart of Cambridge Music School at The Leys was opened in 2005 by Julian Lloyd Webber. The Recital Hall and other rehearsal spaces are available to hire during non-term times and on occasional weekends/evenings during term time. External groups can hire the Recital Hall for events such as recitals, rehearsals, concerts or music examinations. Music School at The Leys is situated at the heart of The Leys’ 50-acre city campus, within one of England’s premier independent schools.
Please contact Claire Payne, Director of Events for more information and to check our current availability for hire T | 01223 508660 E | cdp@theleys.net W |www.theleys.net/625/venue-hire/music-school
For all your
music education & performance equipment
FREEPHONE 0800 072 7799
www.blackcatmusic.co.uk
FREEPHONE
0800 072 7799 to join the education discount programme and save money on your purchases!
Music Stands, Lights & Accessories Music Folders Music Chairs & Accessories Instrument & Sheet Music Storage Conductor’s Equipment Staging & Risers Theatre Products Acoustic Products
Win a ÂŁ10,000 Home Practice Instrument Take part in our Digital vs Pipe Organ online aural test to win the Envoy 35-F
www.viscountorgans.net/organ-challenge
Easy access to a practice instrument is probably the single most effective means to improve your playing. New Viscount Cadet instruments, with 2 manuals and a 30 note pedal board, start from just ÂŁ5250 - including VAT and a 7 year parts warranty. Why not treat yourself? Practice in the warmth and comfort of your own home whenever YOU want to. Practice for short but frequent periods helps considerably secure the notes, stop changes and page turns. Visit our showroom in Bicester
See and play the new range in Bicester or at regional dealers Irvine ...................... Soundtec Organs Edinburgh .............. Key Player Morecambe ........... Promenade Music Porthmadog ........... Pianos Cymru Leigh ...................... A Bogdan Organs
Swansea ................ Music Station Norwich ................. Cookes Pianos Bandon .................. Jeffers Music Exeter .................... Music Unlimited Ballymena .............. Nicholl Brothers Henderson Music ... Londonderry
Tel: 01869 247 333 www.viscountorgans.net