THE MAKING MUSIC MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE | SPRING ISSUE 2020
Breaking down barriers MUSICIANS IN EXILE The Glasgow project helping refugees to make music • PAGE 11
JOIN THE CLUB Attract more young people to your classical concert • PAGES 8 &9
THE OHMI TRUST The UK-based charity making music more accessible for people with physical disabilities • PAGE 19
Tips to get men singing
e m e r a r h u S o hy ! t i w p u o gr
Subsidies for promoters
Your news
EVENTS 2020 Choir Competitions and Festivals
01 04 04 04 05 07 08 09 10 10 10 11 11 11
REGISTRATION DATES Early Bird Regular
2ND SING’N’PRAY KOBE January 16 - 20, 2020 | Kobe, Japan
2019 JUN
2019 SEP
VOX LUCENSIS - CONCORSO CORALE INTERNAZIONALE April 4 – 8, 2020 | Lucca, Italy
2019 SEP
2019 NOV
24 9
VOICES & WINE ALBA April 15 - 19, 2020 | Alba, Italy (Piedmont)
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11
2019 NOV
18
15 INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION & FESTIVAL BAD ISCHL April 29 - May 3, 2020 | Bad Ischl, Austria
2019 SEP
2019 DEC
2 HELSINGBORGS KÖRFESTIVAL May 27 - 31, 2020 | Helsingborg, Sweden
2019 NOV
2020 JAN
11TH WORLD CHOIR GAMES July 5 - 15, 2020 | Flanders, Belgium
2019 SEP
2019 DEC
INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION KYIV August 27 - 31, 2020 | Kyiv, Ukraine
2020 FEB
2020 APR
10 ISOLA DEL SOLE September 26 - 30, 2020 | Grado, Italy
2020 MAR
2020 MAY
SING’N’JOY BOHOL October 7 - 11, 2020 | Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines
2020 MAR
2020 MAY
INTERNATIONALES CHORFEST MAGDEBURG October 7 - 11, 2020 | Magdeburg, Germany
2020 MAR
2020 MAY
9 CANTA AL MAR – FESTIVAL CORAL INTERNACIONAL October 22 - 26, 2020 | Calella/Barcelona, Spain
2020 MAR
2020 MAY
TH
ND
TH
TH
30 4
16 3 2 2 2
16
DEUTSCHE CHORMEISTERSCHAFT 2020 November 6 – 8, 2020 | Koblenz, Germany 32ND INTERNATIONAL FRANZ SCHUBERT CHOIR COMPETITION November 11 - 15, 2020 | Vienna, Austria
TEL AVIV, Israel | March 12 - 15, 2020 VERONA, Italy | March 26 - 29, 2020 FLORENCE, Italy | May 21 - 24, 2020 TIRANA, Albania | June 10 - 14, 2020 LISBON, Portugal | September 11 - 14, 2020 PRAGUE, Czech Republic | November 5 - 8, 2020
13 2
20 18 18 18 18
2020 MAY
25
2020 MAR
30
2020 JUN
8
2020 JUN
VOICES & WINE MÁLAGA November 18 - 22, 2020 | Málaga, Spain (Andalusia)
ON STAGE Festivals
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22
REGISTRATION DATES
21, 2019 4, 2019 JAN 13, 2020 JAN 20, 2020 APR 20, 2020 JUN 15, 2020 OCT
NOV
Sing Along Concerts
05
SING ALONG CONCERT “ON TOUR” MILAN May 14 - 18, 2020 | Milan, Italy
interkultur.com Choirs: © Nolte Photography, Landscape: © Fotolia
CONTENTS & EDITORIAL
SUPPORTING AND CHAMPIONING LEISURE ISURE--TIME MUSIC
CONTENTS NEWS
5 The bigger picture 6 Around the UK FEATURES
8 13 19 20
Join the club Man up your group The OHMI Trust The role of the chair
FROM OUR TEAM
14 Membership and services 17 Projects 26 Making Music people MEMBERS
11 21 23 24 25
Blow your trumpet Exploring music Drop the mic Corporate members Readers’ page
If you have suggestions or would like to contribute to Highnotes, please contact the Commissioning Editor, Natalie Joanes, on 020 7939 6041 or editor@makingmusic.org.uk The copy deadline for Highnotes Summer 2020 (published 1 May) is 21 February Any views or opinions expressed by external contributors may not necessarily represent those of Making Music
Welcome Uncertainty may have given way to certainty by the time you read this, and there will/will not be a Brexit imminent (delete as appropriate to the week in which you read this). While I can’t gaze into the political future, I can promise that Making Music will continue to be by your side in 2020, helping you manage your music group, celebrating your achievements (see Make Music Day, p.17), and making your voice heard on topics including the PRS classical tariff consultation (p.5). 2019 saw our Orchestra Tax Relief service help members claim back over £75,000. We also launched the user-friendly Making Music Platform that gives you a three-in-one online tool to administer your activities, a members’ only area and a public website, all at an affordable price. We are delighted to be able to offer another resource to make your life easier and let you focus on making, presenting and enjoying music with other people. We’ll continue, with our dedicated and knowledgeable team, now with a manager in Northern Ireland as well as Wales and Scotland, to find ways of supporting and promoting you, and wish you all much fun and happiness with music in 2020.
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 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: Contact Sharon Maslen at Space Marketing: 01892 677742 sharonm@spacemarketing.co.uk
SUPPORTING AND CHAMPIONING LEISURE ISURE--TIME MUSIC
Barbara Eifler CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MAKING MUSIC Email: barbara@makingmusic.org.uk Twitter: @BarbaraEifler
Cover photo: Performer from Musicians in Exile, a project run by member group the Glasgow Barons Photo: Brian Hartley
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BRANDED PAGES
SEATING PLANS
CUSTOM TICKETS
REPORTS & ANALYTICS
SECURE PLATFORM
WAITING LISTS
Where will your ensemble be next summer? Get away from it all…perform…have fun
Freephone: 0800 496 4996 www.club-europe.co.uk/music-tours | travel@club-europe.co.uk
NEWS
THE BIGGER PICTURE @makingmusicuk
YOUNG AND OLD
Engaging with the next generation of singers, musicians and promoters is important to Making Music members, passionate as they are about the joys and benefits of leisure-time music in the community, and encouraging young people to continue with music after they leave school and home. Partnering with music education hubs (England) and music services (Wales and Scotland) is something many groups are interested in. At the 2019 conference held by Music Mark (membership body for hubs/ services), Xenia Davis, Making Music Youth Engagement Manager, hosted a panel including Making Music members Djanogly Community Orchestra, Music in the Round, Classical Sheffield and Bradfield Festival of Music, showcasing successful partnerships. It is hoped these will have inspired the audience of music educators to contact their local music groups. View case studies of some of these intiatives at makingmusic.org.uk/ resource/music-education-hubs
PRS consultation The live classical tariff
The Performing Rights Society (PRS) collects royalties for live performances of music in copyright. There are currently two rates, for popular (LP) and classical (LC) music. This separation was reluctantly accepted in 2003 by a classical music industry financially unable to further contest PRS’ proposals in the Copyright Tribunal. At the time, LP was set at 3% and LC was at 4.8%. Even then, this must have seemed nonsensical, with popular music flourishing and classical music struggling for audiences. Since 2003, classical music does not appear to have gained in popularity, and continues to survive, rather than thrive. Yet PRS has now put forward proposals which seek to increase the live classical tariff by 50% over 3 years - or more, in fact, as they seek to widen the income base for the fee calculation.
The same rate is proposed for large commercially run organisations as for unfunded amateur groups and small charity promoters (e.g. Making Music members) who rarely break even on concerts which are essentially subsidised by their members. Furthermore, the nature of music and Making Music members have changed since 2003. Genres are increasingly hard to define, and almost all groups perform a mixed repertoire regularly or occasionally. Two different tariffs create bewilderment and add complexity. The consultation on PRS’ proposals, to which many Making Music members have responded, has just closed after being extended twice. Making Music made a submission on behalf of members and is also part of the collective voice of the sector in dialogue with PRS. Register for updates: makingmusic.org.uk/signup
TALKING MUSIC EDUCATION
Did you know? Taking up a hobby such as joining a music group makes adults three times more likely to recover from depression Based on research by Fancourt, Opher & de Oliveria (2019)
Music education doesn’t stop at 18, and those of us in leisure-time groups are likely to be continuously adding to our knowledge and proficiency as we play, sing or present music. Hosting a half day on adult music learning, with input from Making Music members Cobweb Orchestra and Hertfordshire Chorus among others, created a lot of positive energy around wanting to remove barriers for adults to engage in music. The report on the day is now available and will be followed up by a focus group with key figures from the industry to produce recommendations, which Making Music will then work on disseminating and implementing. Find the report at: makingmusic.org. uk/adultlearning Spring 2020 HIGHNOTES
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NEWS
AROUND THE UK If you have any news you would like to share, email editor@makingmusic.org.uk STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
BRIGHTON & NEWCASTLE
Life after adopting a composer A thriving musical legacy In 2018, the Fretful Federation Mandolin Orchestra’s (FFMO) collaboration with composer Esmeralda Conde Ruiz resulted in The other ocean, seven short movements to accompany pieces of local film footage from Screen Archive South East. The footage celebrates early 20th century life in Brighton and includes scenes of children sledging down snowy slopes and holidaymakers playing beach games. Since its premiere performance, the orchestra has found ways to keep the piece alive by putting on several performances in and around Brighton. One of the intentions behind The other ocean is to stimulate memory and allow the audience to relate to it in a personal way. Esmeralda wrote the piece and chose the films after asking the orchestra about their own memories. ‘The film evokes a lot of reaction with the audience 6
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and it’s wonderful to hear them laugh or express amazement or to know they feel moved by the way it ends beautifully with humming. It connects us in a new and different way with the audience,’ says Lindsay Stoner, musical director of the FFMO. Meanwhile, Newcastle-based group The Singers worked with composer Edmund Hunt, the result of which is the piece Vita Hominum. Also closely linked to location, Edmund’s piece uses medieval Latin texts by local figure the Venerable Bede, which evoke the sea. ‘It feels like something in which many people have a stake. It is not solely ‘my’ piece anymore,’ Edmund says. Since its premiere, The Singers have performed Vita Hominum no less than four more times, including at Coventry Cathedral. Read the project blogs: makingmusic.org.uk/news
Above: The Fretful Federation Mandolin Orchestra performs The other ocean
As part of the International Pipe and Tabor Festival organised by member group the Taborers Society in September, a consort of tabor pipes played at Shakespeare’s burial place in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. This was possibly the first time a consort like this has been heard in England since Tudor times. Five hundred years ago tabor pipes were commonly heard at court, but during the next couple of centuries were replaced by recorder consorts and string ensembles. The consort performed two pieces of music published by Michael Praetorius – La Volta and La Bourree. As a result of the performance, a collection of music for tabor pipe consort is now being compiled and will be available through the Taborers Society. pipeandtabor.org DORSET
“Music has given me lifelong friends from all walks of life. It is a tremendous leveller and brings a massive amount of enjoyment..” Member quote from Making Music Together exhibition
The Solo Trust in Dorset has commissioned two pieces by the composer Peter Hope. Along the Shore is an 18-min choral work for solo soprano, choir and orchestra, and the other is a slightly shorter work, Tall Trees, for a similar ensemble plus children’s choir for particular verses. The text is based on the cycle of life as seen in Thomas Hardy’s home woodland. Both works are free for any leisuretime choir to perform, and are available to listen to on Youtube. For more info and to request free parts contact peter@ peterhopemusic.com and Anthony Gannon at antganon@ gmail.com
NEWS
Member announcements New appointments, anniversaries, awards and projects In early November, Harlow Chorus chose to programme a new and unusual piece, Mass of The Martyrs by Edward-Rhys Harry, which has a dramatic and operatic storyline acted by four soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) between the standard movements of a mass service. The piece compares the spiritual repression of a bygone age with events of today, set to the words of Antoine Leiris’ press statement that addresses the perpetrators of the Bataclan terrorist attack in which he lost his wife. The choir chose the
piece because they felt that the themes of tolerance and cross-culture misunderstandings sends a strong message in these politically unsettled times. harlowchorus.org.uk
Scottish cities and aims to create the finest possible standard of orchestral fiddle playing with strong traditional roots. The opening concert of the US tour is in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on 31 March 2020. sfo.org.uk/the-sfo
The Scottish Fiddle Orchestra will celebrate its 40th anniversary as ‘tradition bearers’ for Scottish music by touring the US and Canada in 2020. The Orchestra was formed in 1980, its origins in fiddlers’ rallies which are held throughout the country. The group provides a series of concerts in the main
60-second interview Yvonne Underhill, committee member, introduces the Whatlington Singers
In November, the Leicester Philharmonic Choir was joined by the Sinfonia Viva Chamber Orchestra, soloists from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and local Leicestershire Imam, Idris Alli, on stage at De Montfort Hall. Their highly successful, ‘A Quest for
Peace’ concert included Karl Jenkin’s Armed Man, and members of the public who had been taking part in a ‘come and sing’ course with the choir were also invited to join on stage for the grand finale. thephil.org.uk
Wales and Northern Ireland We’re delighted to welcome two new members of staff who will be supporting and championing our member groups. John Rostron is our new Manager in Wales (see interview on p.27), and Stephen McNally is our new Manager in Northern Ireland.
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ond sec rview e t in
When was the group formed? About two years ago. We are a new venture, a democratic group where every member’s voice is heard in terms of running the choir and choice of repertoire. We work very hard but have enormous fun doing so and a high level of commitment, which reflects the importance of the choir to its members. What sort of repertoire do you sing? A wide variety of music ranging from classical to contemporary. Where do you perform? We rehearse in our local church and have conducted several performances there attended by many locals, which has extended the use of the church and has brought it into the community. We are, however, rapidly outgrowing this space as our reputation and following grows, so we will be branching out into different venues in the future. The group is relatively new but you’ve already had a high profile performance locally. Tell us about it? The Battle Festival is held in the town of Battle in East Sussex in October. It has been running for a few years now and comprises many events encompassing art, music, literature, history and community events. We became involved when the chairman of the festival, David Furness, attended our very first public performance. He was so impressed with us that he invited us to sing at the festival. We are also hoping to make a recording of the choir, especially
of the song Sovereign Light Café by Tim Rice Oxley, a member of the band Keane. Tim’s father just happens to be one of our tenor singers and after a chance conversation with him at rehearsal one night, he asked his other son Tom to arrange the piece for our choir. The song is set in Battle and the surrounding areas and has a particular resonance. What else does the choir focus on? We are always trying to improve our technique. Our musical director, Liz Bryson, and accompanist, Alison Boyd, have brought us to new musical heights by teaching us how to sing and listen to each other, rather than just note bashing. What are you most looking forward to in the near future? We are looking forward to expanding the choir and always continuing to improve our technique with the help of Liz and Louise Winter, our President. whatlingtonsingers.com Spring 2020 HIGHNOTES
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FEATURE
Join the club
Adam Szabo, Director of Manchester Collective, shares key principles that have helped attract younger audiences to their classical concerts In a 2017 report on audiences for classical music, The Audience Agency identified that between 2014 and 2016, just 7% of classical audiences nationally were aged under 31, while people under 25 comprised just 2% of the entire concert-going public. I can’t help feeling that there must be lots of young people not currently coming to concerts who would have a blast at classical shows. At Manchester Collective, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to create an environment where people who are not already in the ‘classical music club’ can come along and have a great time. We have found the seven principles outlined below to be important when shaping these experiences. 1. Importance of the brand Brand really matters. A large part of our audience is not familiar with the music that we play – the repertoire really doesn’t figure in their decision to come to one of our shows. Instead, it is their relationship to our brand that informs their decision to attend. They are intrigued by the look of the gigs or the video content online, or they have already built up a level of trust in us as musical curators. 2. Embrace digital communications Since the emergence of Hilary Hahn’s iconic @ violincase Instagram account (currently at around 143k followers), it has been clear that artists and
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organisations that connect with their audiences digitally are going to be able to reach a much younger crowd. Creating content for fans online is a great way to stay in touch, build loyalty and sell tickets. 3. Diversity of venues Anyone who thinks that concert halls are off-putting to young audiences has never been to a Final Fantasy orchestral concert of video game music. However, there is no doubt that by playing shows in alternative venues, we attract young people who wouldn’t normally think to book tickets to see chamber music, say at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. Alternative venues bring their own type of street cred to shows, and often have a regular audience hungry for new experiences. This sort of audience cross-pollination is incredibly useful. 4. Tell a story Young audiences respond really well to narrative. It’s very rare that we try and sell a show based purely on repertoire. In the case of our recent production of the Pierrot Lunaire song cycle by Arnold Schoenberg, the hierarchy of messaging for our campaign was as follows: • Pierrot is a set of songs about death, sex, violence and trauma. Everyone can relate to this stuff as they are universal themes. • Elizabeth Alker from BBC Radio 6 Music is going to be
FEATURE
deconstructing this work. Pierrot is completely new to her so she will be going on this journey together with the audience. You won’t feel dumb or uneducated at this show – we’re all in it together. • We’re performing the show in the round, and the whole performance takes place in and around a bed. An intriguing premise, as the audience is unusually close to the action. • We’ve assembled a strong team of musicians to perform. Everyone likes talent. • The music is crazy and different. If you like discovering new things, this show is for you. Setting expectations – preparing people for a challenge. • None of this is about Schoenberg being a genius or about the importance of serialism in the Second Viennese School. We talked about that during and after the show, but as a marketing tool it’s not helpful. 5. Find the human element It’s very easy for classical music to seem like a museum piece, but we have found that personal stories, challenges, triumphs and feelings can bring it to life. One of our most successful mid-concert chats occurred when a violinist spoke about the Czech composer Leos Janacek, a man who had a disturbing and inappropriate obsession with a young woman. Guided by our musicians, we explored this thorny area with the audience. They found the music all the more engaging once they realised that some of our players had complicated feelings about it. 6. Reshape the core offering It’s very easy for us to plan concerts designed to appeal to a younger audience, and then to place
these shows alongside a main concert series. If we truly want to attract a younger audience to our work, this is simply not enough. We have to believe in our new formats enough to call them the main meal, not just the starter. If we were to call a specific series the ‘XYZ series for a hot young audience’, the message we’d be sending about the rest of our programme would be that it’s not intended for a hot young audience. 7. Design complete experiences It’s not that the music isn’t enough. It’s just that even the best art goes down a little sweeter with a drink, a comfy chair and good friends to hang out with after the music stops. Generally, even the slickest organisation can make tweaks to the lighting or bar area to create a more enjoyable experience. Our goal should be to make it easy for young audiences to have a good time, while paying the music the respect it deserves. This article was first published on Arts Professional on 23 May 2019: artsprofessional.co.uk For more tips on developing new audiences, explore: makingmusic.org.uk/resources Manchester Collective are changing the way people experience live music. They play in concert halls, warehouses, and factory spaces in 18 cities across Europe and the UK, performing a combination of cutting edge new music, classical masterpieces, and staged theatrical work to new audiences. manchestercollective.co.uk
Photo: A Manchester Collective performance Credit: Adam Szabo
“Creating content for fans online is a great way to stay in touch, build loyalty and sell tickets”
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Certificate: The Practice of Music Making
TRINITY LABAN CONSERVATOIRE OF MUSIC & DANCE
/ O ne year distance learning programme in partnership with the Open University photo: Tas Kyprianou
/ D evelop your skills with flexibility including a residential week and online learning combined trinitylaban.ac.uk/certificate
Eunyoo An piano Jae Hyeong Lee violin Hoon Sun Chae cello Programme:
LUX trio
22 March 2020 at 7.45pm
Tickets: £25, 20, 10 www.southbankcentre.co.uk 020 3879 9555
Haydn Piano Trio No.12 in E flat major, Hob. XV:36 Frank Martin Trio on Irish Folk Tunes Dvorák ˇ Piano Trio Op 90 in E minor, ‘Dumky’ Supported by
Gordon Foundation The Tertis Foundation
MEMBERS
BLOW YOUR TRUMPET Making music with refugees Paul MacAlindin of the Glasgow Barons introduces their award-winning Musicians in Exile project from gifted amateurs to professionals, and are mostly from Iran. They have their own group, Musicians in Exile Persia and play on Middle Eastern instruments. Our Global Group, currently made up of El Salvadorians, Kurds and Iranians, performs pop music. Glasgow has a thorough network of refugee and asylum support, so knowledge of the Musicians in Exile Photo: Brian Hartley spreads by word of mouth. I also hand out flyers in Farsi, Sorani Kurdish, Arabic The Glasgow Barons is based in Govan, and English. Partners like the Red Cross Scotland, an area of multiple deprivation. know who we are and refer people on We run a variety of projects that open to us. Asylum seekers are in a process to up musical experiences to people living verify their claim which is very sensitive. there who otherwise wouldn’t have the Many use Musicians in Exile to get away opportunity to access them. from their problems and lose themselves Our Musicians in Exile project provides instruments, rehearsal space, travel expenses in music. I have had to develop a good sense of and gig opportunities to asylum seekers. The musicians who take part in the project range pricing Middle Eastern instruments. I ask
what each musician needs, then buy good quality and value for money instruments using ebay, Salar Musik in Turkey or Amazon. Govan Housing Association lets us use a community hub, formerly a shop, to rehearse in for free. This creates a very accessible, open face to the world. We get all sorts of locals wanting to come in and listen, establishing our sense of acceptance, belonging, and ease with Glasgow’s people. I think folk just love the story of asylum seekers with virtually nothing to their name getting up on stage and doing a hugely entertaining and diverse musical gig. Musicians in Exile is on a rollercoaster. Winning The National Diversity Award and the Voluntary Arts EPIC Award for Scotland in 2019 suddenly put us on a plain we’re still adjusting to. But as long as we stay simple and maintain the safe environment these musicians need to make music, the future will just keep on growing. glasgowbarons.com
The power of music In rural Somerset, member promoting group Churchill Music is championing the idea that experiencing music is as important as making music. classes in primary schools and hosts the Churchill Young Musician of the Year competition. Recently, Churchill Music pioneered a two-part workshop that demonstrates to Year 5 children how and why music has such a huge effect on our brains, and how filmmakers and advertisers use it to influence our perceptions and moods. Although the teachers don’t need to be musical and the children don’t need to learn a musical instrument for the workshop, working with schools in the first place was not easy. Jan went to the local authority who helped with a list of schools that were looking to fulfil their wellbeing agendas. If there was one thing she learned during the doorknocking process? ‘Persistence,’ says Jan. ‘Each school is different. You need to talk to the heads – try and get a meeting
Photo: Sadie Harrison
Jan Murray would be the first to tell you that there was a time when there wasn’t much happening musically for the residents of Churchill. Jan, a retired nurse who doesn’t make music herself, remembers her first classical concert. ‘I wasn’t really all that interested, but when I came away I was feeling calm and happy, and I realised the importance of simply listening to music of whatever genre.’ Along with her friend Ursula Dornton, who has since passed away, Jan co-founded Churchill Music with the aim of bringing world-class professional musicians to perform in their rural area. Today its team of trustees run five professional concerts a year and its ‘Young Churchill Music’ brings professional musicians to present workshops in local schools, organises student composition projects, sponsors instrument taster
with them. Each school is allocated a budget for wellbeing, which is one way to approach it, particularly now that mental health awareness is about to enter the curriculum in 2020.’ Churchill Music’s work doesn’t stop there. To assist head teachers with promoting the crosscurricular benefits of music learning, they made a film, Music Helps Us Learn. With funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, it demonstrates how taking part in music in schools raises academic standards. churchillmusic.org.uk Spring 2020 HIGHNOTES
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Rehearsal Orchestra Orchestral repertoire courses for advanced players 2020 London weekends Bartok, Britten, Bridge, Rachmaninov, Rautavaara, Saariaho & Sibelius
Edinburgh summer week August 8 to 15 2020 “The Rehearsal Orchestra does invaluable work on the quiet and with the minimum of fuss.� Sir Simon Rattle
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FEATURE
Man up your group Some top tips from choir leaders on how to get men singing Vocal groups often tell us how hard it is to find and keep enough men in their membership. Here are a few top tips from choir leaders Dominic Stichbury (Chaps Choir) and Xenia Davis (Peckham Rye Sings) on how to get men to join your choir and enjoy it enough to stay on. 1. Get them through the door: you may have some great marketing ideas for drawing men into join your group – engaging posters, or an inviting online presence – but before you do anything, test these ideas with your target audience, whether that’s male friends or family. 2. Challenge traditional ideas around repertoire: use or create arrangements of popular music. Community choir arrangements work well for a voice range in a vocal comfort zone of 1.5 octaves (as opposed to SATB which asks for a 2-octave range). Three-part arrangements are simple and quick to learn. This will reassure less confident singers early on that they can create a beautiful sound. You could also choose certain music that features the male voice for example Gospel, sea shanties, Corsican, Croatian and South African songs. Rounds are also a good idea for beginners. 3. If your group is a mix of genders: make sure you choose repertoire where the men’s part is interesting – let them have a chance to shine with the tune. 4. Give extra time to the men: focus on their development and train them on specific techniques for male voice. If your musical director is female, see if you can bring in a male leader for these extra sessions.
5. Be flexible about parts: if you don’t have enough singers in each section, change things up if your repertoire allows it. Mix up the genders across parts – double the octaves and spread men evenly throughout the choir or move them around to sit next to different parts so that they don’t feel isolated. 6. Be flexible about rehearsals: make learning tracks available; not only will this allow people to practice at home, but if they join the choir halfway through the term it could help them to catch up with what they’ve missed. Be aware that people are giving up their spare time so make allowances for things that are happening outside of choir. 7. Finding an identity: being in a group is not just about the singing. As Chaps Choir found through some research they conducted, mental health is a big consideration. Male-only sessions and workshops can help some men feel safer expressing themselves by creating a ‘we’re-all-in-it together’ atmosphere. If your choir is mixed, it can help to give each section an identity, particularly if they are in the minority. Rehearsing the men separately and using positive encouragement can help them to feel valued and to bond as a section. 8. Use a buddy system: this can be useful for welcoming in new members and making them feel at home. Find more tips and resources for musical directors: makingmusic.org.uk/resources/mds
Image courtesy of Sing for Pleasure
“Male-only sessions ... can help some men feel safer expressing themselves by creating a ‘we’re-all-init together’ atmosphere.”
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FROM OUR TEAM
MEMBERSHIP AND SERVICES
CONTACT US info@makingmusic.org.uk / 020 7939 6030
Helping you get the most from your membership Photo: Making Music Selected Artists 2019, Alden Patterson and Dashwood
EVENTS Our events help and support you with running your group. Book your free place or find more dates and locations online: makingmusic.org.uk/events Getting to grips with PRS and copyright Sat 11 Jan, Cardiff The role of the chair Sun 12 Jan, Gloucester Sat 18 Jan, Ipswich Sat 22 Feb, Perth Growing your membership (with a focus on under 35s) Tues 14 Jan, Oxford Sat 21 Mar, Stirling
Subsidies for promoters Are you making the most of exclusive subsidies to book professional artists? We know that smaller promoting groups struggle to pay for professional artists. To help with the cost, if you are a promoting group with an income of less than £14,500 and a member of Making Music, you are eligible for two subsidies. Selected Artists Subsidy • You can apply for a £100 subsidy towards the booking fee of any of the Selected Artists in our Selected Artist Guide, which includes all artists performing in any genre in the purple section of the guide. • Subsidies are available on a first come, first served basis. You can request a maximum of one subsidy per group, per edition of the guide. To request a subsidy for artists in the 2019 Selected Artists Guide you need to apply by 30 April 2020.
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Making the most of your online presence Wed 29 Jan, Hastings Sat 15 Feb, York
Artists Expenses Subsidy Eligible promoting groups can also apply for our Artist Expenses Subsidy for engaging any professional artist – not just our Selected Artists. • You can apply for subsidies ranging from £50 to £125 where travel and accommodation expenses total at least £80. • You can apply for more than one Artists Expense Subsidy per year. However, to ensure as many groups as possible benefit, we may have to turn down an application if you have been granted an Artists Expense Subsidy in the previous six months. Find out more and apply at makingmusic.org.uk/ subsidies
Top tips for running a charity Sat 8 Feb, Redditch Sat 22 Feb, Luton Sat 7 Mar, Plymouth
Free resources
Did you know? Thank you to everyone who bought goodies from the Making Music Store! We raised over £600 towards improving our services for members.
• *NEW*: Musica, an international choral sheet music database that lists 150,000 pieces with detailed accompanying info and a powerful search tool. • Resources for musical directors: include the Music Bank, info about musical licensing and permissions, tips for arranging, discounts, alternative perfoming ideas, succession planning and more. • Updated guidance on Grand Rights (permission to perform a dramatico-musical work) • How to claim Gift Aid for your group (updated) Visit makingmusic.org.uk/ resource
FROM OUR TEAM CONTACT US info@makingmusic.org.uk / 020 7939 6030 We are here Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm
Making Music staff Barbara Eifler Chief Executive Ben Saffell Membership & Operations Director Rizwana Bano Interim Finance Manager Sally Palmer Membership Services & Projects Manager Joe Hooper Membership Services Administrator Harriet Laidler Membership Services & Projects Assistant Lily Funnell Membership Services Administrator & Office Manager Sharon Moloney Member Engagement & Events Manager
Alison Reeves Manager – Scotland John Rostron Manager – Wales Stephen McNally Manager – Northern Ireland Xenia Davis Youth Engagement Manager Liz Clark Marketing & Communications Director Natalie Joanes Communications & Marketing Manager Michael Pearce Marketing & Communications Officer
Don’t forg et!
If you haven ’t renewed your memb ership yet, y our insurance w ill have exp ired on 31 Dece mber 2019 . Renew onli ne today at:
makingmu sic.org.uk /renewals
New members A warm welcome to the 82 new members who joined between 1 August and 30 November! Cavehill Community Choir
Portchester Community Choir
Calne Music and Arts Festival Society
Ashford Sinfonia
The West Wycombe Chamber Music Festival
Burnley Municipal Choir Sustainable Angels
Maltby Miners’ Welfare Band
Good News Music
Streatham Festival Association
Fiddlesticks Youth String Orchestra
Wimbledon International Music Festival
North Wales Camerata Gogledd Cymru
The Vaughan Williams Singers
Croydon Brass
Hand in Hand (Cardiff)
Pinner Strings
Eastern Edge Theatre Company Horsham District Battle of the Bands Regent Brass Tethera Taiko The Burton Singers
The Amici Della Voce Octet Meraki
Hospice Harmonies Haywards Heath Concert Band The Baroque Collective
Alkborough Choir
machellmusic
Wight Sax
On That Note The Successors of the Mandingue Wolverton Light Orchestra Cotswold Big Band Alma Mater Singers
Big Christmas Wind Orchestra & Choir
Cambridge Harmony Chorus
Revival Brass
Bradford Accordion Band
Listen to the Voice of Fire
Lanarkshire Cecilian Orchestra
Kensington Philharmonic Orchestra
Strode Singers
Cheddar Valley Singers
AMOK Platform
ILAMS (Iberian & Latin American Music Society)
St Stythians Band
Sing4You
Denmead Brass
Sarisbury Choral Society
Barnsley Brass
Three Crown Sound
Tisbury Community Choir
St Paul’s Cathedral Chorus
Avenues Singers
Gatehouse Singers
Bricket Wood Community Choir
Holborn Community Orchestra
Rugby Rococo Players
Northallerton Silver Band
Folks in Harmony
Bedlington Community Brass Band
Absolute Classics
Warton Show Chorus The Weekley Singers Coventry & Warwickshire Youth Orchestra Tameside Concert Society Dunleath Organ Scholarship Trust Chet Valley Voices
Blue Light Symphony Orchestra
North East Operatics SCIO
Abbeydale Strings
Singing for Everyone
Edinburgh Orchestral Ensemble Albert Park Singers
Sound Society CIC Glenlough Community Choir City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra
The Big Skirts
SingHealthy Chester Festival Chorus
Nayland Choir Spring 2020 HIGHNOTES
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PROJECTS Keeping you up to date with projects and programmes WHY TAKE PART IN MAKE MUSIC DAY?
Make Music Day 2020
Where and when are the local network meetings? Many places, in January and February! Sign up now at makemusicday.co.uk
What other inspiration is there? • Opportunities for members ccccto take part in flagship events ccccorganised by Making Music in ccccBirmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff ccccand Belfast: contact your local ccccmanager Sharon (England), ccccAlison (Scotland), John (Wales) ccccor Stephen (Northern Ireland) ccccvia info@makemusicday.co.uk • Join a mass percussion jam in ccccDudley. • Perform in museums and ccccgalleries. • Perform on bandstands and ccccin parks: it’s a Sunday and ccccthe longest day of the year AND ccccFather’s Day! • Perform the Make Music Day ccccanthem Bring Me Sunshine for ccccfree: use existing arrangements ccccor create your own. • Go international – watch out ccccfor more information. ... and more.
Is there a 2020 theme? Music in Unexpected Places – win a prize for the most unusual space to hold an event!
Check out makemusicday.co.uk and join the mailing list. For all queries contact: info@makemusicday.co.uk
Date: Always on 21 June, a Sunday this year When can I register? Now! You don’t need a totally ready plan, so get your name on the website and benefit from promotion through the Make Music Day team. What does the Make Music Day team do? The (tiny) team are there to make things easier: at UK level they facilitate network meetings, talk to the press, develop the branding, create toolkits, and spread the word about Make Music Day to new event organisers and audiences. But this is a grassroots festival – you are in the driving seat as creators, organisers and performers. Make Music Day is what YOU make of it.
Did you know? On Make Music Day 2019 there were: • 1,103 live performances in the UK • 132 digital performances • 29,353 performers • 56,486 audience (live) • 84,855 audience (digital)
We love that Make Music Day does something for members that nothing else can do: gives you a wider (national and international) public platform to showcase what you do, and to celebrate leisuretime music. It connects you, too, to people all across the world who are doing what you are doing, taking you from your very own village hall to a square in Kyoto, the Lagos music scene, a school in Argentina or Times Square in New York: in 2019, 125 countries celebrated Make Music Day. It is also a brilliant opportunity to connect to new people and new organisations in your community: Make Music Day is always a great ‘sell’, putting a smile on anyone’s face. And who knows how that may lead to other conversations throughout the year, as well as gaining you new members and new audiences. Ideally, use the day to bring your music into a public space, to where people already are, so they don’t have to seek you out – they’ll be stumbling across you. Capitalise on that: have leaflets ready telling audiences when your next event is, or how they can become part of your group. You don’t have to do something ‘big’ or special: have you just had a concert, or do you have one coming up? Repeat that programme or treat it as an additional rehearsal. Or do you want to recruit a particular type of person? Then make a careful effort to go where they hang out. makemusicday.org.uk
Spring 2020 HIGHNOTES
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FEATURE
The OHMI Trust Hiring specialised instruments from the UK-based charity can make your group more accessible for people with physical disabilities Leisure-time music groups are well aware of the benefits of making music, but have you ever considered that there are many people who might be excluded from this? Most instruments require ten highly dextrous fingers, making them unplayable to any reasonable standard for thousands of people. The OHMI Trust strives for full, undifferentiated participation in musical life for disabled people by creating and providing adapted musical instruments and enabling apparatus. OHMI runs an international competition that challenges instrument makers, designers and technicians to create and develop high quality musical instruments. Working with instrument makers, OHMI then develops these designs for people with a wide range of physical disabilities in their upper limbs to enable them to participate fully in making music. OHMI has acquired a range of instruments that it hires out, both traditional and electronic, but there are many for which solutions have still to be found. OHMI is also addressing the lack of significant data on music and physical disability by commissioning and undertaking research into instrument development, the barriers to participation, teaching methods, and the social impacts of our work. Through partnership with a variety of educational, health and disability organisations, awareness of the needs of the physically disabled community, OHMI has increased the range of instruments and enabling apparatus but also reduced the costs to those who choose to purchase the equipment for themselves. Moreover, with instruments that have been found and developed through the work of OHMI, disabled
musicians are able to perform in the style and ensemble of their choosing. OHMI’s instrument hire scheme allows people to test equipment for a minimum of a year so that they can find out whether the solution meets their musical interests as well as their physical needs. OHMI has a selection of left and right-handed recorders, flutes, trumpets, cornets and trombones with stands and apparatus to allow the instrument to be fully playable with one hand. Other instruments include the LinnStrument, an electronic instrument that can be played through software available on a tablet or iPad. OHMI recommends a string teacher with an interest in new technology as the best teacher for the LinnStrument, and would be happy to offer advice on finding a suitable teacher and provide some support in the learning process for both student and teacher. If anyone is interested in starting out on a guitar, ukulele or violin, the Artiphon is an entry-level solution. This works with an iPad or computer and offers a ‘tap’ method so notes can be selected and sounds produced with just one hand. This is great for those who are entering whole class instrument tuition on one of the instruments above. A Chapman Stick is also available on hire – this will require a stereo input amp (30W recommended) and is played like a guitar. The scheme is designed to overcome the financial barriers that physically disabled people face in accessing music making. Instrument hire costs from around £40. Find out more about the OHMI Trust online: ohmi.org.uk
“The OHMI Trust strives for full... participation in musical life for disabled people”
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FEATURE
The role of the chair Our Member Engagement Manager, Sharon Moloney, shares your creative solutions on how to successfully lead a leisure-time music group Recently we held workshops that brought together committee chairs from a wide range of music groups to discuss their experiences in the role and exchange learnings. They came up with some interesting tips and advice on how to be an effective leader. Most attendees felt that managing a committee can be hard when you are all friends together, and relationships are not as business-like as they would be in a workplace setting. How can you manage people effectively while retaining a friendly and sociable atmosphere? One group had chosen to rotate who chaired the committee meetings. Although one person is chair of the organisation as a whole, they would elect a different committee member to chair each committee meeting, which encouraged an inclusive approach and created a better understanding and appreciation for everyone of what chairing entails. Another group said that they use three-year committee terms that rotate through particular roles. A person would be secretary in their first year on the committee, vice chair in the second and chair in the third. This pathway helped the committee member build up knowledge and experience so that by the time they reached the chair position, they would be more confident and capable in the role. It also allowed for greater consistency in decision making and leadership. Many attendees at our events were also keen to explore how they could encourage their members to contribute to strategic thinking. One group placed a suggestions box on the refreshments table, and received comments on repertoire selection and concert dress code. Another group had written lists of 20
HIGHNOTES Spring 2020
small tasks that members could take on in order to help out the committee. This allowed members to appreciate how much needed to be done to keep the group functioning, and to contribute without having to join the committee. One orchestra had organised a ‘review of the year’ immediately prior to their AGM, where each section presented their thoughts and feelings about the previous season – how hard the repertoire was, what they had enjoyed playing, the best jokes they had heard! – allowing for a more light-hearted approach to what is potentially a very dry meeting. Many of our attendees were keen to develop their skills as chair and feel reassured that they were doing things correctly. They said that networking with other committee chairs and sharing issues with them was really useful, with some mentioning that they had joined networks like the Association of Chairs. However, attendees also acknowledged that sometimes they needed to be able to talk to someone who knew the particular personalities and circumstances of their group. Almost all the chairs who attended our events had a ‘trusted friend’ within the group, someone with whom they could discuss specific issues, and trust that it would not go any further. Not all of these ideas will be suitable for every group, but hopefully they will give you some ideas for what might work for you. Access Making Music’s resource: makingmusic. org.uk/role-chair or come to one of our spring workshops (see p.14 for dates and places).
“How can you manage people effectively while retaining a friendly and sociable atmosphere?”
MEMBERS
EXPLORING MUSIC Readers tell us about the music they love. Email editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Jukebox Readers share how a particular piece of music inspires them
How Can I Tell You - Cat Stevens When I was in my mid-twenties (I’m 73 now) I met and dated a lovely young lady with a terrific sense of humour. She often played the Cat Stevens song, How Can I Tell You. It meant a lot to us, and we played it frequently. Like many other foolish young men I didn’t take our relationship seriously enough, so after a year she was whisked away by a man who gave her far more attention. She married him and had two children, then divorced him. Later we ran into each other when
I was engaged to my current wife, and she has since remarried a lovely man. We have stayed friends and kept in touch over the last fifty years. I played the guitar on and off throughout my teens and twenties but never really got serious with it until my 12-year-old daughter (now 35) took guitar lessons at school. She came home and I heard her practicing in her room – it sounded amazing, so I dug my guitar out of the dusty store cupboard and began practicing in earnest. I started going to open mic nights and a year later did my first street performance. I really enjoy the busking vibe, and the beauty of it is that you go when you want, play as long as you want, and go home when you want. I continue to busk today and look after the Bristol Buskers Facebook Page. Among my generally uplifting set list I’m often asked to do some slow songs, so I learned How Can I Tell You, and on the very first day I sang it, a couple came up to me and asked me to sing it again for them as they were getting married that week. I try to sing it with feeling so that people can really hear the meaningful words of the song, and relate to it in their own lives as I have. Trevor George Guitarist and Busker facebook.com/BristolBuskers/videos
Signing choirs What are signing choirs and how do they work? Choirs that use British Sign Language (BSL) are known as signing choirs. (In Northern Ireland, Irish Sign Language (ISL) and BSL are used). First developed in the church, in partnership with the Deaf members of the congregation, these choirs encouraged equality between the experience of Deaf and hearing members. ‘Big D’ deaf people are people born deaf or who experience hearing loss before spoken language is acquired, and regard their deafness as part of their identity and culture rather than as a disability. They form the Deaf community and are predominantly BSL users. ‘Small d’ deaf people are those who have become deafened or hard of hearing later in life after they have acquired a spoken language, and so identify themselves with the hearing community. Small d deaf people are more likely to use hearing aids and develop lip reading skills. Signing choirs often include d/Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing members, all of whom sign sing to recorded music. Some choirs occasionally sing vocally too. Choirs who perform
both using sign language and vocally describe themselves as bi-language. Signing choirs are as diverse as vocal choirs in terms of the type of music that they perform. Genres range from classical to rock, pop and funk and the different styles are often reflected in the physical movements of the choir. Such movements – in addition to signing – are part of capturing and enjoying the essence of the music, though the main focus is on the signing and not on choreography. Signed song translations vary widely. Some signing choirs use Sign Supported English (SSE), whereas others use fuller BSL interpretations. Because BSL has a different grammatical structure to English, a process is used to capture the essence of the music, melody and lyrics to make the most of the beautiful and evocative nature of signing. Find out more: makingmusic.org.uk/intro-to-signing-choirs
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Dalcroze UK International Easter Course 5-8 April 2020 RO YA L NO RTHE RN CO LLE GE OF MUSI C MAN C HESTER
From ÂŁ190 Find out more at dalcroze.org.uk/events or email admin@dalcroze.org.uk
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HIGHNOTES Spring 2020
We are a uniquely flexible musical course held at Uppingham School in the first week of August. Every day you can play or sing in at least three timetabled, tutor-led classes from a wide range of solo and ensemble options, join in with other students in chamber music, or perhaps borrow an accompanist from their Masterclass for a run through. Whichever courses you select, you can also sing or play in the famous acoustic of Uppingham School Chapel for Evensong and in the full school choir and orchestral performance at the end of the week, with time available along the way to hear numerous concerts given both by our fabulous tutors and other course students. Most of all, we are renowned for our friendly atmosphere. Application and further contact details are on our website, or you can email us at the address below:
www.cssm.org.uk | admin@cssm.org.uk
FROM OUR TEAM
DROP THE MIC If you have any software, hardware or performance tips you would like to share, email editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Getting technical
Want to translate sheet music into playback? Or sing your composition into your computer? Dave Ward reviews software.
When I was a little choirboy I used to dream that the notes on the pages would somehow play themselves for me and I wouldn’t have to figure out how the music was supposed to sound. It has taken a long time but my dream, and I am sure many other people’s, has come true. The free app Playscore2 does just that. You can snap a score with your camera and with the latest optical music recognition software it will play the lines of music back to you. It can work with any printed music at all - just open the app, take a photo using the app’s camera icon and it will automatically load and then play it back at whatever tempo you decide to set it at! The music play back is indicated with a red line that scrolls bar by bar. You can easily change the tempo, which may help with learning a piece slowly before speeding things up. There are transposing features and loop options. If you decide
to go further and upgrade to the full, paid version, you can even export the file as a MusicXML file and open it in other notation programs such as Dorico or Sibelius. Download the free app at playscore.co As a singer and guitarist, I always admired those with the keyboard skills to play music into a computer programme. I always dreamed of being able to ‘sing-in’ the notes. In answer to my dream, Vochlea Music have produced the Dubler Studio Kit. This is a real-time vocal recognition MIDI controller. The kit comes with software that is compatible with any DAW Mac or PC and a USB microphone. As well as voice, it works with clicking, tapping, clapping and even whistling. £295, or £250 if you order in advance at vochlea.co.uk
FROM A SOUND ENGINEER: HOW TO GET A GOOD SONG RECORDING The sound of the room that you are singing in will make a huge difference to the finished product. A large empty room with lots of ‘boomy’ reflecting surfaces is probably not a good choice. A room with soft furnishings is better, or you can deaden the sound by hanging blankets on the walls. Make sure you are comfortable choose a time and place where you won’t be disturbed and there won’t be unwanted outside noises that the microphone can pick up. Turn off mobile phones. Make sure any headphones don’t get pulled off every time you move. The level of the track and any clicktrack or metronome needs to be at a comfortable level in the headphones along with the level of the vocals you want to record. Time taken doing this is a really good investment - also maybe putting a bit of reverb on the headphone vocals can help. Save the settings so that you can come back to them later. For soloists, position yourself about six inches or the hand span from thumb tip to little fingertip from the microphone. As you can see from the picture (top left) a pop shield is also very desirable because it absorbs any explosive breathy sounds that can distort the microphone. The microphone is like a very sensitive ear. Sing straight into the mic. And try not to waggle your head around – imagine you are singing straight to the listener. A general rule of thumb for getting a quality recording is to, ‘get the sound right at source’. Don’t be tempted by the ‘fix it in the mix’ approach.
Dave Ward is Managing Director of TiME Technology in Music Education, Chair of the Music Education Council Technology Special interest group and Executive Director of JAMES. He founded the Gateway School which pioneered Music Technology Education when the technology was in its infancy. techmusiced.org.uk
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PREMIUM CORPORATE MEMBERS Our corporate members play an important role in supporting leisure-time music. Member groups can use discounts and subsidies to save on everything from sheet music to booking artists and making recordings: makingmusic.org.uk/discounts
Creating tailor-made concert tours throughout the UK, Europe and further afield for all types of youth ensembles! rayburntours.com
Making Music members are eligible for a 15% discount on all services and help with every stage of your recording project. 360music.org.uk
Audio and music technology products. Cubase is a popular sequencer (DAW) with schools and professionals, while Dorico is the future of scoring notation software. steinberg.net
Hal Leonard represents many of the world’s best known and most respected publishers, artists, songwriters, and arrangers. musicshopeurope.com
Providing the world’s largest digital library of scores, parts and educational material in a rich, AI-driven, collaborative environment. nkoda.com
ACS offers a range of attenuating earplugs that reduce damaging frequencies but still allow you to hear the music. acscustom.com
Provides a marketplace of high quality musical arrangements of a wide range of titles and genres at a much lower individual price. choircommunity.net
A clothing range that allows freedom of movement to play at your best. Chic clothes in breathable, easy-care, crease resistant fabrics. blackdresscode.com
Tutti connects musicians with all the space lying dormant in homes, studios, churches and more so that you can rehearse in the perfect space. tutti.space
Events made easy - powerful and easy to use software to sell tickets online with affordable pricing and local support that makes a difference. trybooking.com/uk
A team of musicians who understand the musical aspects of your tour and will advise on repertoire, acoustics and maximising audiences. club-europe.co.uk
Charitable foundation providing courses for musicians of all abilities; instrument loans; concerts and events venue; ‘stay and play’ B&B provision. benslowmusic.org
Join us! Run by a team of passionate musicians, Norman’s is established as one of the UK’s leading education suppliers of musical instruments and accessories. normans.co.uk
CORPORATE MEMBERS
HAWES MUSIC PUBLISHING
Association of multidisciplinary professionals who work to promote the field of voice in its broadest sense, encouraging a healthy voice, vocal skills and communication. britishvoiceassociation. org.uk
A free online ticketing system that enables you to sell tickets both online and in-house. Sign up and set up any event in any venue within minutes, completely free-of-charge and under no obligation. ticketsource.co.uk
Want to support the UK leisure-time music scene while reaching thousands of music makers? Become a Making Music corporate member Find out how at makingmusic.org.uk/ corporate-membership
MEMBERS
READERS’ PAGE Got something to say? We’d love to hear from you: editor@makingmusic.org.uk. Tribute to Marian I was saddened to hear of the death of Marian Davidson. Marian was the chair of the Eastern Regional Committee of Making Music when some of Making Music’s services were delivered through the regions. The Eastern region was, under Marian’s leadership, very effective in the work it did, which was to deliver local training and other events. I was the Board representative on the committee where I kept it up-to-date on board
policies. I knew that I had to prepare carefully for committee meetings as I would be closely and critically questioned by Marian on Board policy. On more than one occasion I came away wondering if the Board had got it right. The member groups in the Eastern region greatly benefited from the work of Marian and her committee. Rod Grealish
Hang on to your members! I love singing – it took me a while to find a choir I was comfortable with, where I could sing the songs I like and make friends with a really lovely bunch of people. But I’ve been noticing that I’ve got a problem lately. I know my eyesight hasn’t been great for ages but I’ve realised it’s been getting worse, and I’m having problems making out the notes on the page. At first I just thought maybe a bulb had gone in the church where we practice (it’s pretty dingy anyway!). Now I know for sure from the doctor that my eyesight is deteriorating, so I told our choir leader about it, and asked if she could sort out the lighting. I also asked a couple of our choir committee members, and they were all really nice about it and said they would look into it. But I guess they’ve got their hands full with running everything (we’ve got our Christmas concert coming up) because nothing’s happened. I’m starting to feel a bit frustrated about it – I’m spending all
CORPORATE SUPPORTERS
Photo: Marian Davidson, who was awarded the 2012 President’s Award for her exceptional services as a volunteer for Making Music
my time squinting at the page and often hit a bum note and feel really embarrassed about it. I honestly think if nothing can be done I’m going to have to move on and that’s a real shame. I don’t want to leave, but if it’s making me feel like this, it’s no fun anymore. - Anon If you’ve got anything that you’d like to share, email editor@makingmusic.org.uk or tweet us @makingmusic_uk
Tell us your news! Leisure-time music groups are often busy working away on unique projects. We want to feature these on our website and other channels to show the world all the brilliant and creative things that you’re doing! Email us at editor@makingmusic.org.uk with around 250-650 words. You’re also welcome to send us images and/or short video (no more than two minutes).
FROM OUR TEAM
MAKING MUSIC PEOPLE Interested in getting involved? Visit makingmusic.org.uk/volunteers
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
JOHN ROSTRON
ROB GUEST
MANAGER, WALES
TRUSTEE
When did you join Making Music? September 2019
What attracted you to being on the board of Making Music? A passionate advocate of the role of music in community life, I’ve benefited so much from the work and time that so many people have put into music making in my own community. With 15 years of experience in the arts, I felt that being a board member would be a great way to make the most of what I can offer.
What are you most looking forward to doing as Manager in Wales? Raising the profile and understanding of leisure-time music in Wales, in particular with local authorities, policymakers and others who can build a supportive environment to help our members to be able to do what they do. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your continuing role as CEO of the Association of Independent Promoters? By bringing promoters together through a network, we’ve been able to make progressive changes which enable them to become more sustainable. And do you know what we’ve found? The more resource they have, the more concerts they put on. Everybody wins. Do you sing or play instruments? I have a guitar I strum occasionally and every time I look at it I think I should either practice regularly or just give it away! I’ll let you know which I choose. I learnt to play drums a few years ago as a challenge to myself for a show at a festival I was running. The whole process, and the performance itself, was one of the most exhilarating and enjoyable things I’ve ever done. If you could invite three people to dinner who would they be? Journalist and presenter Anushka Athana, Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price and historian and author Rutger Bregman. What was the last piece of music you listened to? 2020, the new album by Richard Dawson. 2020 might be his best work. Vivid vignettes of individuals living in Britain right now: the civil servant who doesn’t want to go in to work, someone taking up jogging as they battle anxiety, the oppression of working in a fulfilment centre. They’re wrought out of difficulty and hardships but cast with his wry lyrics and evocative musicianship.
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As well as being an arts administrator and musician, which venues have you worked with? I was manager at Middlesbrough Town Hall and oversaw a major redevelopment there, which was really exciting to be part of. I’ve organised festivals and worked on education projects across the North East, working with Sage Gateshead, Gala Theatre in Durham, Middlesbrough Theatre, as well as on large outdoor events like Durham’s Brass Festival and Middlesbrough Music Live. Do you sing or play instruments? These days, it’s mainly singing, conducting, piano and guitar. I also play the clarinet and saxophone, but haven’t done so seriously for a few years. Now that my son has started clarinet lessons, I’ve got an excuse to dust it off again. Do you belong to or work with any music groups? I’m MD of Sedgefield Lyric Singers, a community choir. I co-lead the Sedgefield Lyrics Youth Choir, and I’m a member of a chamber vocal group called Lirica. We do joint concerts twice a year – a lot of work, but great fun! Who is your favourite musician or composer (past or present) and why? Right now I’m into the choral works of Ola Gjeilo and Morten Lauridsen. I love the harmonies and find the music uplifting to perform. I think their music is really accessible to new and experienced singers, which makes perfect repertoire for my choirs. What’s your favourite piece of music or song? The Snow by Elgar. The Sedgefield Lyric Singers are working on the SATB arrangement to perform this Christmas, and I just find it exhilarating to conduct.
All specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright © 2019 Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. All rights reserved.
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