Making Music Scotland Newsletter

SCOTLAND NEWSLETTER Volume 26 Issue 2 May 2012

IN THIS ISSUE Page 2

Bathgate Concert Orchestra Celebrates

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Still Christmas in February? !

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125 Years of New Year Messiahs at 12 noon

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Weaving Musical Threads

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Garleton Singers’ Recruitment Drive

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ORCAL – January 2012

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MANGO Visits Berlin

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MANGO continued; Full House for Peebles Orchestra

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Learn to Sing Course

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Making Music Scotland News

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Music Nation; Making Music Overture Making Music 2012 Conference New Members Information about:– Voluntary Arts; ELLSO & CoMA Summer Music School

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Advert for a Musical Director; Contact Information

Learn to Sing Projects During the past few years, Making Music has helped nine choirs from around the UK to run free six-week singing courses in their local communities. These ‘Learn to Sing’ projects have been funded by the Arts Council England and The Robertson Trust, and, run in partnership with Choir of the Year and the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS).

Participants are taught the basics of singing, including how to look after the voice and sing in harmony. They learn about performance skills and rhythm and voice development across a range of different styles of music, from rock and pop through to the classics. They also learn to sing with confidence and discover the joy of group singing, whilst meeting new people and securing the huge health benefits that singing provides.

The first Learn to Sing course in Scotland was hosted by the Cumbernauld Choir in partnership with BABS and funded by The Robertson Trust. To read about this course please go to p 10.

SUPPORTING & CHAMPIONING VOLUNTARY MUSIC

Bathgate Concert Orchestra

Celebrates 60 Years

It was back in 1952, the year the Queen ascended the throne of the United Kingdom, that a group of musicians under the guidance of Jimmy Laurence formed the Laurence Orchestra, as it was then known. Centred at the High Church in Bathgate, the group continued to expand giving concerts in various locations in West Lothian, and in 1967 it was renamed The Bathgate Concert Orchestra.

occasional forays into works such as Messiah and, on one occasion, (two performances) the Mozart opera Der Schauspieldirektor in conjunction with Opera Minora from Amsterdam. With the aid of Making Music we have endeavoured to develop the scope and technique of the members by holding tutorial sessions involving professional players from, for example, the RSNO. Recruitment of players is a perennial problem and recently we have formed a training group to introduce inexperienced musicians to orchestral techniques in the expectation that they will integrate with the main orchestra.

To mark 60 years of presenting music to the West Lothian public, we thought it is appropriate to celebrate the occasion in our annual May concert.

Under our musical director, Marco Marzella, we plan to present two concerts, the first on Friday, May 11th in the Regal Theatre, Bathgate with the Menzies Choir as guests; the second is on Saturday, May 19th in Linlithgow Burgh Hall, Linlithgow with Linlithgow Rugby Club choir. On both occasions the Orchestra will perform a new work, The Toy Box, by their composer in residence, Archibald Smith – a world première.

And so, in this the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, Bathgate Concert Orchestra plans to celebrate their diamond jubilee occasion in style with two concerts in May and more special events later in the year.

Archibald Smith Member of BCO Committee CONGRATULATIONS!

Over the years, the Orchestra has presented programmes of mainly light classical music with

to Bathgate Concert Orchestra

www.bathgateconcertorchestra.org.uk

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Still Christmas in February! ? was their first recording.

Prominent amongst these is Bright Star composed specially for Cadenza by our Patron, Ben Parry. Making Music Scotland members may remember Ben particularly as the co-founder and first Musical Director of the Dunedin Consort, as well as Chorus Master of the SCO Chorus during his time in Scotland. Unfortunately Ben’s many commitments prevented him from joining Cadenza for the recording itself, but he made time to travel from his home in the south of England to put the choir through its Bright Star paces at a rehearsal. It’s a bonus and a real privilege to be able to work directly with the composer, and the welcome was warm indeed. Ben was less impressed with the weather at the time, having just returned from New Zealand!

It may seem a little eccentric – some might say bordering on obsessive – to find yourself still singing Christmas carols after New Year. Don’t we get enough of Christmas in December? Yet that’s precisely what the members of Edinburgh based choir, Cadenza, continued to do till the end of February, not only at all our weekly rehearsals but also during our annual weekend workshop. The reason for this apparent fixation with Christmas was simple – at the end of February, the choir recorded its latest CD, a collection of 20th & 21st century Christmas music with a strong Scottish emphasis.

Not all the carols on the CD are new or unfamiliar, though the arrangements of some better known ones might be. Choral singers who took part in Waverley Care’s ‘Come and Sing’ event in November 2010 may recognise one or two finalists from the Christmas Carol Writing Competition which Cadenza premièred that evening. Musical Director, Jenny Sumerling, has selected a variety of choral textures – multi-part (not just SATB!), unison and ladies only. They also include a mix of accompanied (by piano or organ) and a cappella carols, and we were delighted to have secured the excellent services of Morley Whitehead as our accompanist.

It may not seem easy to keep up the Christmas spirit when the festivities have long since passed, but much of our Christmas music is so beautiful and it seems a shame to restrict its performance to a few weeks at the end of each year. We still put on our ‘singing faces’ to make sure that our listeners will hear our engagement with the music, even if they can’t see our performance. Nevertheless, we have an idea what it must have been like when they used to record the Hogmanay programmes in August!

We hope that everyone will enjoy hearing these new carols, or new arrangements of carols, as much as we have enjoyed singing them. The launch is planned for Summer 2012, in plenty of time for Christmas. Keep up to date with our progress at www.cadenza.org.uk/newcd

This was a particularly exciting project for Cadenza.

As far as we know there are no other CDs devoted to Christmas music from modern-day Scotland, making it unique in the Christmas catalogue. Some of the carols are recent compositions and for several this

Barbara Badger Cadenza Publicity

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125 Years of New Year Messiahs at 12 noon When the singers of the Edinburgh Choral Union New Yeargathered at 12 noon on 2 January 1888 to present Handel’s Messiah in the George Street Assembly Rooms, little did they think they were starting a festive tradition. But on 2 January this year the choir presented its 125th New Year Messiah, to a near capacity Usher Hall.

one in the evening. The performers may have been exhausted but the critics were impressed.

Each year’s performance has its own character. For several years from 1943 the work was presented uncut, a formidable challenge for all concerned.

When cuts were restored under chorus master Herrick Bunney in 1947, The Scotsman’s response was cryptic, however: “… some members of the choir were probably surprised to realise they had reached the end so soon”.

In 1990, after a particularly sprightly performance, Conrad Wilson, writing in The Scotsman, was relieved: “[The] unfurling of Part One was, at 49 minutes, the shortest since I first reviewed Handel’s oratorio in these pages a quarter of a century ago … this was a Messiah in every way nimbler than that of Neeme Järvi, which took 65 minutes over Part One and made it sound like Brahms.”

There have been plenty of dramas, on stage and off, in the course of 125 years; incidents that have become part of Choral Union folk memory.

The time the Usher Hall forgot to turn on the heating and the soloists took to the stage in their overcoats.

The time the bass soloist fell ill and his substitute’s train broke down (a member of the choir filled in). The time the points froze on the East Coast main line and three of the four soloists were stranded on the overnight sleeper.

(Local singers stepped in until, amazingly, after the lunch interval, the original line-up arrived to take over.)

To begin with, accompaniment came from organ and piano. In 1890, however, a small group of amateur string players joined the singers and in 1892 trumpets and drums were added. Professional players were eventually engaged, and, over the years the oratorio has been performed in many guises, from chamber-style intimacy to full-blown romanticism. It wasn’t until 2008 and 2009, however, when the Usher Hall was closed for refurbishment and the Choral decamped to nearby St Cuthbert’s Church, that the ERCU’s New Year Messiah was again presented with organ accompaniment.

There is a healthy tradition of Messiah being conducted by the incumbent chorus master, but ERCU has formed lasting friendships with many visiting conductors. By tradition the soloists tend to be younger performers, often starting out on their careers, and many have been associated with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama).

For the chorus member, the Usher Hall acoustics have an unnerving ability to make you feel like a soloist yourself, so the exhilaration of performing is always tinged with fear.

It’s that excitement that, after 125 years, keeps the city’s great tradition vibrant and fresh. As The Herald’s Keith Bruce remarked in a review back in 2006: “Never mind fireworks and pop stars in the Gardens, as long as the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union's annual Handel is in its proper place, the capital knows that a New Year has dawned.”

Amen to that.

Mary Crockett

The 2008 and 2009 Messiah performances were tests of stamina and fortitude for everyone concerned. For those two years of exile from the Usher Hall, in an effort to accommodate a sizeable proportion of the usual New Year audience, the choir, under chorus director Michael Bawtree, gave two performances, one at the traditional midday and

www.ercu.org.uk

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Part of Music Nation: a weekend of music and performance around the UK on 3 & 4 March in the run-up to the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad Weaving Musical Threads in 18 venues, 71 performances, activities and exhibitions and hundreds of participants. The only Making Music event in Scotland – the only one organised and run by volunteers.

This was the largest gathering of creative artistes in Renfrewshire for many years.

There was literature, music, dance, film, theatre, art and history – and lots of fun.

Music wove its way through Renfrewshire in Lochwinnoch, Bishopton, Renfrew, Johnstone and Paisley, for young, old and in between, from troubadour to concert pianist - traditional, jazz, classical, folk, rock – you name it, it was there.

Neil Sturgeon wrote a song for us entitled Weaving Musical Threads, the Mill Girls presented poetry that will become a published anthology, musical theatre, incorporating signing, stopped you in your tracks and Dance Dreams’ routines that will soon be showcased in the Albert Hall were glorious. We celebrated the International Korngold Society’s 30th Anniversary with Cosima playing his Piano Quintet in Paisley Abbey and showing Korngold score films – including ‘The Constant Nymph’, not seen in the UK for almost 70 years. Paisley buddie and chanteuse, Taylor Wilson’s cabaret was a delight. The local choirs taught and sang from the Museum to the Town Halls. Organ recitals rang over the town and, quite magically, Anna MacDonald sang over the rooftops from the Coats Observatory balcony.

The thread has no end to this Music Nation weekend that will go on and on.

“Just to say a massive well done for the whole weekend and a big thank you for having me.”

Anna MacDonald, singer/songwriter “What a weekend! My poor brain is exhausted.

Thanks for asking me to be a part of the festival, I loved every minute.” Tracy Patrick, poet/author “Thank you very much for such a wonderful weekend! Thank you for looking after us and making it all happen.” Evelina Puzaite, concert pianist and the Cosima Piano Quintet “WMT was really a great event and I am very glad that everything went well with the repertoire and that I took part in the festival.” Maya Irganlina, concert pianist

There was a witch hunt in the streets and the history fascinated, for the architecture we are in awe. Chopin was in Renfrewshire you know. Tannahill was a gifted man – his cottage said it all. Weavers wove and spun while children sang, orchestras, showbands and varied ensembles performed, stories were told and art inspired on walls and floor – like the especially created woven ‘Home Tent’. West End Wurdz were told. Our Gaelic shard hung in the streets and the audience for the Gaelic choirs chose the winner of the Tune for Paisley for the Royal National Mod in Paisley 2013. You could make your mark on clay as part of a sculpture to remember, go along to talks and book signings, learn how to play an accordion, write and sing. There was even a chance to rehearse with the St. James Orchestra, pictured above, and to perform in the finale.

“You deserve a lot of praise. I think Saturday was a very good day at the Tannahill Cottage.” Bill Duncan, Tannahill-MacDonald Society “I reckon that the line up you have pulled together is nothing short of fantastic… congratulations for doing a brilliant job.” Piero Pierracini, Paisley Development Trust “Thanks again for involving me in the event.” Neil Sturgeon, singer/songwriter “Very positive.!Great positive vibes for Paisley and Renfrewshire” St. James Orchestra, Paisley.

Elise Kelly Photograph – Thanks to Jean-Marie Stewart & " " paisley.org.uk www.weavingmusicalthreads.co.uk

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September 2011 Recruitment Drive

They would have the opportunity of spending two months rehearsing then performing in a concert, before deciding if they wanted to audition for a place in the choir.

Our season began the second week in September, and that was when new people were asked to come along and start practising with us for the Poppyscotland concert in November.

We were on edge that first Monday practice night wondering just how many or how few visitors would arrive to join us. More than 20 people turned up, which we thought wasn’t bad considering the number of potential members who had usually come along in September had been one or two.

As the weeks went by a few people dropped out, but most stayed on to perform the Fauré. The extra numbers made a great sound in St. Mary’s, Haddington, and everyone involved enjoyed the experience.

Best of all, from that original number of ‘come along’ singers we eventually gained eight new members – three tenors, one bass, one soprano and three altos.

Lyn Livingstone

No doubt, like many choirs everywhere we have often wished more men would join us, especially tenors. For the start of our new season in September 2011 we decided to have a radical look at how we might attract this rare and elusive species.

We decided a highly publicised recruitment drive was the best way forward. This we linked to a concert we had planned in collaboration with Poppyscotland to raise funds for them on Remembrance Sunday.

The music for the concert was the Fauré Requiem which, being a popular choral work, would hopefully attract people interested in singing. The publicity we put out was in the form of an invitation to come and sing the Requiem with the choir, but that we were also interested in attracting new members. We made it an open invitation for all to come along, with some emphasis on the need for male singers.

Posters and flyers were distributed over most of East Lothian and several bits of Edinburgh. We spoke to schools and colleges to try and encourage young people of 16 and over to join – at least for the Fauré.

By giving those interested a chance to see what we were all about, we were hopeful of a good result.

The above picture is a copy of part of the flier www.garletonsingers.co.uk/index.php

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ORCAL in rehearsal - January 2012

…..I really enjoyed ORCAL again, and audience members were very complimentary. Gary is obviously a brilliant musician, and we were privileged to work under him….. ….Thank you so much for all your hard work in organising the ORCAL weekend once again. It was fantastic, I enjoyed every minute of it. It was so very well managed in every way and I hope there will be more …… …..I really enjoyed the weekend - tiring but fantastic! Hope to come along again…… …..It felt quite extraordinary to have the opportunity to learn from the tutors and Garry Walker and I found everyone to be very friendly and helpful. Playing has been greatly encouraged! I hope that there will be opportunities ahead for more ORCAL! So, many thanks to all the professional staff who make these weekends really work so well, to the excellent team of volunteers who make it happen and, of course, to the players who come and enjoy what has become both an artistic and social event in their calendars! Well done, everyone!!

On Friday 20 January, 71 instrumentalists from across Scotland met in Edinburgh to spend the weekend working through Brahms Symphony No 2 under the direction of internationally acclaimed conductor Garry Walker and a team of five professional tutors.

This was the latest ORCAL weekend workshop – Making Music’s Amateur Orchestra for Scotland – where instrumentalists of all standards come together with a professional conductor and tutors to study symphonic music and put on a public presentation of the work at the end.

This weekend was indeed hard work – and Maestro Walker ensured that every minute of allocated playing time was well used! He drove hard, but supported his driving with excellent compliments when the players reacted to what he wanted, and there was indeed an amazing transformation of the sound of the orchestra as the weekend progressed.

When we came to the public performance on Sunday evening, the players were ready for it. A standing ovation from the audience told its own story – and the faces and comments from the players showed how such a weekend is thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting.

These are but a few of the comments received

Richard Shaw, MM Scotland Interim Manager

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MANGO Visits Berlin MANGO is the Youth Orchestra of the Lanarkshire Guitar and Mandolin Association (LGMA). Over the past 10 years the Association has grown to become one of the largest music making organisations in Scotland, with two orchestras and 280 young people and adults taking part in Mango in Concert at the WABE concert hall, Berlin music making activities every week!

Lanarkshire learnt about the cult of the Part of the Associations ‘youth strategy’ is to help in Amplemann (traffic light man) and visited the the development of the young people’s social, shop to buy souvenirs. physical and emotional wellbeing as well as The German orchestra organised a fantastic developing their musical skills. One of the ways we sight-seeing tour of the city by bus with a quiz in both do this is by taking the English and German, young people on which meant the young residential weekends people from Lanarkshire and we have found that and Hamburg joining on these weekends we forces to complete the see a different side of task. Photo opportunities the young people; we were provided and the see the quiet ones guide gave an coming out of their shell entertaining view of the and we see talents that regenerating city. It also we didn’t know existed. gave everyone a chance In October we had a to learn a few words of residential with a German or English. difference… - it took After just an afternoon place in Germany and rehearsing, the 19 members of the combined orchestras orchestra, aged between performed to an 10 and 17 years old, audience of supporters travelled to Berlin for a from Berlin, Hamburg Mango and their German friends meet the Berlin Bear five day trip to meet and and Scotland. The concert perform with youth orchestras from Berlin and was a huge success with the MANGO players Buxtehude near Hamburg. Our musical director and performing magnificently. The young people should orchestra conductor is originally from Berlin, which be very proud of their abilities. They all enjoyed the gave the party from Lanarkshire a unique view into experience of playing in a combined orchestra the sights and sounds of this vibrant city. conducted by Jocken Ross from Hamburg.

The youth orchestra from Hamburg shared the same The trip was not all hard work though! There was an accommodation as MANGO, which meant all the enjoyable treasure hunt organised by their German young people had time to get to know each other hosts. Groups of young people accompanied by before their combined concert held at the WABE (the some adult helpers found their way around the city, honeycomb), which is a large Cultural Centre and following sets of clues which led them to a lunch concert hall situated in Prenzlauer Berg. Before rendezvous at the Sony Centre. This was followed by rehearsals got under way the more important task of a personal tour of the ancient musical instrument shopping and sampling the local food and drink museum and the famous Berlin Philharmonic concert occupied the travellers. The young people from hall. The animated guide for the museum

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‘Mango Visits Berlin’ continued

A FULL HOUSE!

demonstrated many of the instruments culminating in a performance on a huge Wurlitzer organ, which had come from USA where it had provided sound effects and musical accompaniments to the silent movies.

The whole group was fascinated to see the 180 instruments attached to the organ working whilst the tour guide played the organ.

The Theatre was buzzing in anticipation – this concert was indeed going to be something special – but that extra electricity can only be generated by a full house. Yes! After 35 years, at last a Peebles Orchestra concert had sold out! Every ticket gone – well, latecomers could get in and sit in those awkward ‘hear-but- not-see’ seats up the sides. And everyone wanted to hear – and to see.

Kate, a member of the orchestra said, “I loved Berlin especially seeing the city lit up at night and also meeting new friends from the German orchestras.

When can we go again and see all the places we missed?”.

The behaviour of our young people was immaculate; they are a credit to themselves, their parents and their country. Because they don’t really get time to know each other well at our normal weekly practices, the trip had an incredible effect on them. The social bonding which took place between them has had a real, noticeable and very positive impact on the whole atmosphere in the orchestra; they feel they are part of something special - and they are. In addition, the trip has made them aware that there are young people just like them in different countries, speaking different languages but who share the same interests in Making Music.

Ian Pommerenke-Steel LMGA Administrator www.mandolinscotland.org

After the Overture a slight young man with his violin took the stage to enthusiastic applause. For this was what it was all about. Rowan Bell is a Peebles lad – back in 1991 he joined the Peebles Youth Orchestra with his tiny violin, learning the ‘easy violin’ parts at first and going on to become leader. He moved on to the main orchestra and spent some years as assistant leader before going to London to study at the Royal Academy. And here he was! Now forging a professional career, he was back in Peebles to perform the Bruch Violin Concerto. And it was indeed a wonderful performance. To quote from the crit (Peeblesshire News 25.11.11) “…. many in the audience will have accumulated fond memories over the years of watching Rowan Bell develop from gifted child to professional violinist … we were eagerly anticipating his return for this performance of the ever-popular Violin Concerto No. 1 by Bruch, and we were not disappointed. Rowan rose effortlessly to all the challenges of this great showpiece, multiple-stops and all, playing with the utmost tenderness at one point, dominating a large orchestra in full cry the next. The serene slow movement was played with a rapt intensity that held the audience spellbound before the exuberant release of the Hungarian-style finale.“

Footnote: The bonding which took place in Berlin certainly worked for MANGO. On 4 March 2012 in London, at the National Competitions of the British BMG (Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar) Federation, MANGO took 1st place in the Youth Orchestral section to return to Scotland as British Champions. The presentation was made by Louis de Bernières who, as well as being a writer, plays the flute, mandolin, clarinet and guitar.

Together with the adult orchestra, Da Capo Alba, they took a total of seven first places in a variety of competitions.

We are justifiably proud , not only of Rowan and his achievements, but of how the concert demonstrated the enormous value of our youth orchestra, which gives children a sound understanding of basic orchestral technique with the opportunity to go further.

From the beginning they are part of the orchestra – not an isolated kids’ group – and though we cannot take the credit for their complete musical education, we surely have a part in nurturing talent and allowing it to flower. Several of our youngsters have gone the whole way and it is indeed very special when one, like Rowan, returns to perform in Peebles where it all began. No wonder that concert was a sell out!

Claire Garnett.

Conductor of Peebles Youth Orchestra www.peeblesorchestra.org.uk

First place presented by Louis de Bernières

CONGRATULATIONS!

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Learn to Sing Course Cumbernauld Choir was delighted to be asked to host the first Learn to Sing course in Scotland.

We were a little apprehensive, worrying if enough people would enrol for the course but this turned out to have been unnecessary as, within a short time of the registration opening, 120 people had signed up, although not all ended up attending the course.

Each week there was an attendance of around 90 happy, enthusiastic people. The atmosphere was great and all were so keen to learn the songs, jump up and down, make strange faces and generally do whatever

to say for once in their life that they had sung as part of a choir. Some were terrified and didn't think they could do it, never having sung before and especially not in parts. Even to identify their own singing voice was quite an achievement.

By the end of the first night, it was wonderful to see the faces of these people as they experienced singing in simple four part harmony. Some really good voices were emerging.

On Week 4, Cumbernauld Choir sang a few pieces for the Learn to Sing Choir, to let them hear an established choir. One lady commented that we, the Cumbernauld Choir, were not smiling enough and looked too serious! – a lesson for us to learn!

As the course was coming to an end, most people wanted to know when the next would take place.

I know that the idea behind the project was to get people to sing, feel good and join an existing choir.

This inspiring and non-threatening format is such a good way to form a choir and many people have so easily become members of THEIR choir.

The end of the course was celebrated by having a short concert on the final night to which family and friends were invited. The sense of achievement shown on everyone's face was very uplifting.

Well done to all the choristers and a big ’thank you’ to David Sangster Musical Director, Linda Young from Making Music Scotland and the British Association of Barbershop Singers.

David Sangster, Choral Director of Forth Valley Chorus, Ladies' Barbershop Choir in Edinburgh, asked us to do! He was such an enthusiastic leader and had the 'Choir' eating out of his hand, or should I say singing their hearts out! He eased everyone through the songs with only a pitch pipe and his fine voice as accompaniment!

The four pieces studied, all composed by Nikomo Andrasullah, were Agnus Dei, Good Where We've Been, Tyebye Piom and Whatcha Gonna Do? Some of the pieces were quite challenging for the Learn to Sing Course singers but, under David's leadership, they succeeded.

David followed clear lesson plans each week provided by the British Association of Barbershop Singers and it was amazing how quickly this group of singers started to evolve into a choir. Warm-up exercises were hilarious but very carefully thought out to get the voices ready. The endorphins certainly flowed and the 'feel-good factor' was clearly seen and heard!

Some of the 'new singers' had singing experience and were using this course as a stepping stone to joining a choir (hopefully Cumbernauld Choir). Many people have said that they just wanted

Can’t wait for the next Learn to Sing course!

Winnie MacMillan Cumbernauld Choir Learn to Sing Co-ordinator www.thecumbernauldchoir.co.uk

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Making Music News from Richard Shaw

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Making Music plays in the musical life across the whole of Scotland culminated in a meeting of Creative Scotland, our ever supportive Chief Executive Robin Osterley and myself. This meeting led directly to the award which has been made to us.

I am also pleased to report that we have submitted a separate application to Creative Scotland for funding which, hopefully, will provide some much needed investment in promoting events and projects to support the provision of voluntary music making across Scotland. We hope to hear the results of this application shortly and we will, of course, keep you informed through our e-bulletin and the web site.

I am very pleased to announce that Creative Scotland has agreed to invest in Making Music Scotland. The investment initially is for one year only, and is principally to cover the infrastructure costs of running Making Music Scotland, and the implementation of the new volunteer organisation in Scotland which replaces the previous committee structure.

The former Scottish Arts Council terminated its funding of Making Music Scotland from April 2011, resulting in the loss of financial support for our members across Scotland as well as the loss of support for the organisation’s activity. Intensive lobbying of both the Scottish Arts Council and then the new Creative Scotland by myself and our former chairman Linda Young on the vital role

!"#$%&'!()$*')*+,-"%. announce the following that is happening immediately: • As the Development Officer in Scotland, I have taken over the new Scotland Manager’s post on an interim basis until such time as a new appointment is made.

• A new volunteer structure is now being put in place to ensure we can give maximum support to all of our members across Scotland which, I believe, will have a stronger voice than we were previously able to provide. Many of the volunteers filling roles in the structure will, I can assure you, be familiar faces and voices!

• A new member support structure will be put into place shortly to enable every member group to have a first call contact point to raise issues of importance with Making Music – and also for us to have a communication channel with you.

We will, of course, be keeping you informed of progress on the organisation’s structure in Scotland through our web site and our e-bulletin.

At the Making Music Annual Conference in 2010 held in Bristol, it was resolved as part of the ongoing development of Making Music to change the structure of the organisation in the English regions and nations of the UK. Part of the restructuring involves disbanding the regional and national committees and replacing them with a paid Manager leading a team of volunteers looking after all the responsibilities, activities and accountabilities devolved to the regions and nations.

The Scotland Committee was formally disbanded following the 2011 Annual Meeting, and I would like to pay tribute to the hard and extremely valuable work carried out by the retiring Chair of the committee Linda Young and all of the elected and co-opted Committee members.

It was most unfortunate that the Scottish Arts Council’s decision to cease funding Making Music Scotland coincided with our planned restructuring and this has had the unfortunate effect of delaying our restructuring of the organisation in Scotland, but our plans are now well enough laid for me to

www.makingmusic.org.uk/scotland

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More News from Richard Shaw !()$*'%",$+%

!"#$%&'!()$*'+10/,(/0 It is not yet too late to sign up to perform the Making Music Overture – either as an orchestral, brass band or vocal performance.

The piece can be performed up to 9 September, but you must register and apply by 30 June. Full details are on the Making Music website www.makingmusic.org.uk/ourwork/projects-and-programmes/making-musicoverture/get-involved The overture is part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Congratulations to ‘Weaving Musical Threads’ (see p 5) – a group consisting of number of our members in Renfrewshire together with other arts organisations – who created and produced a programme of arts events across Renfrewshire as part of the BBC Music Nation weekend of 3 - 4 March to commemorate Renfrewshire’s tradition of weaving through the arts. This was also part of the Cultural Olympiad and during the weekend had coverage on BBC Radio 3, including a live interview.

Well done everyone involved!

;$<,=>&;?@,#&#!=AB"B=#B&CDEC ‘Joining In – Making Music for Everyone' 15 & 16 September 2012 Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff with Paul Mealor www.makingmusic.org.uk/our-work/conference-2012

Voluntary Arts has recently adopted new logos for each of the nations – Scotland’s above – and launched new web sites. Scotland’s web site, which contains much useful information, can be found at www.vascotland.org.uk/. The format is quite different from the old site. To continue to receive the FREE enews and access the briefings you will need to sign up to one of the 4 Levels, even if you have received VAS information before. www.voluntaryarts.org/ running-your-group/running-your-group-information/

Voluntary Arts Week is the annual, week-long celebration of amateur arts and craft activities taking place across the UK and the Republic of Ireland!

The Scottish launch event takes place in Falkirk on 12 May. To find out more go to www.voluntaryartsweek.org/

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www.coma.org/summerschoolabout

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WELCOME! To the following groups who have joined Making Music in recent months – Edinburgh Concert Band Inverurie Orchestra Irvine Valley Children’s Choir Renfrewshire Musical Threads Wildfire Women’s Choir (Edinburgh)

Contemporary Music for All

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CoMA encourages amateur musicians of all abilities and backgrounds to take part in contemporary music-making by • providing opportunities to perform new music • creating a repertoire of innovative contemporary music for amateurs • building links between professional and amateur musicians and ensembles to further these aims If you wish to become involved in CoMA or require further information, contact: Chris Shurety, Director CoMA RICH MIX, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA Tel: (020) 7739 4680 E: info@coma.org www.coma.org or Steve King, Co-ordinator CoMA Scotland T: (0131) 451 3705 E: S.King@hw.ac.uk

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COPY for the NEXT ISSUE should reach the EDITOR

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by 31 August 2012.

The publication time of the next issue for 2012 to be notified

DISCLAIMER

CONTACT INFORMATION

Any views or opinions expressed in contributed articles may not necessarily represent those of Making Music or the policy of Making Music.

Newsletter Editor, Making Music Scotland Miss Janet A.B. Darling E: jd@jabd.abel.co.uk Web Site, Making Music Scotland Mrs. Linda Young E: l.young24@btinternet.com Membership Enquiries, Making Music Scotland Miss Hilary Stokes E: hastokes@blueyonder.co.uk Recruitment, Making Music Scotland Mrs Karine Davison E: KarineDavison@ntlworld.com Interim Manager, Making Music Scotland Mr Richard Shaw E: richardshaw43@btinternet.com Making Music The National Federation of Music Societies, 2 - 4 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3NW T: (020) 7422 8280; F: (020) 7422 8299 E: info@makingmusic.org.uk www.makingmusic.org.uk

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT Making Music Scotland would like to record its gratitude to Creative Scotland for its continuing support.

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© Making Music Scotland 2012