Highnotes, Autumn 2013

The Making Music membership magazine | autumn Issue 2013

Music in print Top tips on how to make hiring copyright music more affordable • PAGE 12 breaking down barriers A look at the organisations that are making their concerts accessible to a wider range of audiences • PAGE 8

Stage fright Why we experience it and how to overcome it, from specialist Charlotte Tomlinson • PAGE 10

Autumn 2013 season

MONTEVERDI, The Coronation of Poppea HANDEL, Agrippina CAVALLI, Jason

HANDEL, Music for Vespers VIVALDI, Music for a Venetian Orphanage

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Contents & editorial

Contents News

5 In brief 6 Around the UK Features

8 Breaking down barriers 10 Stage fright 12 Music in print From our team

14 Projects 16 Membership 18 Volunteers Members

19 Corporate membership 20 Blow your trumpet 22 Readers’ page If you have suggestions or would like to contribute to Highnotes, please contact the Commissioning Editor, Henry Bird on 020 7422 8291 or editor@makingmusic.org.uk Copy deadline for the next issue of Highnotes, Spring 2014, is 7 October 2013 Any views or opinions expressed by external contributors may not necessarily represent those of Making Music Highnotes is the official journal of Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies, 2-4 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3NW 020 7422 8280 info@makingmusic.org.uk www.makingmusic.org.uk

Welcome to the autumn edition of Highnotes, full of information that we hope will help you run your group.

It seems like a long time ago now, but my thoughts still dwell on the incredible music making that I witnessed at Voices Now at the Roundhouse back in June. This was one of the most thrilling events in which I have participated, and Making Music is proud to have been heavily involved.

The extent to which all types of singing were showcased was truly remarkable. From the extravagant performances of Only Men Aloud and the London Gay Men’s Chorus, to the immense diversity of acts on the Making Music Open Stage and the innovative perfection of new commission City Songs, this was a weekend like no other.

I left feeling inspired at the healthy state of singing in this country, and I was reminded once again of how lucky we are to be able to bask in the riches of the UK’s voluntary music scene. As the new season starts, whether you are involved in singing, playing or promoting music, I hope you have a successful and inspiring autumn.

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London Symphony Orchestra Living Music

LSO Singing Days Haydn The Creation (sung in English) with Simon Halsey Saturday 4 January 2014

Rachmaninov Vespers with David Lawrence

Saturday 25 January 2014

Don’t miss the chance to sing with a world-class choral conductor this January.

Join LSO Choral Director Simon Halsey in a workshop on Haydn’s The Creation, or sing Rachmaninov’s Vespers with the LSO Community Choir Conductor David Lawrence.

Each Singing Day ends with an informal performance which friends and family can watch.

Whether you sing in a local choir, or haven’t sung since school, LSO Singing Days are an exciting opportunity to get to grips with a classic choral work.

Tickets £17 (includes music hire) Afternoon spectator tickets £5 (from 3pm) 11am–4.30pm Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke’s (161 Old Street, EC1V 9NG) Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 or book online at lso.co.uk/singing–days

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news

in brief It’s official: music making is good for you!

New clinical evidence has shed yet more light on the health benefits of music making

Many people who have sung in choirs will tell you that they find the experience relaxing. Now researchers have discovered the physiological reason behind this sense of relaxation so often experienced by singers.

A study by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg found that the heart

rates of 15 people synchronised as the subjects sang a variety of choral pieces. The effect of the singers’ pulses speeding up and slowing down at the same rate was due to their coordinated breathing.

Overall, the subjects’ heart rates also slowed down as they sang, resulting in a similar relaxing effect to that brought on by yoga.

Another study from London’s Institute of Education has shown that people aged over 65 who are part of music groups, either vocal or instrumental, are more likely to be happier – and even healthier – than people in the same age group who undertake other kinds of leisure activities.

Watch a video about the choral singing study at bit.ly/1cGdyXE.

Countdown to Glasgow 2014 There will be art, theatre, dance and music across Scotland to mark the 2014 Commonwealth Games As Glasgow prepares to host its first ever Commonwealth Games, organising committee Glasgow 2014 has unveiled plans for what it describes as a nationwide celebration showcasing the best of Scottish culture alongside work from the Commonwealth. The cultural programme, which began in July, will culminate with Festival 2014 – a two-week festival running alongside the games next summer.

Glasgow was named as a UNESCO City of Music in 2008, so it’s no surprise that music features prominently in the plans, most notably with the Big Big Sing project, which aims to inspire singing across Scotland. This will involve live Song Stages in and around Glasgow, as well as performances from seven newly created community choirs.

People from overseas will be able to take part too, with an online choir combining singers and songs from around the Commonwealth.

There will also be contemporary music from the PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial, with Glasgow performances planned of 20 new commissions from UK-based composers.

Find out more at www.glasgow2014.com/culture.

“Singing creates a shared emotional pattern among choir members” Dr Bjorn Vickhoff, Gothenburg University

Above left: Members of Only Men Aloud and Only Boys Aloud feeling the positive effects of singing while performing at Voices Now Photo: Stuart Leech

voluntary Music awards

This year’s Lady Hilary Groves Prize, awarded to an individual from a Making Music group for improving the musical life of their local community, is going to Adrian Brown. Adrian was musical director of Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra for forty years, during which time he was an inspirational figure to over 1,000 young musicians.

The 2013 President’s Award goes to two of Making Music’s outstanding volunteers: Martin Jones, for his tireless work on the online programme note bank; and Alex Murchie, who has made a considerable contribution to the organisation, most notably as chair of the former North East committee.

Last September, Making Music awarded the 2013 Sir Charles Groves Prize to Darren Henley in recognition of his contribution to UK music education. www.makingmusic.org.uk/awards new head of operations

We are delighted to welcome Ralph Kennedy as Making Music’s Head of Operations – a newly created role designed to ensure the organisation operates as efficiently as possible.

Ralph has experience of working in similar management roles for organisations including the British Red Cross and Central Saint Martins College of Art. He says: ‘I am delighted to be coming to Making Music at such an exciting time and to be given the opportunity to help deliver the very best services to our members.’

Not too hot to Handel The Messiah has been given a revamp for community choirs by former Sixteen soprano Fiona Clarke. The simplified arrangement aims to make Handel’s classic performable by choirs of all abilities. www.cloud9press.co.uk

Autumn 2013

HIGHNOTES

5

NEWS

AROUND THE UK south west

Area manager Kate Allen is building ties with Platforma, an arts network that develops work by and about refugees. We’re encouraging member groups from the South West and beyond to have a look at the artists in Platforma’s online directory, which includes people from locations as diverse as Iran, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. As well as offering exciting new cultural perspectives to your programming, these artists can help give audiences a greater understanding of the experiences of refugees. To learn more, visit www.platforma.org.uk or email kate@makingmusic.org.uk. west

Northern ireland

Derry gets set for choral festival The first ever City of Derry International Choral Festival takes place this October as part of the 2013 UK City of Culture celebrations Derry may be approaching the end of its tenure as the first UK City of Culture, having played host to festivities including a 10day residency from the National Youth Orchestra, three days of pop concerts for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, and a performance at the Walled City Tattoo featuring a 600-strong cast of dancers, actors and musicians. However, there is plenty of exciting music making still to come, not least at the inaugural City of Derry International Choral Festival.

Billed as ‘a joyous celebration of choral music making’, the festival will consist of both competitive and non-competitive events 6

HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

between 24-27 October, in venues including the Guildhall and the newly refurbished St Columb’s Theatre.

Among the highlights will be the International Competition, featuring choirs from around the globe including Solfa from Cuba and Polifonica from Belarus. There will also be a performance of Ēriks Ešenvalds’ City Songs, which was premiered on the last night of a triumphant Voices Now festival at London’s Roundhouse in June, and appearances from noncompetitive choirs Latvian Voices and Gospel Singers Incognito.

To learn more, visit www.codichoral.com.

Above: Members of Codetta, one of the choirs taking part in the City of Derry International Choral Festival Photo: Lorcan Doherty

In the West area, we are looking for any performing groups that are keen to work with mentored conducting students, either postgraduates or those in their final undergraduate year. Such opportunities are important for developing conductors in the same way that performing platforms are for young players. If your group is able to consider working with an up-and-coming conductor, contact area manager Stuart Isaac at stuart.isaac@makingmusic.org.uk. wales

Back in August we were thrilled to have a stand at the National Eisteddfod festival in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, where we met a host of enthusiastic music makers.

There will be another opportunity to meet fellow musicians later in the year at the LABBS Convention, which takes place in Llandudno’s Venue Cymru between 25 and 27 October. If you’d like to hear our member barbershop choirs perform some of the best closeharmony singing in the UK, register your place at www.labbs.org.uk.

NEWS

YORKSHIRE AND THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

You may remember that last year Making Music successfully campaigned to save Yorkshire Music Library, which was threatened with closure. The library was taken on by social enterprise Fresh Horizons, with the physical collection transferred from Wakefield to a new site in Huddersfield. Fresh Horizons is now looking to form a panel of volunteer classical music buffs to give their advice to users of the service and increase the amount of resource available. If you’re confident of your own musical know-how and would like to help, please contact Rosalyn Wimpenny at rosalyn@freshhorizons.org.uk.

Did you know? We have 67 fantastic volunteers around the UK. Want to join them?

See our list of vacancies at bit.ly/174CcN8

eAst

Music for Everyone Nottingham played host to a weekend of anniversary concerts this summer for Music for Everyone Over 500 young people came together at Nottingham’s Royal Albert Hall on 29 June for the first of two concerts celebrating 30 years of participatory arts organisation Music for Everyone. Among the works in the programme was Benjamin Britten’s opera Noye’s Fludde, in a performance replete with manyhued hats and umbrellas.

The following day saw the world premiere of When Music Sounds,

composed by Rebecca Dale as part of Making Music’s 2013 Adopt a Composer scheme.

Rebecca says of the performance: ‘Hearing 200 people singing the melodies I’d written with full symphony orchestra for the first time as they swelled to a climax, I was absolutely blown away. It was an experience that is very difficult to describe and one that I will treasure for a lifetime.’ www.music-for-everyone.org

south east

Sharon Moloney has recently joined Making Music as area manager for the South East and London regions, bringing with her a wealth of experience in administration and concert management, including at the Royal Academy of Music. Sharon is an active figure in London’s voluntary music scene, managing a chamber concert series for amateur musicians and playing flute, saxophone and percussion in several member groups. Learn what she hopes to offer members at www.makingmusic.org.uk/ sharonmoloney.

london

Concert for cabby charity Above right: Music for Everyone performing Britten’s Noye’s Fludde Photo: Andy Foan

Scotland Renfrewshire-based group Weaving Musical Threads, which formed in 2012 to deliver a multidisciplinary arts project for the BBC’s Music Nation weekend, debuted a new production this summer at Glasgow’s West End Festival. Mill Girls on Tour depicted Scotland’s industrial heritage through poetry from four Renfrewshire poets and music from multi-instrumentalist Anna MacDonald. www.weavingmusicalthreads.com

Two member orchestras will perform a fundraising concert next month in St Paul’s Cathedral The London Taxidrivers’ Symphony Orchestra and London Charity Orchestra (LCO) will join forces on 10 October to perform at one of London’s most iconic landmarks, St Paul’s Cathedral.

The orchestras are playing in a service celebrating 85 years of the London Taxidrivers’ Fund for Underprivileged Children (LTFUC).

LTFUC enriches the lives of children with special needs, as well as those of their carers, by

organising trips in convoys of taxis to destinations including circuses, zoos and the seaside.

The performance will include the world premiere of Laughter, a work for orchestra and children’s choir written especially for this event by the LCO’s conductor, William Carslake.

Performances start at 6.15pm and the event is free, with children especially welcome. Reserve your seats at ltfuc.eventbrite.co.uk.

Autumn 2013

HIGHNOTES

7

feature

Breaking down barriers Sarah Hayward explores the organisations that are making classical music open to a wider range of people Two years ago, my life changed beyond all recognition. Suddenly I was in every evening, and date nights with the husband had to be finely orchestrated. Yes, I had become a mum.

I used to spend a lot of time attending music events of all genres, so I want my son to hear a broad range of live music, too. Fairly easy, except with classical concerts, which are somewhat less baby friendly than other genres. This got me thinking about barriers to attending concerts, and how voluntary music groups can attract people who wouldn’t normally go to a ‘typical’ concert.

While barriers to attending concerts vary between organisations, the most common are lack of time, lack of transport, family commitments, the ‘it’s not for me’ factor, lack of awareness and the cost of tickets being too high. Here are some organisations, professional and voluntary, that are tackling some of these obstacles and getting new people through the door.

Bach to Baby is a popular concert series created by classical pianist Miaomiao Yu, offering ‘exceptional music’ for parents and babies.

Concerts are held in London venues on weekdays at baby-friendly times (10.30am and 4pm). Coffee is served before performances to allow parents to socialise. There is no dumbing down of the music, and babies dance, cry and walk around during performances, occasionally even playing with the instruments!

Hugh Mather is a voluntary promoter and artistic director of St Mary’s Perivale, a small venue in Ealing that hosts 50 concerts a year. Concerts 8

HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

are free with a retiring collection, simplifying administration and encouraging more people to attend. Hugh believes getting the social aspect right is vital to keep audiences coming back, so he serves free refreshments after concerts and encourages musicians and audience to mingle.

Making Music member group the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra believes that one way to attract new audiences is to find them at other events. Taking small ensembles out to schools, music festivals and community or corporate events is helping them build a diverse audience base.

Different musicians play at each event and concerts are programmed so that rehearsal time is minimal, meaning players don’t need to give up too much time on top of their usual schedule.

The Night Shift series from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is aimed at 18-35 year olds who attend other cultural events but not classical music. The series consists of hour-long late night concerts, featuring regular OAE artists and repertoire, in a bar at London’s Southbank Centre, with live non-classical music before the concert and a DJ set afterwards. The OAE has built up audiences through social media activity, innovative print campaigns and flyering at other events attended by the series’ target audience.

These are just a few examples to get your creative juices flowing. Now I’m off for an afternoon of coffee, chat and Chopin with my son. Bliss!

For more case studies on audience development, visit www.culturehive.org.uk.

Above: A child learning first hand about classical music at a Bach to Baby event Photo: Petra Semerdjiev

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2

feature

Dazzled by the lights Stage fright is a taboo subject among musicians, although there are some simple ways to overcome the problem. Charlotte Tomlinson tells us more Stage fright is more common than we would like to think. An enormous number of people suffer from it silently, unable to own up to it. Even professional musicians backstage at a world-class concert hall wouldn’t share their anxieties with each other for fear of losing their credibility and, more significantly, their employability. Stage fright is considered taboo, even shameful.

Stage fright happens as a result of an overdose of the body’s production of adrenalin from a perceived threat. The body interprets walking onstage to perform as the equivalent of coming across a sabre-toothed tiger in the jungle. A small dose of adrenalin can be an advantage, as it keeps you alert and ready to perform at your best, but too much can have a crippling effect. The perceived threat could be too much pressure, fear of looking a fool, thinking everyone will criticise you or not being adequately prepared. It may only be a perceived threat, but its effects are very real and it can cause enormous distress.

Understanding and acknowledging the fact that many people – even professionals – suffer from stage fright can be the first step towards letting go of its hold on your life. Here are a few of my tips for managing stage fright and beginning the journey towards healthy, enjoyable performing.

Know the music. This is one of the most important aspects of keeping stage fright at bay.

Don’t kid yourself that you can wing it. Whatever you are performing, get to know it inside out and back to front. What this does is twofold. You build it into your system so well that if your nerves make you get lost during the performance, a form of autopilot can kick in while you recover. It also gives you enormous confidence if you know a piece well and that in itself helps with stage fright.

10 HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

Become familiar with how your nerves show themselves. Almost everybody has some form of nerves before a performance and it’s helpful to get to know your own individual symptoms so you can then start managing them. When you can understand your own physical response to performing you are in a much better position to give yourself what you need.

Eating: before or after? Some musicians eat after a performance because food makes them sleepy or upsets their ability to concentrate. Some have to eat before they play and often during the interval, as they need the fuel that comes in the form of food. Find what works best for you.

Be well rested. Energy can’t effectively flow through a tired body, and this will inhibit your performance. You may need to find somewhere to lie down before a concert or give yourself time and space to be quiet, so that you are more able to focus when you are performing. If possible, try doing less on the day of the performance and avoid other stresses just before going on.

Remember to breathe! Breathing is a simple yet powerful way of dealing with stage fright.

Take slow, deep breaths as you are waiting, as this calms the nervous system and helps oxygenate your body. Don’t forget to breathe when you are performing as well. It’s all too easy to hold your breath when you’re dealing with something complicated, but breathing helps relax your body.

Members can read the full version of this article at bit.ly/15UAMpo. Charlotte’s book, Music from the Inside Out, is available to buy from her website.

Her series of 14 online videos, Secrets of Piano Technique to Prevent Injury, will be published this month. www.charlottetomlinson.com

Photo: Robbie Khan www.facebook.com/ khanphoto

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feature

Music in print Henry Bird describes how music publishers can help your group This year, London’s Southbank Centre has been hosting a series of events centred around 20th century music. That a music festival in one of the world’s most respected cultural institutions can be entitled ‘The Rest is Noise’ says a lot about people’s preconceptions of modern classical music. These were the same preconceptions I held myself on graduating from university – that modern music is impenetrable, deliberately difficult and inaccessible. In a word, noise.

My degree was in music, although I knew little about music composed beyond the 1960s. I thought classical music was dead, an industry sustained only by the masterworks of the past. That is, until I got my first job at a music publisher, when I discovered the music written by that company’s house composers. This was classical music composed within the last 10 years that wasn’t unintelligible or ugly, but relevant and exciting.

Maybe it’s to be expected that new music has a lower profile than older repertoire, considering the fact that it’s performed less frequently. In a recent survey of Making Music members, 10% of instrumental groups described their core repertoire as ‘contemporary classical’; responses from vocal groups were lower, at 7.8%. Of course, a group whose core repertoire is 19th century music may programme some works by living composers, but we can still assume from these two statistics that the majority of music performed by our members was composed more than 70 years ago.

12 HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

But why don’t we programme more copyright music? It could be that it is often more difficult to perform and, as commercial recordings aren’t always available, not as easy to rehearse. If there is no commercial recording, a piece is also less likely to be known by audiences, making tickets harder to sell. Crucially, copyright music can also be more expensive to source. Indeed, in the same survey, 23% of vocal groups and 55% of instrumental groups said they rarely hire or purchase any music in copyright because of the cost.

In order to understand why copyright music is expensive, it’s first necessary to understand how classical music publishers work. Simon Wright of Oxford University Press describes music publishers as ‘the conduit between the creative musical writer (the composer or the songwriter) and the end user (the performer or the listener).’ In other words, they’re responsible for distributing and promoting the work of the company’s composers and then, by managing their royalties and fees, ensuring these composers are properly remunerated.

Once a classical publisher has signed a new composer, it will invest heavily in promoting that composer by securing commissions, generating performances and commercial recordings, and undertaking advertising and public relations.

On top of this are costs for editing, printing

Above: A performance of Ahoy by Alexander L’Estrange, published by Faber Music Cover image: Stephanie Pineda performing Alexander L’Estrange’s Zimbe with Ifield Community College Choir and the Concordia Singers Photo: Martin Oxley

feature

and the ‘behind-the-scenes’ work involved in administrating copyright and royalties. So publishers have to dig deep into their own pockets, all for music that isn’t guaranteed to bring in a decent return.

In short, contemporary classical music is not cheap to publish. That said, we know finances are difficult for our members, particularly in the current climate, and the fact that the process of producing music is costly doesn’t make that music any more affordable for you to programme.

To help, we’ve negotiated a series of special deals, exclusive to Making Music members, on hire music from some of the main music publishers, including Faber Music and Josef Weinberger. There is a dedicated information sheet about music publishers available on our website, and there will be a session about working with composers at our Birmingham conference (more on this event on p16). We also have a range of other services to help you programme more contemporary music – from our Adopt a Composer scheme to a new promotion offering exclusive discounts on music

by British Composer Award-winner Emily Howard.

Remember, publishers are there to help. As Sarah Osborn of the Music Publishers Association says: ‘Publishers are on hand to facilitate and support performers … they recognise the valuable part Making Music and its members play in fostering and supporting composers and are committed to working more closely together for the benefit of performers and composers alike.’

Learn about the discounts available to members at www.makingmusic.org.uk/ memberdiscounts.

top tips for hiring music •

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•

•

•

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Let the publisher know that you’re from a voluntary group that is a member of Making Music. Giving as much information as possible will enable the publisher to quote a fair price.

If the price is prohibitive, tell the publisher and ask them if there’s anything they can do.

They may be able to offer an extended hire period for no extra cost or offer a collection/ delivery service to save on postage charges, for example. They might even be able to agree a lower price, although no promises!

Consider staging multiple performances of a piece, as publishers will sometimes offer bulk discounts.

See what additional services the publisher offers, for instance giving repertoire advice, helping with promotion or even setting your group up with a composer to commission a new piece.

As well as your librarian, encourage other committee members to sign up for contact with publishers so that you’re more likely to hear about these additional services.

If the parts you receive are badly written, let the publisher know, as they will take this into consideration for the next edition.

Autumn 2013

“Publishers recognise the valuable part Making Music and its members play in fostering and supporting composers”

HIGHNOTES 13

from our team

Projects Evan Dawson, our Head of Development, talks about ...

Left: Young performers get into the Our Big Gig spirit at Metal Village Green, Southend-on-Sea Photo: Olivia Dean

Our Big Gig as an opportunity to raise their profile, find new members and build on their audiences. Plans are already being made for next year, so keep an eye out for details at www.superact.org.uk/ ourbiggig.

Carols for Everyone We’ve taken members’ comments very seriously about the gap in the choral repertoire for pieces that can be performed by adults and children together. That’s why we’re thrilled to launch Carols for Everyone, a collection of seven carols scored for SATB adult choir and children or for children with piano accompaniment alone.

Funded by the Carnegie UK Trust and published by Music Sales, the collection includes six arrangements of well-known carols, including Silent Night. There is also an original piece by Paul Mealor, composer of music from the 2011 royal wedding and the Military Wives Choir number one single, Wherever you are.

The Carnegie UK Trust is offering Making Music choirs the chance to apply for free copies for each of their singers to encourage performances in the run up to Christmas 2013. To apply for copies, simply fill out the online form by 23 September 2013.

The form can be found at www.makingmusic.org.uk/ carolsforeveryone, where you can also download sample scores.

“The event has brought people together under one roof ... it’s helped remove boundaries” Nadeen, Our Big Gig participant

Last year, we created eight new choirs in disadvantaged areas as part of the Vocality project. Supported by the Rayne Foundation, the Headley Trust and the Third Sector Research Centre, we wanted to find out whether such groups contribute to community and individual development. The final report is now available on our website and makes a strong case for choirs promoting community wellbeing.

Visit www.makingmusic.org.uk/ vocality to read the report.

We firmly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to take part in music making, regardless of their circumstances. Projects like Vocality can only take place if we receive additional funding. Please do click on the ‘Donate’ button on our website if you feel you could help at all.

Farewell!

This will be my last page in Highnotes, as I am moving on in October to work for Live Music Now after eight very happy years with Making Music.

Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with during this time. The UK’s amazing amateur music community is something we all cherish, and I’m confident that it will continue to surprise and thrive.

Contacts: Evan, Head of Development, evan@makingmusic.org.uk

14 HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

BBC Radio 3 is celebrating glorious and dramatic film soundtracks during the autumn, from Saint-Saëns to Miles Davis to John Williams. Thank you to all of the member groups that sent us their CDs. We will select as many as possible, and look forward to your recordings being broadcast to the whole country over the coming months. vocality

This new project from Superact saw events across the UK Between 11-14 July, at 330 locations around the UK, community music groups performed outside for local people as part of a new project from arts organisation Superact.

Many Making Music groups took part in Our Big Gig, using the event

sounds of cinema

2013

23 October – 3 November

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THÉrÈSe / la navarraISe

crISTIna, regIna dI SvezIa

{23} {26} {29} October {1} November

{24} {27} {30} October {2} November

{25} {28} {31} October {3} November

Nino Rota

Jules Massenet

Plus daytime Concerts, Recitals, Lectures and ShortWorks Priority Booking for Friends opens 7 May 2013.

General Booking opens 4 June 2013.

Jacopo Foroni

Secure your seats by becoming a Friend of the Festival today at

www.wexfordopera.com

Photo © Pat Kenny

from our team

Membership Barbara Eifler, our Head of Membership Services, talks about ...

Helping you get on with making music We’re thrilled to launch our new recruitment campaign – a way for us to grow our membership and, in turn, deliver better services to you By 2017 we hope to represent 4,000 groups, compared to the current number of 3,000. Why this push and this ambition?

One of our services is lobbying and advocacy. No group can do this on its own: it requires the weight of many voices joined together to persuade governments, funders and other bodies whose work has repercussions for voluntary music that they need to change something or consider our sector when drafting new regulations. The more members Making Music has, the more weight its representations will have.

But more members also means more subscription income to help provide more and better services for all members, old and new.

And you can help with recruitment! A third of new members already come through you, and we’d love it if you continued to spread the word. As a thank you, for each group joining on your recommendation, we will give your group money off its next subscription. Watch out for the details of this offer coming to you soon.

We will also shortly have all sorts of informative and fun campaign materials which we’d love you to share with your contacts. Please help us reach those who haven’t heard of our association yet!

Finally, we have created a digital membership badge (pictured) which we hope you’ll want to display on your website, programmes, leaflets and anything else you publish. It will be emailed to you, so please use it to tell the world you’re proud to be a member of Making Music.

Information sheets Our information sheets, a popular part of our highly rated information and advice services, are available for download from the website or from the office on request. We are continually working on updating these, as well as adding new ones. Check out the following, which are new or have been updated: 5. Hiring music from publishers 14. Value Added Tax 26. Grant whispering: tools and tips for attracting funding 76. Guide to online ticketing

Birmingham conference

Still time to book! Saturday 12 October at the CBSO Centre will give you the opportunity to interact with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra musicians, take part in a choral workshop, learn about PRS, touring or recording, find out more about programming and where you can source music from, be inspired

by Simon Frith’s keynote speech – and more!

Member price £35 (£50 nonmembers) for the day, including refreshments, sandwich lunch and a glass of wine. The second/ third delegate from the same group gets a 10%/20% discount.

View programme and book at makingmusicuk.eventbrite.co.uk or contact us at 020 7422 8280, info@makingmusic.org.uk. new: may agm event

Due to the short run-up to the date, this was not a fully fledged conference, but your survey responses indicate we are heading in the right direction. The morning saw a meeting of the Making Music Council, composed of members representing geographical areas and genres, discussing services, future membership options and an advocacy campaign. The afternoon started with the AGM, followed by trustee training and a parallel session with music publishers.

The day concluded with a drinks reception, informal performances from member groups and a concert with our new young artists – available to you at a subsidised rate from Making Music.

Contacts Barbara: barbara@makingmusic.org.uk. Cindy, Membership and Events Coordinator: cindy@makingmusic.org.uk Lizzy, Membership and Projects Manager: lizzy@makingmusic.org.uk. www.makingmusic.org.uk/membership-advice-blog

16 HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

from our team

MEMBER NEWS Huge congratulations to Carolyn Date of Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, who has been awarded an MBE for services to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The award recognises her work for the chorus and her local musical activities over many years. www.bschorus.co.uk The English Poetry & Song Society celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a concert in London’s St James’s Church, Piccadilly on 4 October. The programme features works by Benjamin Britten, Ivor Gurney and pieces by the group’s own members, including Making Music volunteer Robert Hugill.

Birmingham Gay Symphony Orchestra is hosting its inaugural Big Weekender between 26-27 October at Mac Birmingham. Open to players of all backgrounds, the event will include sectional and tutti rehearsals, culminating with an informal performance. www.bgso.org.uk

“I’m delighted to have been honoured in this way – it validates the BSC’s work within the community and wider region. I also have Making Music to thank for its support” Carolyn Date MBE, Bournemouth Symphony Chorus

The Making Music website: what can it do for me?

Quite a lot, we think! Here’s a run-though of some of the most useful features you can access at www.makingmusic.org.uk: • All your own members, committee or not, can register and sign up to receive our monthly email newsletter, iNotes.

• Those with particular responsibilities, such as Making Music Representatives or treasurers, can do additional things in the members’ area, which is called ‘My Making Music’. For instance, they can change other people’s details and assign them roles, or download insurance documents.

• There’s something for everyone with a ‘job’, whether they’re the librarian, publicity officer or chair – do encourage everyone involved in running your group to register.

• Potential new members can find you through our ‘Find a music group’ tool, so make sure your group profile is filled in with plenty of detail and kept up to date.

• Potential audiences can find you through our events calendar, so ensure you submit in plenty of time for people to plan ahead.

• Vacancies: find a new musical director or trustee by posting your request on this board.

• Music Bank: relaunched this year, this allows you to search an evergrowing repertoire database, download free programme notes and borrow scores from fellow members for a small admin charge.

• You can also read about our latest projects, renew your membership online, share pages with your social media network, post on the forum, find all our information sheets, and lots more.

Your subscription pays for these services, and the website is the easiest way for us to make them available to you 24/7 – so do get registering!

Leicester Symphony Orchestra has published a book charting its first 90 years, including 20 years under the baton of revered conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent, who founded the ensemble. www.leicesterso.plus.com Three Counties choir Philomusica undertook a successful tour of Belguim and Holland this summer, performing an all-British programme including works

by Bob Chilcott and Howard Goodall. www.philomusica.org.uk Send your news to editor@makingmusic.org.uk.

Family Arts Network Get involved in this great new initiative, funded by Arts Council England, to explore issues around family attendance at arts events and how it can be improved. For resources, Family Arts Networks created so far and information on the Family Arts Festival taking place between 18 October and 3 November, go to www.familyarts.co.uk.

Autumn 2013

HIGHNOTES 17

from our team

Volunteers Interested in volunteering for Making Music? Visit www.makingmusic.org.uk/volunteers Board Member spotlight

Volunteer spotlight

Quentin Maxwell-Jackson

Carl Stevens

Director

Outreach and Diversity Officer, West

How long have you been a Board member with Making Music? I’ve only just joined!

How long have you been volunteering with Making Music? About a year.

What does your role involve? I have been working with a small team of volunteers to develop ways in which Making Music can generate additional income to support its core mission.

What inspired you to join? I know from personal experience that amateur music is rewarding, enjoyable and often challenging (in a good way). I’d like to help Making Music support its member groups, without which there would be vastly fewer opportunities for amateur musicians.

What has been your most rewarding experience with Making Music? I am chair and bass clarinettist of Kew Wind Orchestra, which was paired with Ella JarmanPinto as part of Making Music’s 2012 Adopt a Composer scheme. It was great to work with Ella as she developed ideas and to play her piece, with our performance being broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

What do you do when you’re not involved in Making Music Board activities? I’m a management consultant working mainly with clients in the public sector, particularly central government. I’m also a research associate with the think tank CentreForum.

Which three people, past or present, would you invite to dinner and why? Aristotle: wisdom. Prokofiev: great sense of humour. Dorothy Parker: she’d have us in stitches.

Great Choral Works Scored for Reduced Orchestra The Creation by Haydn (9 fewer wind players) The Seasons by Haydn (10 fewer wind players) Elijah by Mendelssohn (10 fewer wind players) Verdi Requiem (12 fewer wind players) Mozart Requiem (2 trumpets, 3 trombones reduced to 1 trumpet, 1 trombone)

All are available to hire More details from Ian Bauers

Telephone 01502 714061

Email: musickle@samphire.demon.co.uk Website: www.musickle.com

18 HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

What does your role involve? I spend a lot of time finding out about the different music groups in the West area and advocating the benefits of Making Music membership to them. I also talk to our current member groups in order to gain a better understanding of the diversity already within our ranks and to help groups explore diversity and accessibility for their members and audiences.

What inspired you to volunteer? I think that Making Music provides a great service to the voluntary music sector, and I wanted to help the organisation reach a whole new range of groups.

What has been your most rewarding experience with Making Music? Assisting at our Musical Spaces in Medical Places training, delivered in partnership with the Music and Health team at the Royal Northern College of Music. I met so many inspirational people and learned a wealth of information about delivering music projects in medical and care settings.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering for Making Music? I play guitar and a South American stringed instrument called a charango, and occasionally play in a band with my wife. I enjoy discovering new music from all over the world so also spend a fair bit of time listening to records.

I would recommend volunteering with Making Music because ... The organisation is very supportive of its volunteers and offers scope to do some really interesting work alongside knowledgeable and experienced people.

corporate membership

Corporate membership can help your business reach around 180,000 voluntary musicians. Four tiers of membersip offer different levels of discount on promotional opportunities, alongside the chance to feature your company in this magazine. www.makingmusic.org.uk/ corporate Platinum members

Specialists in creating tailor made concert tours throughout the UK, Europe and further afield for all types of youth ensembles! Your repertoire, venues and excursions will be selected to meet both the performance and leisure objectives of your group. www.rayburntours.com/ concert

Gold members

After over 60 years of music making in Devon, Dartington International Summer School has become something of an institution for amateur, professional and student musicians alike. Courses and concerts offering the best in classical, jazz, folk. www.dartington.org/summer-school

‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page,’ said Saint Augustine. Calling all those groups who haven’t been on tour. Turn a new leaf. It’s an unforgettable experience. www.going4travel.com 020 8891 1575

Silver members

members

Blow your trumpet World strings, rare ragas

Sharad Raval

Lata Desai describes how her group, the London Sitar Ensemble, uses cross-cultural activities to broaden its audience base

The London Sitar Ensemble is a lively ensemble of sitar artists. Established in 2006, we aim to promote and preserve the rich heritage of Indian music through live performances and community outreach schemes. Our artistic vision is to explore new boundaries and present innovative programmes by collaborating with world musicians.

Our Indian String and Dance Exhibition was set up as a way to reach out to

younger audiences. The project saw us collaborating with the Museum of Croydon and the Horniman Museum, south-east London, to showcase an exhibition of Indian musical instruments.

An explorative and inspiring season of events, including concerts, lectures, demonstrations and workshops, was also delivered, and many local community music groups were given a chance to perform at the Croydon Clocktower.

Another part of the project was ‘World Strings Rare Ragas’ – a collaboration with cellist James Barralet, who won Making Music’s Philip and Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists in 2008. The concert combined Indian sitars, western cello and west African kora. Our aim was to blend Indian improvisations of rare ragas with the vibrant rhythms of western classical and west African music, thereby extending

the boundaries between east and west.

The unusual combination of instruments aroused much interest in music circles.

The exhibition attracted around 1,000 people during a four-month period, and bringing different cultures together has raised our profile and enabled us to reach out to all kinds of audiences.

Following the exhibition, the group was also invited to perform at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester as part of the One World Festival.

Our cross-cultural activities continue, and we are now working towards a concert at the Purcell Room in London on 30 November, exploring the ancient partnership between poetry and music. The performance will blend experimental Indian classical music with the poetry of Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. www.londonsitarensemble.co.uk Bob Meyrick

Jazzhouse goes the extra mile Carl Billson outlines the various ways in which promoting group Jazzhouse helps young musicians develop musical and life skills Formed more than 20 years ago, Jazzhouse promotes high-quality jazz concerts in and around Nottingham.

Our education activities are inspired by George Gershwin’s saying: ‘Life is a lot like jazz … it’s best when you improvise’.

We believe jazz improvisation and performance challenges and extends young players’ capabilities, both musically and in life. We take jazz to audiences outside of Nottingham with the aim of encouraging youth participation. For instance, we run gigs with local jazz bands in county libraries, 20 HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

inviting young players to join in. We’re also involved in a regional programme called Miles Ahead, run by the east Midlands jazz development organisation EMJAZZ and funded by Youth Music.

We run the Miles Ahead activities for our area, developing improvisation and life skills among local young people through workshops, jam sessions and music-making projects with international jazz musicians.

Our involvement in Miles Ahead has been bolstered by links with the two music education hubs for Nottingham

and Nottinghamshire. Having made contact at the inaugural hubs meeting hosted by Arts Council England before registering ourselves as associates of both hubs, we’ve been liaising with them and using their networks to reach students and their teachers.

Through such efforts, we’re helping young people to participate in the wide spectrum of music loosely labelled ‘contemporary jazz’. www.jazzsteps.co.uk

Joo Yeon Sir violin

Wigmore Hall - Monday 11 November at 7.30

Ella Rundle cello

A Monday Platform Concert

The Young Artists Platform scheme offers promoters sponsorship towards concert fees.

Complimentary tickets for the Wigmore concert for any promoter available from Katie Avey: 0845 070 4969 info@thetilletttrust.org.uk

www.thetilletttrust.org.uk

Jubilee String Quartet

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members

readers’ page This is your page and we’d love to hear from you: editor@makingmusic.org.uk.

Could you be an occasional or even our resident cartoonist? Would your group like to feature in a 60 second interview or send in an anonymous column?

The People’s Orchestra

6sec0ond

tweet with caution w

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This dynamic West Bromwich ensemble was launched in March 2012.

Conductor Chris Rawley outlines how the orchestra achieves its vision of being open to everyone Describe the orchestra in three words.

Passionate, unique, community.

What are its aims? The orchestra was set up to give local amateur musicians the chance to play in an orchestral setting. Many musicians cannot afford to buy their own instruments, but still want to play; we can enable them to do so.

You describe yourselves as a self-funded orchestra. How does that work? It costs us around £20,000 to run our charity successfully each year. A portion of this is raised from the membership fees of the orchestra; the rest is raised through ticket sales, donations and a team of fundraising volunteers.

Unlike the columnist from the last issue of Highnotes, I find the idea of ‘tweet seats’ at classical concerts fairly horrifying.

I love technology and am a frequent user of Twitter. Note my use of the word ‘frequent’ rather than ‘constant’. If I’m having dinner with someone, my phone is off. If I’m walking down the street, it stays in my pocket.

Why not tweet while I walk?

Because I might walk into someone or, worse, into the path of an oncoming vehicle if I’m not looking where I’m going.

And it’s the same at a concert: my phone is off so I can be aware of what’s going on around me.

The difference is that it’s not an approaching HGV I might not spot. It’s those moments of magic that are unique to the concert hall. The short rhythmic idea that started in the percussion gradually spreading through the whole orchestra like a Mexican wave.

That rousing melody, of which the audience have so far only been given tantalising glimpses, finally being revealed in full.

Classical concerts are a chance to shut off from the outside world and immerse yourself in something entrancing and beautiful. Never mind how distracting using your phone is for your fellow audience members – you’re the one who’ll be missing out.

What was your most memorable concert over the last year? In 2012 we played a concert with a variety of music, from Bollywood’s Jai Ho to soundtracks to The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean.

It went so well we ended up playing live in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall for BBC Radio WM. Why make music? There are times and places where music has changed the world. I believe no kind of music should be an elitist pursuit and the People’s Orchestra is my way of trying to enact this belief.

What do you do when you’re not working with the orchestra? I’m currently taking part in the 91 Peaks Challenge, which involves climbing to the highest peak of every historic county in the UK. It’s great fun and any sponsorship we raise goes back to the orchestra.

What would be your desert island disc?

Radu Lupu’s recording of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ – when you listen to it, it’s like you’ve been taken to another planet.

‘RULES FROM THE RISERS’ SERIES BY PHILIPPA FARINA FROM MEMBER CHOIR THE CHESHIRE CHORD COMPANY

www.thepeoplesorchestra.com

www.cheshirechord.co.uk

22 HIGHNOTES Autumn 2013

Coming Soon

Trinity CME (TCL Level 4 Certificate for Music Educators) The Trinity CME is a brand new qualification for music educators working with children and young people. Linked to a flexible, vocational programme of learning, the Trinity CME: ◗ Includes assessment across six units representing best practice in music education ◗ Is linked to training and support geared to meet music educators’ specific needs ◗ Recognises prior learning and experience ◗ Can be completed in a flexible way to fit in with your professional commitments

Who is it for?

The Trinity CME will be relevant for anyone who works as a music educator, including: ◗ Instrumental and vocal teachers working with music services, hubs, schools or privately ◗ Early years and primary teachers ◗ Community musicians and workshop leaders ◗ Anyone working in children and young people’s music education

How does it work?

The Trinity CME will be available through providers who are validated and moderated

by Trinity. They could include hubs, schools, colleges, conservatoires, universities or other organisations that work with music educators.

Providers will offer a flexible, vocational programme of learning that is designed to meet music educators’ specific needs, with assessment in the real working environment.

When can I start?

Trinity will begin validating prospective providers from September 2013 and will publish details as soon as this is available. For more information — including how your organisation could apply to become a provider — contact cme@trinitycollege.co.uk

To find out more visit www.trinitycollege.co.uk/music /TrinityCollegeLondon

@TrinityC_L