THE MAKING MUSIC MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE | SUMMER ISSUE 2019
The brass revolution How brass bands are leaving the industrial museum behind • PAGE 8 & 9 WHO PLAYS BRASS? New research into brass players • PAGE 18 TAKE IT AWAY The instrument hire scheme helping to make playing music more affordable • PAGE 13
e m re a r h u S o hy ! t i w up o r g
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Musical Cruises in Burgundy Explore the attractive lesser waterways of Burgundy as we cruise the River Yonne and Canal du Nivernais at gentle pace, visit the great cities, chateaux and vineyards, and enjoy fine dining with local wines as we stay in the same welcoming hotel throughout. We typically cruise 70km in a week, with lots of pauses for locks, wildlife sightings and plenty of chance to stroll the towpath. Sat 25 May
7 days
Rivers of Wine
£995
Sun 30 June
6 days
The Classic Nivernais
£795
Sun 11 Aug
7 days
Cruising to Music with the Radnor Trio
£1,195
Sat 7 Sep
8 days
The Classic Nivernais
£1,075
Sat 14 Sep
5 days
Nivernais Taster
£595
Sat 5 Oct
7 days
A Swing Band Cruise
£1,195
Sat 12 Oct
8 days
Cruising to Music with the Radnor Trio
£1,275
All tour cruises are full board and include coach transfers from Ashford and Folkestone. There is a complimentary bar throughout cruising.
Please see www.backwaters.tours/itineraries for our full programme from May 2019
Winner BGTW Awards Best New Tourism Project Europe 2018
CONTENTS & EDITORIAL
CONTENTS
Welcome
NEWS
5 The bigger picture 6 Around the UK FEATURES
My Welcome note from January spoke about the uncertainty around Brexit on the one hand, and the certainty of global Make Music Day on 21 June on the other.
8 Leaving the industrial museum 13 Take it away 18 Who plays brass? FROM OUR TEAM
Nothing’s changed… (at time of writing!), so if you haven’t already, now’s the time to create and register your event for Make Music Day, benefit from extra promotion and connect to new participants and audiences as well as to music-makers across the globe. Make Music Day is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your group - find out how: www.makemusicday.co.uk
14 Membership and services 17 Projects 26 Making Music people MEMBERS
11 21 23 24 25
Blow your cornet Exploring music Drop the mic Corporate members Readers’ page
But some things do change: we are absolutely thrilled to announce our new (first ever female!) President, Debbie Wiseman OBE, composer of much-loved soundtracks to films and TV shows. See www.makingmusic.org.uk/president
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
And: we have a new partnership with Brass Bands England which means welcoming an increasing number of brass bands to Making Music this year – so there’s a bit of a brass banding theme to this issue, to make them feel at home and to help the rest of us find out what they’re all about. I hope many happy new collaborations and local connections will result. Remember you can find each other via www.makingmusic.org.uk/find-a-group
The copy deadline for Highnotes Autumn 2019 (published 1 September) is 28 June Any views or opinions expressed by external contributors may not necessarily represent those of Making Music Highnotes is the official journal of Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL 020 7939 6030 info@makingmusic.org.uk www.makingmusic.org.uk
I look forward to seeing many of you at our Annual General Meeting on 3 July or at one of the Making Music Council meetings around the UK where you can input your group’s views and influence the plans of your association.
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
Barbara Eifler CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MAKING MUSIC Email: barbara@makingmusic.org.uk Twitter: @BarbaraEifler Photo credit: John Stirzaker/ British Bandsman
Monday 20 May at 7.30
Monday 21 October at 7.30
Promoted by The Tillett Trust
Promoted by The Tillett Trust
TILLETT ARTISTS 2018 TILLETT ARTISTS 2019 Presentation Concert at Kings Place
Presentation Concert at Wigmore Hall
MANU BRAZO
MARIA GÎLICEL
ROBERTO RUISI
TOBY WHITE
saxophone & piano
violin & piano
violin & piano
cello & piano
& Prajna Indrawati
& Alison Rhind
& Sten Heinoja
& Marina Staneva
Works by Beethoven, Bolcom, Milhaud, Franck & Bizet/Bourne
Tickets from £9.50 (Excludes the £3 booking fee. T&Cs apply.) 020 7520 1490 www.kingsplace.co.uk
Tickets from £10.00 020 7935 2141 www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
Concert Promoters wishing to hear these artists perform should contact Katie Avey on info@thetilletttrust.org.uk to request complimentary tickets.
NEWS
THE BIGGER PICTURE
NEW PRESIDENT FOR MAKING MUSIC
Child licensing
Safeguarding children in performance Issues have increasingly arisen in recent years for members over the interpretation of the Children and Young Person’s Act 1963, after the introduction of the new Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 (equivalent regulations in Scotland (2014) and Wales (2015)). These led to guidance by the NNCEE (National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment) in 2016. Unfortunately – as it was designed to safeguard children in employment in entertainment – young people’s amateur musical activity (unlike sporting activity) is captured by the Act and Regulations. Also, the interpretation of what is required for any activity in order to comply with the Regulations is up to each individual local authority. These two issues have led to demands being placed on those running leisure-time musical
activity with or for under18s which are clearly often disproportionate to the activity proposed. Secondly, due to wildly differing implementation by councils, young people in some areas now have fewer musical opportunities than those in others; and organisations straddling several local authorities have found it difficult to accommodate different sets of requirements and conditions. Making Music is working with other organisations in the Music Education Council to clarify the situation, so we can give appropriate guidance, and to effect change, as the Regulations have inadvertently placed an intolerable strain on many members. Help us build up the bigger picture by taking part in our survey: www.makingmusic.org. uk/childlicensingsurvey
Did you know? Making Music members can see the winners of the prestigious Philip & Dorothy Green Young Artists (PDGYA) Awards in concert for free on Weds 3 July. Book now: makingmusic. org.uk/concert..
We’re thrilled to announce that one of the UK’s most successful music ambassadors, Debbie Wiseman OBE, has been appointed to be Making Music’s new President and the first female President in 84 years. A prolific and award-winning composer, Debbie has written music for film and TV including productions such as Wolf Hall and Edie, is Classic FM’s Composer in Residence and appears regularly on radio and on stage, conducting her work. Debbie is a strong supporter of music in the community: “The energising power and thrill of music is an experience from which everyone should have the opportunity to benefit ... As President I will help spread the word; and I look forward with great anticipation to much wonderful music-making - together!” SURREY PERFORMING ARTS LIBRARY (SPAL) - GOOD NEWS
After 18 months of campaigning, users in Surrey are rejoicing that in February Surrey County Council agreed to hand over SPAL to user-led charity NewSPAL. NewSPAL is now preparing to move the collection to a new building in Woking and is fundraising to effect the transition. Find more information and how to support NewSPAL on the website www.newspal.org.uk
uk/open-lette
Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES 5
NEWS
AROUND THE UK SUFFOLK
EDINBURGH
Songs for the ages Making Music members contribute to a new British songbook Last year Sky Arts launched a project led by composer Alex Groves and lyricist Rebecca Hanbury. They wanted to uncover Britain’s complex personality and capture it in song, so Groves and Hanbury travelled all over the UK, speaking to people in schools and community choirs. Making Music member the Edinburgh Police Choir, whose members are drawn from the public as well as people connected to policing, had a workshop with Rebecca. She encouraged them to talk about special experiences in their lives and the session turned out to be very interesting and emotional, with members learning things about each other that they had never known before. 24 groups and over 600 people took part in similar storytelling workshops including members Cardiff Polyphonic Choir, Include
6 HIGHNOTES Summer 2019
Choir, Leicester Amica Choir, Mersey Wave and the Choir with No Name. The result was When we collide, a songbook written by the people of the UK about British collective identity. Since the beginning of 2019, the Edinburgh Police Choir has been busy rehearsing the songs they worked on in their workshop, and which are very much now part of their repertoire. The song, ‘An Oath’, for example, refers to what police officers see and feel, but any choir member who is not with the police can identify with it as well. In February the group thoroughly enjoyed meeting and participating in a concert with other choirs from the project at the Sage Gateshead, which was filmed for the Sky Arts 50 festival and shown on Sky Arts TV. www.edinburghpolicechoir.com
Above: Bury Friendly Orchestra Photo: Shawn Pearce
Recently, multi-ability community group Bury Friendly Orchestra, inspired and led by musical director Chris Parsons, commissioned composer and arranger Davis Sims to create music inspired by Suffolk. Sounds of Suffolk is a suite of music in five movements born out of ideas from the orchestra’s own players, after asking each person to write a few words about their favourite place in the county. The finished suite includes: ‘Bury St Edmunds’ with a monastic theme representing the town’s famous ruined Abbey; ‘Newmarket’, a musical depiction of the racing of horse’s hooves and trumpet fanfares on race day; and ‘The Suffolk Coast,’ paints a musical picture of the natural beauty and rise and fall of the waves on the shoreline. The piece was first performed at the Apex concert hall in Bury St Edmunds in March 2018, and recently recorded to make the orchestra’s first CD. http://buryfriendlyorchestra. onesuffolk.net HERTFORDSHIRE
Did you know? You can listen to the songs from ‘When we collide,’ and download and perform the sheet music for free at https:// whenwecollide. co.uk/thesongbook
In April, Hertfordshire Chorus commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with a commission from James McCarthy entitled One Giant Leap, which they performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre. The work is for large chorus, children’s choir and symphony orchestra and conveys the spirit of adventure, the sense of risk and the danger of the Apollo mission. The lunar themed concert also included Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music and Toward the Unknown Region, and Barber’s Adagio for Strings, which was played at President Kennedy’s funeral – six years before his moon landing vision was fulfilled in 1969. www.hertfordshirechorus.org.uk
NEWS
Member announcements New appointments, anniversaries, awards and projects HM the Queen is to be Patron of a joint project between the UK and the City of Coburg, Germany, to mark the 200th birthdays of Queen Victoria (the first patron of the Royal Choral Society in 1872) and her husband Prince Albert in 2019. Member group the Royal Choral Society’s part is a performance of Mendelssohn at Cadogan Hall on Saturday 25 May 2019 at 7.30pm. They will be performing alongside the Coburg Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductors of both organisations sharing the baton.
The Thames Philharmonic Choir is bidding farewell this summer to choirmaster John Bate, who is stepping down after 50 years as Artistic Director. He was 28 when in 1964, he started the two choirs that merged to form Thames Philharmonic; since then the Choir has progressed from its beginnings as twin local authority evening classes to a high performing group. John says: “I am very proud of the Choir’s many and varied achievements over so many years.” www.thamesphilchoir.org.uk
www.royalchoralsociety.co.uk
60-second interview Would your group like to feature in a 60 second interview? Email editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Trianon Orchestra and Choir is celebrating 60 years this year with an array of talks, commissions and performances and more, with the culmination of the celebrations being a concert at Snape Maltings on Saturday 14 September. Ronald Corp, Matthew Curtis and Carl Davis are among the composers commissioned this year, and new folksongs are being collected about Ipswich and arranged for the choir by one of the members. Artistic Director and Conductor Chris Green OBE is also celebrating 60 years of conducting Trianon as well as other groups. www.tmg.org.uk
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Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) are holding their 2019 annual convention in Llandudno from 25-27 October where singers from the 2,200 members across England and Scotland will show what barbershop is in the 21st century; and there won’t be a striped jacket or straw boater among them! There will be competitions but the members also get together to sing – whether on stage, in large lively groups or small groups in quiet corners, with new arrangements of contemporary tunes. For details and tickets go to: www.labbs.org.uk
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Sorcha Carlin, Assistant Music Director, introduces the Irish Video Game Orchestra. How would you describe your group in three words? Creative, friendly and encouraging When was the orchestra first formed? We formed in 2015 initially for Q-con at Queens but we all enjoyed it so much we decided to stay together as a group. Since then we have doubled in size to over 30 players. What’s the aim of the orchestra? Our main goal is to bring live video game music to performance spaces locally. It introduces kids to the orchestra in a really engaging way and it’s really rewarding to see their reactions when we play music from a favourite game of theirs. We also provide a safe space for adults to learn and improve their musical abilities. We encourage people of all levels to join us. Is everyone in the orchestra a gamer? We are mostly between the ages of 17 and mid-30s so most of us grew up with games, and you don’t have to be an avid gamer to enjoy playing the music! But yes, I would say most of us are on the nerdier side of the gamer-geek spectrum and it’s really nice to have that common interest!
What do the members do by day? Some of us are students, others are working full-time as programmers, teachers, journalists and some are even retired. It’s a really diverse group! What’s been your most challenging project so far? We’ve done theatre concerts, outdoor festivals, played in abandoned warehouses, even on the street! Each place has its own challenges but I think our team really knows how to pull a show together now, so we just get on with it. What are you looking forward to most in the next year? We are planning our first residential weekend. We also have some exciting new pieces in our repertoire too like Kingdom Hearts, a three-part opera scene from Final Fantasy with amazing singers from within the group, and my personal favourite – a medley of pieces from Overwatch. Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES 7
FEATURE
Leaving the industrial museum Brass Bands England CEO Kenneth Crookston discusses the image challenge brass bands face in the 21st century I am often asked about the problems facing brass bands today, most of which will be similar for many who operate predominately in the world of amateur music-making – recruitment, retention, education, legislation and money! Within our particular genres there will also be crossover in how we address these, but brass bands, perhaps uniquely, face one challenge that is taking a very long time to conquer. Who doesn’t love the sound of a good brass band? I’d wager that few who have heard ‘good’ brass bands doing what they do best would hold a negative view. Very often, though, opportunities to perform great music are spurned by brass bands at all levels, either by the musicians or those promoting them. How many times have you seen a news item on, say, industrial decline take in a visit to the local brass band rehearsal, as if to reinforce the stereotype that all brass bands exist in t’North and only play marches or hymn tunes? (Sometimes not very well!) Bands themselves can be poor at taking opportunities when thrust into the public eye,
8 HIGHNOTES Summer 2019
often choosing music from the film Brassed Off! or old Hovis adverts. The less I say about Sue Perkins’ TV series of a decade ago – A Band for Britain – the better… Classic FM also does us few favours, seemingly only possessing one brass band recording – Malcolm Arnold’s albeit excellent march, The Padstow Lifeboat. Sir Malcolm is actually just one of many leading British composers, including Elgar and Holst, to have written much more serious works for brass band over the past century. While much of the most important brass band music has been written for competitions, away from that arena organisations throughout the country are finding new ways to make themselves relevant in the musical and wider communities. Bands such as Wantage (Oxfordshire) and Amersham (Buckinghamshire) have been innovative in their connections with education and will continue to progress musically and organisationally in the years ahead as a result. At youth level England can still boast the finest groups in the world and we will be represented in
FEATURE
“The friends I made when my family moved to Towcester were all in the local band. Had I not gone along to the band with these new friends, and been given a baritone to play, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” - Martyn Brabbins, Music Director of the English National Opera
What makes a band ‘brass’? How long have brass bands been around? Possibly since the early 1800s. Stalybridge Old Band may be the first civilian brass band in the world. Location? the two divisions of the forthcoming European Championships in Montreux by Elland (Yorkshire) and Lions (Cheshire), plus defending champions Wardle Academy (Lancashire) and Youth Brass 2000 (Northamptonshire). Success for these bands has come not only through hard work and dedication, but by making brass banding a fun and rewarding experience that gives young musicians a unique sense of community and valuable interpersonal skills to carry into later life. That future for many will also include UniBrass – the university brass band network that hosts perhaps the most enjoyable of all annual banding events. Yes – a community brass band today is as likely to contain male and female doctors, engineers, teachers and other professionals as it ever was miners, shipbuilders or railwaymen. Brass bands’ industrial heritage is certainly worthy of celebration. For our future to retain any relevance to modern society, however, we need to break out of the Victorian museum of the general public’s perception and introduce the wider world to the best of what we can do, not what it expects from us – that’s just what we used to do. Brass Bands England is affiliated with Making Music, supporting brass bands and their members and promoting the brass band culture. Visit www.bbe.org.uk
Not just in the north of England – brass bands are really popular all over the UK. Isn’t a brass band just a collection of brass instruments? Photo: British Bandsman Credit: John Stirzaker
“Success for these bands has come not only through hard work and dedication, but by making brass banding a fun and rewarding experience that gives young musicians a unique sense of community...”
Yes and no. Yes – almost entirely a standard range of ‘conical bore’ (ice cream cone-shaped) brass instruments: cornets; tenor, baritone and flugel horns; euphoniums; tenor and bass trombones; basses (Eb and Bb tubas) and two or three percussionists. No – there’s much more to it than the instruments. Like what? The UK’s brass banding ecosystem is very rich and diverse. While brass bands have a strong tradition of taking part in local and national competitions, many also welcome players of all levels of ability into training bands, teaching them how to play and loaning them instruments. So despite the clichés, younger people play in brass bands? Oh yes – and women. Dr Michael Bonshor’s study on p.18-19 shows that there have been more women joining brass bands in the last 20 years than men. Ok but back to instruments - why cornets not trumpets? What’s the difference? Cornets are shorter but they both have the same length of tubing. A cornet has a conical bore that creates a softer, warmer sound than the cylindrical trumpet. Do say… Show me what you can play! Don’t say… Play me that music from the Hovis advert.
Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES 9
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MEMBERS
BLOW YOUR CORNET The sky’s the limit We talk to the Wantage Silver Band about their integral role in community life
Band members agree that it would be hard to live in or around Wantage and not know someone who is involved in some way with the Wantage Silver Band. It was set up in 1972 by euphonium player Doug Brand, with just a handful of children and a few instruments from the defunct Town Band. Since then it has grown into a flourishing organisation of over 180 players, helped by the brass tradition of supplying instruments and tuition to players for a modest subscription. There
are seven bands: Junior Brass (mostly primary school aged children), a Training Band (lots of children with some adults) and mixed age groups Community Brass, Academy Brass and Concert Brass. There’s also the top flight Wantage Band, ranked 31st in the world, plus a thriving Big Band, as well as beginner groups. The band is thoroughly involved in activities at all levels in and around Wantage and the neighbouring communities. From parades, concerts, fetes, garden parties, event openings, church services and funerals, and with one or two carolling jobs per day in December, the band is never still. Every June they hold the very popular Brass on the Grass festival – a day outside their band hall where all the bands play and people can come along
for free. A recent venture was founding Bra’vo Brass, an all-ladies band of nationwide players which plays to support breast cancer charities. Wantage Silver Band’s biggest project to date was fundraising for their very own Bandhall. Over about 10 years they raised £100k by their own efforts. The remaining cost of around £100k was provided by issuing bonds to band members and supporters, paying interest on these, and buying them back over the subsequent years. However they also received great support from the Wantage Town Council and from the Vale and Oxfordshire councils, and the provision of land at a very low rent made the project possible. The Bandhall was completed in 2013 and they are now working on a major extension to cope with their expanding ambitions. Watch out on their website for their next big adventure! www.wantageband.org
Are bandstands back for good? Bandstands are an essential part of our history and our future too, writes historian Paul Rabbitts Bandstands were once the centrepiece of most parks and a feature of the British way of life for over a century. In the mid 1800s, parks were becoming increasingly popular places for workers to spend their time and the open spaces needed a focal point. The stands provided a wide range of music but were mainly used by brass or military bands, with over 40,000 brass bands in existence towards the end of the nineteenth century. In the Victorian era bandstands were hugely popular and regularly drew crowds of up to 10,000. Bandstands soon became so popular that nearly every public park and seaside resort had one by the end of the nineteenth century. The popularity of bandstand concerts waned in the 1950s as other attractions, such as the cinema, radio and TV
became increasingly popular and, as a result, many fell into disrepair. There was a brief revival in the late ‘60s when groups such as Pink Floyd, The Who and Fleetwood Mac played free concerts in bandstands, but between 1979 and 2001, more than half the bandstands in British parks were demolished, vandalised or fell into a chronic state of disuse. But now bandstands are back and are once again becoming the vibrant focal points of parks. Across the country they have been revived and restored. Where they have been lost altogether, replicas of the originals have reappeared and are not just echoing to the sounds of brass, but often bouncing to rhythm and blues, rock, opera, street theatre and drama.
It is brilliant seeing so many bandstands up and running again. But local communities also need to wake up and see the opportunities their local bandstands have to offer. Taking part in festivals such as Make Music Day on 21 June is an ideal way to showcase the potential of your local bandstand. If you don’t use it – you may lose it! Find a bandstand near you: www. paulrabbitts.co.uk/bandstands-database
Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES
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FEATURE
Take it away The scheme that supports musicians at every level Recent surveys* by Making Music and the Musicians’ Union have identified cost as a significant barrier to music making for young people. Take it away is an Arts Council funded scheme that exists to help remove this barrier. Any musician, professional or amateur, would agree that the education they had gave them the foundation for a lifetime of enjoying and performing music. So, it’s alarming to see recent government cuts to music education having a severe knock-on effect on music participation. With less provision for music in schools, many lower income families are unable to afford private music lessons for their children, which means that music could be in danger of being the preserve of the more affluent. Take it away provides interest-free loans to purchase musical instruments, equipment, software and tuition. It was launched in 2007 by Creative United and is available through 140 retailers in England and Northern Ireland. Customers can borrow between £100 and £5,000 interest-free, which is paid back in equal instalments over 9 or 18 months, depending on the amount. Giving music makers the backing they need As a passion for music making can develop at any time of life, the loans can support musicians of every age in England and Northern Ireland – with subsidised options tailored to children and young adults in England.
Lisa Judge took advantage of the scheme last year. She had already purchased a tuba and a double bass for her son before she heard about Take it away. “Once his love for music developed, he became involved in both school and county orchestras. His sights were set on playing a third instrument – the harp. I carried out some internet research and found that rather than paying for the item all at once we could pay over nine months. This was such a simple transaction to do, I spoke to the harp shop who forwarded me a form by email. I completed the form and within a short time my request was approved, and the harp was ours!” With her son’s enthusiasm for music showing no signs of dimming, Lisa intends to take advantage of the scheme again: “I’m not sure which instrument will be heading in our direction next, but I will be using the scheme to help spread the cost. If I had found it earlier, I would have definitely used it to purchase the tuba!” Take it away has helped over 90,000 customers since 2007. When the scheme recently expanded to include all ages, enabling even more people to have access to instruments, Making Music awarded it with the 2018 Sir Charles Groves Prize for outstanding contribution to the musical life of the UK.
Photo: Rachel Burt
“As a passion for musicmaking can develop at any time of life, the loans can support musicians of every age...”
*Making Music consultation with members on music education, May 2018: www.makingmusic.org.uk/musiced Musicians’ Union ‘Research into the State of Music Education in the UK,’ November 2018 Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES 13
FROM OUR TEAM
MEMBERSHIP AND SERVICES
CONTACT US info@makingmusic.org.uk / 020 7939 6030
Helping you get the most from your membership
EVENTS Our events help you with running your group. To book your place at events or council meetings, visit: makingmusic.org.uk/events Making local connections Wed 8 May, Salisbury Helping your group to thrive Wed 15 May, High Wycombe Mon 10 Jun, Birmingham The role of the Chair Tues 21 May, London Every penny counts - tips for improving your income Mon 24 Jun, London
Is charity registration for you? Our Charity Registration Service is now open to more groups There are lots of benefits to registering your group as a charity, such as becoming eligible to claim gift aid and gaining more credibility to attract funding and sponsorship opportunities. Our Charity Registration Service makes registering hassle free – we can help you throughout the whole process, from providing you with charitable governing documents or guidance on charity structures, to compiling and submitting the group’s application to the charity body on your behalf. Who can register? If your group is based in England and Wales, is using our charitable model constitution and has an income of above £5K, not only are you eligible to register, but you are actually required to register by the Charity Commission. We have recently opened up our service to groups who are 14 HIGHNOTES Summer 2019
using our model constitution and are based in Scotland, groups who are looking to register as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), as well as groups who are not using our model constitution. If you’re not sure if registering is for you, get in touch for a chat and we’ll guide you on the way forward. Since the service started last summer we’ve been able to help 45 groups register as charitable. But don’t just take our word for it! Find out what others say and view all our guidance at makingmusic.org.uk/charity “Your expert assistance ensured that we successfully completed the process of registration with the Charity Commission speedily and with the minimum of effort.” -Richard Cryer, Monmouth Big Band Contact us to find out more: info@makingmusic.org.uk
Growing your membership (with a focus on under 35s) Sat 8 Jun, Cardiff Sat 27 Jul, Belfast Getting to grips with PRS Sun 21 Jul, Warrington COUNCIL MEETINGS Have your say in how things are run at Making Music.
Did you know? We’ve helped groups claim over £50K with Orchestra Tax Relief (that’s 16 different groups and 18 claims in total). Find out if it’s for you: www. makingmusic. org.uk/ orchestra-taxrelief
• Sat 3 Jul, London • Sat 13 Jul, Taunton • Sat 20 Jul, Leeds • Sat 27 Jul, Glasgow • Sat 27 Jul, Swansea • Sat 27 Jul, Belfast
New online resources (Jan-Apr) • • • •
A guide to branding your group Case study: Haverhill Singers name change Case study: Building your audience A guide to busking
Visit makingmusic.org.uk/resources for more resources and guidance
FROM OUR TEAM
CONTACT US info@makingmusic.org.uk / 020 7939 6030
Notes from the field What we learn from talking to you ‘New music’ This spring the member engagement team was busy again, running 15 events on a range of topics across the country. One of the great things about events is that it gives us the chance to canvas your opinions on various issues; recently we’ve been quizzing you about ‘new music’. What do you understand by this phrase? The answers were many and varied: for some it meant music written in the last 100 years; for others it was something atonal or difficult; for still others it was something that was new to them, no matter when it had been written. It became clear to us that ‘new music’ is not the right term to describe classical music written in the last 100 years. The members we spoke to generally concluded that the best term for this was ‘contemporary music.’ We also asked how often
groups include contemporary classical music in their programming and discovered that a large proportion of you use contemporary work in the majority of your performances, with many groups having commissioned or worked directly with living composers. The cost of hiring music that is in copyright was the most frequently mentioned barrier to performing contemporary music, and is an issue that we continue to discuss with music publishers. Hearing from you about the terminology we use in our resources and communications really helps us to ensure that we share the same language and understanding as our members. What do you think ‘new music’ means? Tell us by emailing: info@makingmusic.org.uk Sharon Moloney, Alison Reeves and Iori Haugen Member Engagement Team
New members A warm welcome to the 100 new members who joined between 1 December and 31 March! 9 to 5 Acoustic Voices Ardington & Lockinge Singers Baxenden Concert Band Bateria Acid Beare Green and Newdigate Choral Society
Bedford Town Band Beeches Performance Ensemble Bodmin Town Band Bradford and Airedale Youth Choir Cantando Ensemble Cantabile
Carillon Caroline Sharpe Singers Chalfont Wind Band Chalford Band Chedburgh Community Choir Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra Cirencester Band City of Oxford Silver Band CitySound Voices Classical Sheffield Corby Silver Band Croydon Symphonic Band Dawlish Choral Society Delph Band Downland Ensemble Dunchurch Band Edinburgh Telephone Choir Enigma Epping Forest Band EQ Rendezvous Mixed Barbershop Harmony Club Exeter Music Centre Felling Male Voice Choir Gosport Solent Brass Grace Notes Music CIC Guildford Vox Community Choir Halesowen Brass Band Hammonds Band Harlekin Studio Opera Harton Harmonisers Acapella Chorus Ilkely Youth Choir Jubilate (Tynedale) Knot Another Choir Kodaly Violin School Langley Band Lions Brass 4 Youth Band Llandudno Town Band Lobo Tren Lostwithiel Town Band Louth People’s Orchestra Luton Concert Band Lydbrook Band Middleton Band Minerva Chorus MK Womens Choir Musical Union Ladies Choir National Youth Concert Band New Ventures Trust Ltd Octavoce
Oll an Gwella Oxford and Abingdon Tuneless Choirs Oxted Band Prime Brass Radcliffe Ladies Choir Redruth Town Band Resonance Orchestra Rhyl Silver Band Richmond Brass Band River City Saxes Rode Hall Silver Band Roke & Benson Brass Band Romsey Chamber Orchestra Saints’ Singers Salamanda Swing Band Scaba (Southern Counties ABA) Sedbergh Town Band Sonore! St Edmund’s Choir Stafford Tuneless Choir (Tuneless Minds Ltd) Stalham Brass Band Surrey Pipe Band Swanton Morley Festival Tadcaster Community Choir Tewkesbury Town Band The Doncaster Waites The Fulltone Music School and Orchestra The Harmonaires Choir The Hooky Singers The Lavenham Sinfonia The Lowry String Group The Martineau Singers The Melton Band The Milli Youth Choir The Pipers’ Guild Torkard Ensemble Traquair Choir Two Castles Male Voice Choir Voci Chamber Choir Voices Welcome Waveney Winds Wealden Brass Band Whittlesey Concert Band Wyke Ukedelics
Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES 15
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FROM OUR TEAM
PROJECTS Keeping you up to date with projects and programmes DATE FOR YOUR DIARY The third Festival of Contemporary Music for All, which takes place across the UK and Europe, will be held on the weekend of 7-8 March 2020. It’s a fantastic opportunity to delve into contemporary music, and is open to all. You can register a performance you’ve already scheduled for that weekend or set up a new one by contacting sally@makingmusic.org.uk and your event will appear on the festival map. You can also pledge to perform pieces from CoMA’s Open Scores - download and perform them for free: www.coma.org/our-music
Make Music Day 2019 The biggest music festival of the year is nearly here! Don’t miss out! Take part in the world’s largest celebration of music on 21 June. With its emphasis firmly on grassroots participation, Make Music Day unites over 120 countries. The festival’s aim is to shine a spotlight on groups like yours, as you transform public spaces with a wonderful array of uplifting, free to attend live performances. There’s still time to list an event you already have planned for 21 June, or organise one and register it. So why should you do something on Make Music Day? • Give new members and new ||||||audiences the chance to find you • Inspire new people to make ||||||music or return to it • Show your local community |||||||what you do • Let the world discover you by |||||||connecting to UK and global |||||||events
New
• Have your event promoted via ||||| Make Music Day|communications Stuck for ideas? Take your music to the people; in libraries, shopping centres, town squares, train stations, bandstands – or throw open your doors and welcome the public in to watch or take part. If you can’t get to a public space, try going digital and live stream yourselves on social media! Support is available every step of the way, including connecting you with venues in your area, a suite of toolkits explaining everything from live streaming to licensing, access to official festival branded merchandise, publicity templates and more! makemusicday.co.uk/get-involved/ Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @MakeMusicDayUK Email: join@makemusicday.co.uk
Did you know? Brass players - this year for Make Music Day music publisher Hal Leonard is commissioning a new brass band arrangement of Bring Me Sunshine - why not have a go?
Solo singers added to Selected Artists guide for 2019/20!
For the first time this year we’ve added a selection of talented solo singers from the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain for members, particularly choral societies, to book. The new and expanded Selected Artists Guide also features PDGYA award winners, composers from our Adopt a Composer project, folk musicians and jazz musicians, an organist, classical groups and more. Members can take advantage of exclusive subsidies. If you’re a small promoter, you can claim a Selected Artists Subsidy and Artists Expenses Subsidy. Visit makingmusic.org.uk/subsidies for more information
Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES 17
FEATURE
Who plays brass? Researcher Dr Michael Bonshor looks at age, gender and musical experience in brass bands The benefits of singing in choirs have been receiving increasing media attention, but there has been comparatively little exploration of the benefits of playing in brass bands. My research colleague, Dr Vicky Williamson, and I recently decided that it was time to examine the effects that brass banding has on players. Personally, I was very excited to have an excuse to apply my research skills in this area, as I was a keen euphonium player until I carelessly damaged my front teeth in a cycling accident. Vicky and I created an online survey in which we asked several open questions about how brass banding affects players’ physical, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual health. The preliminary analysis indicates that most brass players experience significant wellbeing benefits in each of these categories, and our findings will be reported in more detail later this year. We also asked several demographic questions about age, gender and musical experience, with the following results. It’s never too late Brass Bands England circulated our survey to their members, and also invited non-members to take part in the study. The response was very enthusiastic – within just a few days, we received
18 HIGHNOTES Summer 2019
346 completed questionnaires from adult brass players. The survey respondents had a great deal of combined experience; seventy-five per cent had been playing in brass bands for more than 10 years, and over fifty percent had been playing for more than 20 years. The newcomers to brass banding ranged in age from teenagers to retired people discovering the joy of playing music for the first time: “[sic] the satisfaction of taking up a challenge in my 60s and learning the trombone from scratch. I could only read music that didn’t have sharps and flats in it before. Now I can read in three clefs.” The participants’ ages ranged from 18 to over 80 years old, and they all generously provided detailed answers to our questions. The demographics showed a high level of intergenerational engagement in brass band playing, with 56 participants aged 30 or under, and 56 players continuing beyond the age of 60. Many of the participants enjoyed meeting people from different age groups through their brass banding: “I retired last year and my involvement in brass bands is now my primary interest outside my family. It also gives me contact with a wide range of people of all ages. It helps me [sic] being in contact with younger band members and assisting them to develop. I believe it also helps them to develop social skills mixing with older people and taking on commitment and responsibility.”
FEATURE
Vive la differénce We did not gather statistical data regarding socio-economic status, but many participants appreciated the fact that brass band membership introduced them to a diverse range of people: “I get the opportunity to meet people from all aspects of life, different ages and class background that I may not meet any other way.”
Here come the girls! Although brass band playing has historically been a male-oriented activity, our research indicates that the gender balance in brass bands is changing. Our survey respondents comprised 150 females and 189 males, 2 participants who self-identified as transmasculine, and 5 who did not disclose their gender. Of those who provided information about both their age and gender, the majority of participants aged over 50 were male (82), compared with females (38). In contrast with this, the majority of survey respondents aged 50 or under were female (97), compared with males (73, including 2 transmasculine males). There were almost twice as many male participants with over 20 years of brass band experience (119) as females (63) with this amount of experience. However, the number of females with between one year and 20 years’ experience of brass playing slightly outstrips the number of males in this category, suggesting that more women than men have joined brass bands in recent years.
Some particularly enjoyed the chance to encounter people with contrasting perspectives on life: “In an age where it’s common to hear the lament ‘But I don’t know anyone who voted opposite to me in the referendum’, I find that I know plenty who voted in both directions. For me it has proven to have a philosophically rounding effect.” Brass banding was also seen as a valuable means of making new contacts, broadening experience and contributing to society: “Playing in a brass band is a great way to meet people and get out in to the community and into places and situations that wouldn’t otherwise occur…It allows friendships within the band to flourish and people outside the band to be entertained and to be culturally stimulated.” More details on Dr Bonshor’s and Dr Vicky Williamson’s research into brass band playing and its physical, psychological and social benefits will be published later this year. For more information, please contact Dr Michael Bonshor at: pocketmaestro@hotmail.com
Credit credit: John Stirzaker/ British Bandsman
“I get the opportunity to meet people from all aspects of life, different ages and class background that I may not meet any other way.”
Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES 19
Sing for Pleasure Summer School Keele University, Staffordshire 10-18 August 2019 NOW An unforgettable week offering courses BOOKING for choral enthusiasts of every kind.
For Choral Directors and Vocal Leaders: • Conductor training courses: highly acclaimed training for beginners upwards
For Singers: • Musicianship for Singers course: music sight reading and theory from a singer’s viewpoint • NEW English Heritage Singers’ course: focusing on English folk songs and choral music • Part-week choral courses: for varying levels of singing experience • Sing Gospel - led by guest tutor Themba Mvula • Consort - led by guest tutor Rupert Gough • Fauré: Requiem - led by SfP tutor Jane Hampson
Find out more, and book online, at:
www.singforpleasure.org.uk/events Enquiries to: events@singforpleasure.org.uk
Sign up to our e-newsletter for regular training event updates and news
Conducting | Singing | Musicianship | Repertoire
Mirfield, West Yorkshire www.hepplestondoublebasses.com
Telephone 0800 0184 164 or visit singforpleasure.org.uk Registered Charity No. 270384. Freephone supplied by Verizon
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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 Sinfonìetta Leoš Janáček https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BAmuvFglu0g Growing up in the leafy suburb of Kew, with access to the District Line, my musical parents made sure that I was exposed to a variety of musical experiences from an early age. I took up piano lesssons and there was always singing! I was introduced to The National Song Book (Volume 1 price one shilling and sixpence) from an early age and delighted more in picking out the tunes on the piano than practising my scales and arpeggios! Piano practice was done before school, along with French lessons with Mum. At some point one or other of my parents would take me to the Robert Mayer Childrens’ concerts in the Royal Festival Hall.
The Christmas concert was always a highlight and I have loved carols ever since. Soon enough, I was allowed to attend on my own, reporting on the delights of the programme on my return home. Several pieces stand out in my memory – On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring; The Lark Ascending and that most exciting of pieces, Janáček’s Sinfonietta with the sound of brass filling that great hall and my soul to boot! Visits to the English National Opera followed, and I am happy to say a lifelong love of music of many genres was born. Now in my sixties, I’m still learning and taking exams. I’m secretary of the South Hams Chamber Orchestra where I play cello, treasurer to the Recorders@Plymouth Group (and I also teach the recorder to primary school children), as well as other wind and cello ensembles. In addition I sing in a small choir and at folk clubs when I can. How lucky am I?! Hilary Levan Email us and tell us about your favourite song or piece of music editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Early music I play historical harps, cittern, hurdy gurdy and sackbut, and I love early music – it covers such a wide range of styles and instruments. Early music is out of copyright, and often available online which is great. A few of us get added enjoyment from wearing period costume if we are performing in public. Other instruments used in early music include recorders, viols, harpsichords, organs, early bagpipes (e.g. Flemish, Cornish and Leicestershire), crumhorns, curtals, racketts, gemshorns, shawms, rebecs, Renaissance guitars, lutes, theorbos and Baroque violins. Medieval music (6th to 15th century) has beautiful, ethereal modes with harmonies, but also plainchant and polyphony. In polyphony every line is of equal weight but put together they make a satisfying whole. At this time, music was practical – for singing, dancing or praising God. My favourite early music period is the late Renaissance (16th and 17th centuries), because I love its dance music and because instrumentation is not generally specified, so it can be played on whatever resources are available. Renaissance/Tudor music often has a sparseness that cries out for the skills of diminution and augmentation, the basis of modern improvising. Much music was written for amateurs. Whether your host produced a consort
Photo: The Chansonniers playing at the Bowes Museum Credit: Alice Brunton
Pam Radford, of member group the Leeds Waits, gives an overview
of recorders, a chest of viols, or part books for singing you were expected to participate in the after-dinner entertainment. If you weren’t able to, you were considered uneducated. The Baroque period covers the mid to late 17th century and early 18th centuries, and includes Purcell – perhaps the composer who is most able to express grief in music. If you want to play early music you can find inspiration and help at workshops of the various regional early music forums. National Early Music Association of the UK: www.nema.uk.org NEEMF: www.neemf.org.uk/past-neemf-events.html Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES
21
Where will your ensemble be next summer? Get away from it all…perform…have fun
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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 CORPORATE MEMBER SERVICES
Trybooking.com
A word from Managing Director Joan Lind on what the online ticketing system can do for music groups.
EARMASTER: AN EAR TRAINING APP
What does it do? • An app created by Hans Lavdal Jakobsen in 1992 when he was preparing for an entrance exam at the conservatory of Copenhagen.
What does Trybooking.com do? Trybooking makes the ticketing for performances easier to manage. Rather than having the hassle of organising tickets manually or via expensive ticketing box offices, music groups can take control of their ticket sales online, via their own website, social media and emails. Audiences can easily book tickets for performances, and receive them straightaway. Why is it useful? As well as giving music groups full control of their ticket sales, the system also captures the data of the people buying the tickets. This can help the group build up a fuller picture of their audience that they can use to plan marketing for future performances. Groups can manage the number of tickets they want to sell too, so they don’t have to worry about overbooking a venue, and also track how many people are attending leading up to the event and on the night itself. What’s your ethos? To support community groups to have an accessible, flexible solution to ease the admin. We’re available to speak to by phone
or email any time of day too – we’re not just a faceless website! What are the costs? You can use Trybooking at a zero cost due to our simple, transparent and low fees. You can set your performance ticket prices to include the 5% service fee, and use Trybooking at zero cost. If your tickets are £10, Trybooking retains 50p. So you could set the ticket price at £11 – Trybooking retains 55p and you make £10.45. Can I test the service before I buy? Yes – as a ‘pay as you use’ system, you can open up a complimentary account and look at all our features, including setting up test events with free tickets – you can ask others to purchase tickets so you can see the full process from start to finish. How much technical knowledge do I need? Very little – it’s as easy as using Amazon. We have instructions on every webpage as well as a Learning Centre. The customer service team is available by phone and will guide you on how to set up the event, and create demos for you to follow for whatever you need help with. www.trybooking.com
• Hans found that getting a friend to play intervals and chords on the piano so that that he could do ear training practice was time-consuming and impractical – the idea that software could handle it better came to him. • EarMaster today covers most areas of music theory for both beginners through to more advanced musicians, such as ear training, sight-singing, sight-reading, rhythm study, jazz, choral practice, and more. • The software includes a beginner’s course in ear training and music theory. Choirs, bands and orchestras offer EarMaster to their members so that they can practice on their own and develop their musicianship skills. • EarMaster uses a ‘freemium’ model, which means that the basic functionality is free to use and the full functionality can be unlocked by a licence. With EarMaster Cloud, a choir, band or orchestra can offer EarMaster to its members from €3 per user/year. • EarMaster is for Windows, Mac and iPad. More info and free versions are available at www.earmaster.com Already tried EarMaster out? Let us know what you think: editor@makingmusic.org.uk Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES
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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! Your repertoire, venues and excursions will be selected to meet both the performance and leisure objectives of your group. rayburntours.com
Making Music members are eligible for a 15% discount on all services and help with every stage of your recording project. All genres and size of ensemble are catered for, from jazz trio to full-scale opera. 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. Both are compatible Steinberg’s UR audio interfaces, apps and VST instruments. steinberg.net
With a catalogue of over 220,000 products including music performances and instructional materials, Hal Leonard represents many of the world’s best known and most respected publishers, artists, songwriters, and arrangers. musicshopeurope.com
An industry-transforming subscription service for sheet music. Providing the world’s largest digital library of scores, parts and educational material in a rich, AI-driven, collaborative environment. nkoda.com
Specialists in hearing protection for musicians and music lovers. ACS offers a range of attenuating earplugs that reduce damaging frequencies but still allow you to hear the music – ideal for a leisure time-musician. acscustom.com
Provides a marketplace of high quality musical arrangements of a wide range of titles and genres at a much lower individual price, but fully approved from the relevant publishers. choircommunity.net
A clothing range designed specifically to meet the needs of classical musicians. This range allows freedom of movement to play at your best. Chic clothes in breathable, easy-care, crease resistant fabrics - perfect to take on tour. blackdresscode.com
CORPORATE MEMBERS
HAWES MUSIC PUBLISHING
CORPORATE SUPPORTERS
MEMBERS
READERS’ PAGE Got something to say? We’d love to hear from you: editor@makingmusic.org.uk.
BOOK REVIEW
Competition corner
Life, Death and Cellos by Isabel Rogers, Farrago Books
Save Stockwell Park Orchestra! Fancy some summer reading? We have five copies of Isabel Rogers’ book Life, Death & Cellos, published by Farrago Books, to give away. Characters in the novel are struggling to keep their beloved leisure-time music group afloat. Email us your one top tip for fundraising or generating income for a leisure-time music group to editor@makingmusic.org.uk and the best five – the most useful, weird, wacky or unusual tips – will be chosen by the author to win! The competition closes at 5pm on 31 May
Why change? Why change? Things have always worked well in the past, why change them now? I do a lot of work, I’ve set up systems and now that I’ve got them down to a fine art, suddenly the committee has decided they want to do things differently. It’s not like they have loads of people lining up to volunteer or anything – they can’t do without me. If I resign, I bet they’ll come back begging me to carry on. Alright, so I agree with the rest of them that we need new members, and that we’re all getting too old. It would be nice to have more people to share the
workload and a few more tenors who are under 75! And I can see from the grandchildren that they do things very differently these days. It’s a great choir, we don’t want it to fold, so I guess we’ve got to adapt. If the rest of the committee are managing to get to grips with the website, are up for performing in a shopping centre and singing Mamma Mia compilations for the village fete, maybe Instagram, Spotify playlists and Twitter aren’t beyond my capabilities... Anon
Written by a former leisure-time cellist and the first book in a planned series of books about the Stockwell Park Orchestra, this is a fun and irreverent take on life in a leisure-time music group. The story follows cellist Erin as she tries to help the orchestra through a series of crises involving a lost cello, a missing conductor and a diva-esque benefactor. It’s clear from early on where the story is headed, but then it’s the characters and how they deal with the challenges thrown at them that are the backbone of the narrative. Several of the characters and situations will be instantly recognisable to any leisuretime musician, and half the fun of reading the book was either nodding along in agreement or shaking my head in total disbelief! Rogers’ knowledge and love of music shines through the text, particularly when she is describing the more technical aspects of the music and the instruments, though these passages sometimes feel like they might be a little too technical for anyone not already in the know. Overall this is a fun, cosy and entertaining start to the series, perfect for when you just want something lighthearted to read. - Sharon Moloney
When things get complicated Our instrument insurance stays simple All your household instruments and equipment covered in one single policy, just pick your level of cover and insure with a click. Prices start at just £35 for Making Music members.
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Summer 2019 HIGHNOTES
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FROM OUR TEAM
MAKING MUSIC PEOPLE Interested in getting involved? Visit makingmusic.org.uk/volunteers
STAFF MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
LIZ CLARK COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING DIRECTOR
When did you join Making Music? October 2018 What attracted you most to working here? I am a passionate believer in community arts, working previously for an inclusive theatre company, and love what Making Music enables for groups allPrint Ad.indd over the country. I grew up with my mum singing barbershop, so know first-hand the joy, creativity and belonging found through making music. What do you do in your role at Making Music? As part of the senior management team I oversee all of Making Music’s messaging, marketing and publications. There’s so much that we have to shout about, from the multitude of resources and services that help groups grow and flourish to the incredible impact that leisure-time music has on everyone involved – it’s going to be a busy first year!
1
Sherborne
Summer School of Music 28 July - 11 August 2019 Composition Jazz Wind Ensemble Choirs
Lighter Side Choir Cappella Chamber Choir Choral Course Voices in Harmony
Orchestras
Chamber Orchestra Symphony Orchestra
Do you play any instruments or sing?
Vocal Masterclasses
At the moment I only sing in church, but seeing what groups are doing all over the country is inspiring me to do more!
Piano Masterclasses
What do you like to do outside work? I will often be immersed in a story somehow, a book, a film or at the theatre. I’m also learning to swing dance, so may be found practising my Charleston swivel in an old dance hall somewhere.
13/03/2019 07:30
The Art of Song Communicate through Singing Piano Course Piano Accompaniment
Conducting
Wind Conducting Practical Conducting Choral Conducting George Hurst Conducting Course
Sherborne Summer
School of Music
email summermusicschool@btinternet.com tel +44 (0)1342 893963 www.sherbornesummerschoolofmusic.org
Which three people would you invite to a dinner party? I’d go for my two best friends and my sister – for the best fun, friendship and feasting!
26 HIGHNOTES Summer 2019
Want to advertise in Highnotes? Contact Sharon Maslen at Space Marketing. Telephone: 01892 677742 or email sharonm@spacemarketing.co.uk
EVENTS 2020 Competitions and Festivals for choirs
01 04 04 04 05 07 09 10 10 11 11
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)
9
11
2019 NOV
18
15 INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION & FESTIVAL BAD ISCHL April 29 - May 3, 2020 | Bad Ischl, Austria
2019 SEP
2019 DEC
2ND HELSINGBORGS KÖRFESTIVAL May 27 - 31, 2020 | Helsingborg, Sweden
2019 NOV
2020 JAN
11 WORLD CHOIR GAMES July 5 - 15, 2020 | Flanders, Belgium
2019 SEP
2019 DEC
10 ISOLA DEL SOLE September 26 - 30, 2020 | Grado, Italy
2020 MAR
2020 MAY
SING’N’JOY BOHOL October 7 - 11, 2020 | Bohol, Philippines
2020 MAR
2020 MAY
9 CANTA AL MAR – FESTIVAL CORAL INTERNACIONAL October 21 - 25, 2020 | Calella/Barcelona, Spain
2020 MAR
2020 MAY
4TH SING’N’JOY VIENNA November 11 - 15, 2020 | Vienna, Austria
2020 MAR
2020 JUN
TH
TH
TH
TH
30 4
16 2 2
16 30
TEL AVIV, Israel | March 12 - 15, 2020 VERONA, Italy | March 26 - 29, 2020 STOCKHOLM, Sweden | May 7 - 10, 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
9
13 2
18 18 18 8
2020 JUN
VOICES & WINE MÀLAGA November 18 - 22, 2020 | Màlaga, Spain (Andalusia)
ON STAGE Festivals
05 11
REGISTRATION DATES Early Bird Regular
22
REGISTRATION DATES
21, 2019 4, 2019 DEC 9, 2019 JAN 13, 2020 JAN 20, 2020 APR 20, 2020 JUN 15, 2020 OCT
NOV
Sing Along Concerts SING ALONG CONCERT “ON TOUR” MILAN May 14 - 18, 2020 | Milan, Italy SINGERS IN RESIDENCE - SING ALONG CONCERT VIENNA November 13 - 16, 2020 | Vienna, Austria
interkultur.com
Choirs: © Nolte Photography, Landscape: © Fotolia
All product and company names are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective holders. All rights reserved. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright Š 2019 Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
Experience the Future of Scoring Dorico is the music notation software from Steinberg, and comes in two versions: Dorico Pro for professionals and Dorico Elements providing the perfect introduction to the world of scoring. Both are ideal for choral composers and arrangers, and an invaluable tool for choir directors. Dorico has the most flexible input and editing of any scoring software, and is the only notation software you can compose directly into. Dorico produces printed output that is the equal of the world’s leading publishers, and has impeccable rhythmic spacing, including when the music has lyrics. Dorico supports as many lines of lyrics as you need, allows dedicated lyric lines for translations into other languages, and positions everything automatically, with no collisions. Dorico can import music from other software, including Sibelius and Finale, via MusicXML. Try Dorico for yourself for free. Download a fully functioning 30-day trial today from www.dorico.com or contact your local music shop.