Thames Vale Youth Orchestra
Annual General Meeting 2014/15
Monday 16th March 2015
at Larkmead School
Annual General Meeting 2014/15
Monday 16th March 2015
at Larkmead School
Present:
Dr Carolyn May - Chair
Michael Stinton - Musical Director
Suma Tennant - Incoming Treasurer
Dona Pathinayake - Parent
Jitka Fort - Committee Secretary
Apologies:
Carolyn King
Hugo Phillips
Julie Dandridge
Joanna Havelock
Jo Tuffill
Welcome from the Chair.
1. Minutes of Last Meeting:
Minutes of the last meeting were approved.
2. Matters Arising:
There were no matters arising from the last AGM.
3. Report from the Chair of TVYO:
Chair of TVYO: Report on 2014 - 16th March 2015.
TVYO holds a special place in the history of Oxfordshire and the local area. Generations of young musicians have explored the challenges of advanced musical repertoire, and enjoyed meeting together socially, under the auspices of our experienced and dedicated TVYO team. TVYO has an important role to play in bringing together musicians from state and independent schools, enabling them to rehearse music to a high standard under the guidance of experienced professional coaches, not only in a full orchestra setting, but also in sectional rehearsals. Parents tell us that the progress the players make during their time in the orchestra can sometimes be quite exceptional, and many have been inspired by this experience to pursue a career in music.
Recently an ex-TVYO member sent the following spontaneous message to our Musical Director, and I thought I would share it with you as a fitting prelude to our AGM reflections:
“I hope this email finds you well! Not sure if you remember me, but I was a violin/viola player in TVYO who graduated from Headington School in 2011. Time really does go by quickly - I am now doing a Masters in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London.
I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful experience I had at TVYO - it was a huge inspiration for me to pursue a career in music. Although I was only there for two years, I had a tremendous amount of support and guidance from you and fellow members in both performance and academia. The repertoire was exciting and, during my time in Headington, Monday evenings were always the two hours we most looked forward to in the week. Ultimately, I chose to take a music degree over a law degree as music was what I truly enjoyed, and it was the best decision I have ever made.
I hope TVYO continues to inspire more young people to enjoy music and I hope to see you again soon. I am looking forward to your next concert!”
What a wonderful message this is, and how lovely to hear from a young person why TVYO is an important and worthwhile endeavour.
When I was putting together the material for our new website, I asked the TVYO staff for their biographical details, and I was struck by how extraordinarily high-flying and talented they all are, and how very fortunate we are to have them working for us. Therefore this is where I wanted to begin my report – with a vote of thanks to our coaches: to P.J. Augur, (we are delighted to have him back with us and to see him looking so well), John Hounan (who assisted during P.J.’s absence), Marion Crombie, Valerie Findlay, Elizabeth Harré (who has been so committed, despite her mother’s final illness), Chris Fletcher-Campbell, Anna Evans, John King, Matthew Cooke, and Nigel Somerville. Without the concentrated work they undertake during sectional rehearsals the players would not be able to make such significant progress – the coaches do a great deal to encourage and support individual players who are often at very different stages of development.
A special vote of thanks must also go to Michael Stinton, as our Conductor and Musical Director. Not only do we benefit from his musical expertise, and his immense experience as a conductor (and hearing how much the orchestra develops from the first full orchestral play-through to the final concert is testimony in itself to his impressive gifts in skilfully guiding these young players through complex musical challenges), but we also benefit from his commitment in sustaining and developing the orchestra. He has been particularly active in recent months in trying to recruit new players, he is always ready to offer lifts, and he and Clova are generous in their kind offers of hospitality to Committee members and coaches in the New Year and after our May concert. There is no doubt that it is the strength of his leadership that gives cohesion to the orchestra and helps it to retain its high standing in the local area. Michael, on behalf of the TVYO Committee and all the parents I would like to take this opportunity to record our sincere thanks for all that you do.
This would also be a good moment to record once again our thanks to Mary Wells for all the work she did as Chair of TVYO, in particular to thank her for continuing as Chair through to October 2014, even though she had technically ‘retired’ in May. Mary approached her role as Chair with enthusiasm and commitment, and ensured that everything she handed on was carefully planned and well organised. We are grateful for her new initiatives, such as the ‘bring a friend’ evenings, the ticket selling competitions, and for the creation of a new database. Mary was thanked for all her hard work at the Sheldonian concert. (I believe she was seen skipping out of the rehearsal on the evening I took over!).
When I first took over as Chair in October 2014 I met with Michael, and studied Mary’s notes. It seemed to me that the main challenges facing TVYO were threefold:
In relation to the orchestra: recruitment and retention; fostering enthusiasm.
In relation to the parents/committee: recruiting more parent members; fostering enthusiasm.
In relation to the administration: updating all publicity, letters and forms; updating the website (which had lapsed for 2 years).
In relation to the orchestra target, Michael and I discussed a number of new initiatives which I would like to return to as Agenda Item 7.
In relation to the Committee target, I set about clarifying the Committee roles. I spoke to parents at the December concert and emailed them on a number of occasions to ask for volunteers.
The clarification of Committee roles is included here:
Chair:
Role: Chairs meetings and co-ordinates committee roles, ensures that a parent rota is set up to support all rehearsals, over-sees concert organisation and ensures that all TVYO documents and leaflets are up to date. The chair, in consultation with the Musical Director, offers vision and leadership to the orchestra, ensuring that recruitment and retention levels remain healthy, ensuring that the orchestra flourishes and that the standard of musical and social experience offered to TVYO students continues to develop.
Concert Secretary (new role):
Role: Sends out letters to schools (this includes those schools attended by TVYO members and schools which do not currently have TVYO members with a view to encouraging new members), and to TVYO friends (with complimentary tickets) prior to our concerts.
Committee Secretary:
Role: Takes the minutes of twice yearly meetings and ensures that these are typed up and circulated.
Database Secretary:
Role: Keeps the database up to date with parent and pupil details.
Treasurer:
Role: Handles subscriptions; handles payments; orders and pays for the taxi/minibus service from Oxford to Larkmead; keeps the accounts; ensures that the accounts are properly audited each year (the accounts are currently audited by an ex-TVYO parent).
Admissions Secretary:
Role: Handles all matters relating to admissions; is the first point of contact for parents; sends out application forms and TVYO leaflets to interested students; co-ordinates auditions, and confirms places following auditions; sends out subscription forms to new players; sends data through to the database secretary and updates the registers.
Music Librarian:
Role: Ensures that the necessary music is ordered for the forthcoming concert; checks that the parts are received, places them in the individual folders, and retrieves and returns them at the end of the season.
In-house designer:
Role: Designs the concert posters and tickets; designs the certificates awarded to students for outstanding effort and excellent progress; designs the 100% attendance cards; modifies the logo to meet publicity requirements; advises on all design matters in order to maintain the professional image of the orchestra.
Website designer and editor:
Role: The framework of our new website has just been designed and launched by the TVYO Chair. The role of the editor is to keep the website up to date and develop it where appropriate, in particular, with parental agreement, adding up-to-date photographs.
Publicity officer:
Role: Ensures that all concerts are well advertised, including in free sheet listings, local press, and local venues such as the Library, Simply Books, Prices, Added Ingredients, St Nicolas’ Church, Upper Reaches Hotel, Throwing Buns etc etc. Ensures that TVYO has an advert in the Abingdon Music Festival programme and that the Oxfordshire Family Information Directory entry is kept up to date.
Refreshment Co-Ordinator :
Role: Buys the squash and biscuits for the rehearsal refreshments, and the 'mini-chocolate rewards' for the students who arrive on time for rehearsals; buys the wine, fruit juice and water for concerts, and borrows and returns the necessary wine glasses.
Programme Production:
Role: Researching and writing the notes for the programmes for the concerts; typing and sorting out the layout of the programme.
As a result of the plea at the December Concert, and the emails, I am pleased to be able to report that parents stepped forward to fill all but one of the roles outlined, and I am extremely grateful to all parents who have offered their help. I recognise how busy and committed everyone is, and every offer of help makes a difference.
The new Committee is recorded here:
Chair: Carolyn May
Admissions Secretary: Carolyn King.
Concert Secretary: situation vacant.
Committee Secretary: Jitka Fort.
Database Secretary: Howard Brown.
Treasurer: Hugo Phillips.
(Suma Tennant will take over in June 2015)
In-house designer: Kate Preston.
Website designer and editor: Carolyn May.
Publicity officers: Claire Armon-Jones and Fiona Jackson.
Music Librarian: Christopher Fletcher-Campbell.
Refreshment Co-ordinator: Lee Guckian.
I would like to say a particular thank you to Hugo Phillips for all his work as Treasurer. Hugo has dealt with subscriptions, the hiring of venues, the handling of payments, and sorting out the taxis, and has carefully overseen our accounts for a number of years, (including the end of year auditing with David Lindsay) continuing even though he no longer has a child in the orchestra. We are very grateful indeed for all his help. Hugo will stand down at the end of this year and we are grateful to Suma Tennant for agreeing to take on this role.
As noted in the last AGM Minutes Carolyn King took on the role of Auditions’ Secretary this year, and we are very grateful for all the excellent efficient work she has been doing. She liaises with new players and co-ordinates informal auditions for players joining throughout the year, as well as co-ordinating the June audition programme. She also often helps out at Monday evening rehearsals. Suma Tennant has been our Database Secretary ensuring that our central records are up to date. Suma will continue this role in September, alongisde her role as Treasurer, as the two roles overlap.
Christopher Fletcher-Campbell has very kindly taken over the role of Music Librarian. The Librarian has a vital role to play in hiring parts (or buying scores where appropriate), in ensuring that these are distributed between the transparent folders for each orchestral ‘desk’, and, most importantly, that all the parts are safely returned at the end of the season so that we do not incur costs. Chris works behind the scenes to ensure that we are ready for the start of term, and chases up stray items with determination. It also bears mention that Chris provided invaluable help and support for the concert at St Helen’s, setting everything up ready for both the rehearsal and the concert, and ensuring that things were properly cleared away. Chris’s car (along with Michael’s) is always in use ferrying musical instruments from place to place. Many thanks to Chris.
We have been lucky to gain an In-house designer this year. Kate Preston has been undertaking excellent work for us, designing our posters and tickets for the December concert. Her artistic eye and professional presentation has enabled us to enhance the image of TVYO, with a new and exciting logo and a more dynamic profile. The players have been excited by the new developments and we are very grateful to her for all the time she puts in.
Lee Guckian has kindly taken on the role of Refreshment Co-Ordinator, ensuring that we have sufficient biscuits, squash, and chocolate treats for rehearsals. She will also take over the purchasing of wine, fruit juice and water for the concerts (and arranging for the hire of wine glasses) so that the Chair does not have to undertake this role for future concerts. This vital role can be time-consuming, and it is useful to have another pair of hands assisting in this way, and we are grateful for Lee’s offer to help in this way.
Following our December Concert it was felt that it would be good to improve our publicity. I am very grateful to Claire Armon-Jones and Fiona Jackson for agreeing to take on the role of Publicity Officer. The role has been divided so that one will undertake online advertising and the other will ensure that posters are distributed in the local area.
Jitka Fort has kindly offered to take on the role of Committee Secretary, typing up the notes from our meetings.
A major development has been the complete redesign of the Website (coupled with the launch of a Facebook page) which I enjoyed undertaking. Response to this has been strong, with statistics showing a regular flow of unique visitors and page views. The Facebook page has attracted a regular flow of likes and messages, especially during the period when an advert was run to boost the audience.
We now have the May Concert to look forward to. The posters and programme are ready for professional printing, the tickets are ready for in-house printing and these will be available on-line for the first time (with a booking reference number given to those who buy by this method).
There is plenty ahead to challenge us – but more of this in a moment.
CJM
4. Report from Musical Director:
Musical Director’s Report.
1. Our Concerts since the last AGM (11 November, 2013)
8 December 2013
Sibelius Finlandia
Prokofiev Lieutenant Kije Suite
Dvorak Symphony No 9 in E Minor (New World)
1 May 2014
Rossini: Thieving Magpie Overture
Arnold Cornish Dances
Saint-Saens: Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
7 December 2014
Marquez Canzon No 2
Mussorgsky A Night on a Bare Mountain
Dvorak Symphony No 8 in G Major
Last season’s concerts gave us plenty of challenges to which the orchestra rose magnificently and I think everyone enjoyed the music. The most recent Christmas concert gave us the opportunity to play the famous Danzon by Marquez, with it’s Latin American rhythms, which everyone enjoyed.
The concert in May last year was a great finale to a very enjoyable year. The Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet stretched us to the full. I felt the performance was outstanding and I was very proud of all the players.
It is always wonderful to see how the orchestra develops over the year and I have high hopes for the current orchestra who have made such a promising start to the Sheldonian concert programme for may.
2. The Current State of Orchestra
This year’s orchestra has very good potential, I feel. The atmosphere in rehearsals is really purposeful and we are making good progress with quite a demanding programme of Suppe, Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Sibelius. As last year, we have been able to recruit some key extra players at the start of the season. We are slowly succeeding in recruiting more upper and lower strings – violins, violas, cellos and basses. But anyone with friends, children etc, who would be interested and suitable, then please ask them to come along one Monday and try us out! Our auditions are on 15 June (strings) and 16 June (woodwind and brass).
3. The Coaching Team
We are so lucky to have a first class team of sectional coaches. We are so delighted and grateful to have had John Hounam with us for a full year since PJ has been recovering from Leukaemia. And we are so delighted that PJ has returned to TVYO since January, now recovered. I would like to pay tribute to all the coaches for their amazing work with our players.
4. The Players
Last year’s orchestra made great progress and Mila Ferramosca has made a great start as this year’s Leader. Although we lost a good many players last year, we have had a great many keen younger musicians join us, and they are really beginning to sound like an orchestra.
5. The Management Committee
Mary Wells handed over the reins as our Chairman over a period of nearly three years and has done huge amounts to encourage us all. I would like to pay tribute to all the hard work that she put into sustaining the orchestra and developing our management. Carolyn King joined us at a crucial time, too, providing excellent continuity as Recruitment Officer after Rebecca Allison left us. I am thrilled to now be working with Carolyn May, our new Chairman, who has already done a huge amount in revitalising, re-energising and modernising our organisation. I am grateful to both Mary and Carolyn, and all our hard working committee members, who have done so much to help us recruit talented young musicians.
6. Conclusion
TVYO is in good shape and, thanks largely to our two Carolyns, we are already enjoying a terrific year. I do hope that parents will get actively involved if they can. It is enormous fun and we need them!
Special thanks to all those parents who deliver their children at 6.05pm for a prompt start at 6.15pm and to those that encourage their offspring to stay and help clear up at the end. TVYO is a very special organisation and I continue to feel privileged to be the Conductor and Musical Director.
MAS
5. Report from Treasurer:
TVYO Treasurer’s Report: 2014.
25 June 2014 TVYO accounts for the period ending 31 August 2013 were submitted to the Charity Commission. A copy can be viewed through their website.
In 2014 TVYO made a loss. This was down to a number of factors:
1. Drop of subscription revenue through lower player numbers and challenge of collecting subs (drop of approx £1000)
2. Increased fees for use of Larkmead for rehearsals (increase cost of £100)
3. Increased cost of maintaining mini-bus service from Oxford (with fewer players TVYO subsidy increased by further £200)
Concert revenues were generally static, and overall the concerts generate a net income of approx £400, after taking in to consideration all concerts. The most significant cost is the hire of the Sheldonian Theatre at £1100.
Looking at this year (starting 1 Sept 2014), current revenue projections still show challenges with subscription fees, and increased transport costs, as well as the need to invest within the orchestra to attract more players.
Due to the bequest in the 1990s the Trust has a healthy balance sheet. As such it is acknowledged that, in order for TVYO to continue and to be able to attract the right calibre of players to the orchestra, we will need to make an investment going forward. Since this fund was for the purpose of the orchestra the Trust have agreed to adopt this approach.
6. Comments from Admissions Secretary:
Carolyn King asked Michael and the Committee to consider who we were going to ask to accompany the auditions this year, and also mentioned the issue of the Auditions’ Poster, which is currently in the traditional form that it has been in for a number of years.
Michael suggested asking Christopher Fletcher Campbell to accompany, as he is always excellent on such occasions, and said he would action this.
Carolyn suggested asking Kate to redesign the posters, in order to present a more attractive TVYO persona, and with a view to including information about the new TVYO scholarships. She offered to discuss this with Kate and to agree a dynamic new design. This should enable publicity to go out alongside the posters for the May concert, when she writes to the Heads of local schools.
7. Looking Ahead/ AOB
Various issues were discussed relating to the future of the orchestra, in particular the pressing need to recruit more players for 2015-2016. It is hoped that a strong publicity campaign prior to the May concert, a dynamic Auditions and encouraging players to spread the news to friends will help. Further efforts will be made to foster contacts with local schools through Michael’s contacts, through contacts that the coaches have through their teaching, and through letters and flyers/posters sent out to the Heads of Schools/Heads of Music Departments/Peripatetic teachers. This must continue to be an on-going priority.
It is hoped that the TVYO scholarships will attract the attention of some more advanced players.
Carolyn also mentioned ideas that she hopes to develop further, in order to maintain a positive momentum within the orchestra itself. This included the suggestion that TVYO might undertake the funding of a music scholarship at Ballanta Academy of Music for an under-privileged child or adult who would not otherwise be able to pursue their musical interests.
These and other ideas will be pursued further at committee meetings next year.
Thank you everyone for your time and for your continued support of TVYO.
Dr Carolyn May - Chair
Michael Stinton - Musical Director
Suma Tennant - Incoming Treasurer
Dona Pathinayake - Parent
Jitka Fort - Committee Secretary
Apologies:
Carolyn King
Hugo Phillips
Julie Dandridge
Joanna Havelock
Jo Tuffill
Welcome from the Chair.
1. Minutes of Last Meeting:
Minutes of the last meeting were approved.
2. Matters Arising:
There were no matters arising from the last AGM.
3. Report from the Chair of TVYO:
Chair of TVYO: Report on 2014 - 16th March 2015.
TVYO holds a special place in the history of Oxfordshire and the local area. Generations of young musicians have explored the challenges of advanced musical repertoire, and enjoyed meeting together socially, under the auspices of our experienced and dedicated TVYO team. TVYO has an important role to play in bringing together musicians from state and independent schools, enabling them to rehearse music to a high standard under the guidance of experienced professional coaches, not only in a full orchestra setting, but also in sectional rehearsals. Parents tell us that the progress the players make during their time in the orchestra can sometimes be quite exceptional, and many have been inspired by this experience to pursue a career in music.
Recently an ex-TVYO member sent the following spontaneous message to our Musical Director, and I thought I would share it with you as a fitting prelude to our AGM reflections:
“I hope this email finds you well! Not sure if you remember me, but I was a violin/viola player in TVYO who graduated from Headington School in 2011. Time really does go by quickly - I am now doing a Masters in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London.
I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful experience I had at TVYO - it was a huge inspiration for me to pursue a career in music. Although I was only there for two years, I had a tremendous amount of support and guidance from you and fellow members in both performance and academia. The repertoire was exciting and, during my time in Headington, Monday evenings were always the two hours we most looked forward to in the week. Ultimately, I chose to take a music degree over a law degree as music was what I truly enjoyed, and it was the best decision I have ever made.
I hope TVYO continues to inspire more young people to enjoy music and I hope to see you again soon. I am looking forward to your next concert!”
What a wonderful message this is, and how lovely to hear from a young person why TVYO is an important and worthwhile endeavour.
When I was putting together the material for our new website, I asked the TVYO staff for their biographical details, and I was struck by how extraordinarily high-flying and talented they all are, and how very fortunate we are to have them working for us. Therefore this is where I wanted to begin my report – with a vote of thanks to our coaches: to P.J. Augur, (we are delighted to have him back with us and to see him looking so well), John Hounan (who assisted during P.J.’s absence), Marion Crombie, Valerie Findlay, Elizabeth Harré (who has been so committed, despite her mother’s final illness), Chris Fletcher-Campbell, Anna Evans, John King, Matthew Cooke, and Nigel Somerville. Without the concentrated work they undertake during sectional rehearsals the players would not be able to make such significant progress – the coaches do a great deal to encourage and support individual players who are often at very different stages of development.
A special vote of thanks must also go to Michael Stinton, as our Conductor and Musical Director. Not only do we benefit from his musical expertise, and his immense experience as a conductor (and hearing how much the orchestra develops from the first full orchestral play-through to the final concert is testimony in itself to his impressive gifts in skilfully guiding these young players through complex musical challenges), but we also benefit from his commitment in sustaining and developing the orchestra. He has been particularly active in recent months in trying to recruit new players, he is always ready to offer lifts, and he and Clova are generous in their kind offers of hospitality to Committee members and coaches in the New Year and after our May concert. There is no doubt that it is the strength of his leadership that gives cohesion to the orchestra and helps it to retain its high standing in the local area. Michael, on behalf of the TVYO Committee and all the parents I would like to take this opportunity to record our sincere thanks for all that you do.
This would also be a good moment to record once again our thanks to Mary Wells for all the work she did as Chair of TVYO, in particular to thank her for continuing as Chair through to October 2014, even though she had technically ‘retired’ in May. Mary approached her role as Chair with enthusiasm and commitment, and ensured that everything she handed on was carefully planned and well organised. We are grateful for her new initiatives, such as the ‘bring a friend’ evenings, the ticket selling competitions, and for the creation of a new database. Mary was thanked for all her hard work at the Sheldonian concert. (I believe she was seen skipping out of the rehearsal on the evening I took over!).
When I first took over as Chair in October 2014 I met with Michael, and studied Mary’s notes. It seemed to me that the main challenges facing TVYO were threefold:
In relation to the orchestra: recruitment and retention; fostering enthusiasm.
In relation to the parents/committee: recruiting more parent members; fostering enthusiasm.
In relation to the administration: updating all publicity, letters and forms; updating the website (which had lapsed for 2 years).
In relation to the orchestra target, Michael and I discussed a number of new initiatives which I would like to return to as Agenda Item 7.
In relation to the Committee target, I set about clarifying the Committee roles. I spoke to parents at the December concert and emailed them on a number of occasions to ask for volunteers.
The clarification of Committee roles is included here:
Chair:
Role: Chairs meetings and co-ordinates committee roles, ensures that a parent rota is set up to support all rehearsals, over-sees concert organisation and ensures that all TVYO documents and leaflets are up to date. The chair, in consultation with the Musical Director, offers vision and leadership to the orchestra, ensuring that recruitment and retention levels remain healthy, ensuring that the orchestra flourishes and that the standard of musical and social experience offered to TVYO students continues to develop.
Concert Secretary (new role):
Role: Sends out letters to schools (this includes those schools attended by TVYO members and schools which do not currently have TVYO members with a view to encouraging new members), and to TVYO friends (with complimentary tickets) prior to our concerts.
Committee Secretary:
Role: Takes the minutes of twice yearly meetings and ensures that these are typed up and circulated.
Database Secretary:
Role: Keeps the database up to date with parent and pupil details.
Treasurer:
Role: Handles subscriptions; handles payments; orders and pays for the taxi/minibus service from Oxford to Larkmead; keeps the accounts; ensures that the accounts are properly audited each year (the accounts are currently audited by an ex-TVYO parent).
Admissions Secretary:
Role: Handles all matters relating to admissions; is the first point of contact for parents; sends out application forms and TVYO leaflets to interested students; co-ordinates auditions, and confirms places following auditions; sends out subscription forms to new players; sends data through to the database secretary and updates the registers.
Music Librarian:
Role: Ensures that the necessary music is ordered for the forthcoming concert; checks that the parts are received, places them in the individual folders, and retrieves and returns them at the end of the season.
In-house designer:
Role: Designs the concert posters and tickets; designs the certificates awarded to students for outstanding effort and excellent progress; designs the 100% attendance cards; modifies the logo to meet publicity requirements; advises on all design matters in order to maintain the professional image of the orchestra.
Website designer and editor:
Role: The framework of our new website has just been designed and launched by the TVYO Chair. The role of the editor is to keep the website up to date and develop it where appropriate, in particular, with parental agreement, adding up-to-date photographs.
Publicity officer:
Role: Ensures that all concerts are well advertised, including in free sheet listings, local press, and local venues such as the Library, Simply Books, Prices, Added Ingredients, St Nicolas’ Church, Upper Reaches Hotel, Throwing Buns etc etc. Ensures that TVYO has an advert in the Abingdon Music Festival programme and that the Oxfordshire Family Information Directory entry is kept up to date.
Refreshment Co-Ordinator :
Role: Buys the squash and biscuits for the rehearsal refreshments, and the 'mini-chocolate rewards' for the students who arrive on time for rehearsals; buys the wine, fruit juice and water for concerts, and borrows and returns the necessary wine glasses.
Programme Production:
Role: Researching and writing the notes for the programmes for the concerts; typing and sorting out the layout of the programme.
As a result of the plea at the December Concert, and the emails, I am pleased to be able to report that parents stepped forward to fill all but one of the roles outlined, and I am extremely grateful to all parents who have offered their help. I recognise how busy and committed everyone is, and every offer of help makes a difference.
The new Committee is recorded here:
Chair: Carolyn May
Admissions Secretary: Carolyn King.
Concert Secretary: situation vacant.
Committee Secretary: Jitka Fort.
Database Secretary: Howard Brown.
Treasurer: Hugo Phillips.
(Suma Tennant will take over in June 2015)
In-house designer: Kate Preston.
Website designer and editor: Carolyn May.
Publicity officers: Claire Armon-Jones and Fiona Jackson.
Music Librarian: Christopher Fletcher-Campbell.
Refreshment Co-ordinator: Lee Guckian.
I would like to say a particular thank you to Hugo Phillips for all his work as Treasurer. Hugo has dealt with subscriptions, the hiring of venues, the handling of payments, and sorting out the taxis, and has carefully overseen our accounts for a number of years, (including the end of year auditing with David Lindsay) continuing even though he no longer has a child in the orchestra. We are very grateful indeed for all his help. Hugo will stand down at the end of this year and we are grateful to Suma Tennant for agreeing to take on this role.
As noted in the last AGM Minutes Carolyn King took on the role of Auditions’ Secretary this year, and we are very grateful for all the excellent efficient work she has been doing. She liaises with new players and co-ordinates informal auditions for players joining throughout the year, as well as co-ordinating the June audition programme. She also often helps out at Monday evening rehearsals. Suma Tennant has been our Database Secretary ensuring that our central records are up to date. Suma will continue this role in September, alongisde her role as Treasurer, as the two roles overlap.
Christopher Fletcher-Campbell has very kindly taken over the role of Music Librarian. The Librarian has a vital role to play in hiring parts (or buying scores where appropriate), in ensuring that these are distributed between the transparent folders for each orchestral ‘desk’, and, most importantly, that all the parts are safely returned at the end of the season so that we do not incur costs. Chris works behind the scenes to ensure that we are ready for the start of term, and chases up stray items with determination. It also bears mention that Chris provided invaluable help and support for the concert at St Helen’s, setting everything up ready for both the rehearsal and the concert, and ensuring that things were properly cleared away. Chris’s car (along with Michael’s) is always in use ferrying musical instruments from place to place. Many thanks to Chris.
We have been lucky to gain an In-house designer this year. Kate Preston has been undertaking excellent work for us, designing our posters and tickets for the December concert. Her artistic eye and professional presentation has enabled us to enhance the image of TVYO, with a new and exciting logo and a more dynamic profile. The players have been excited by the new developments and we are very grateful to her for all the time she puts in.
Lee Guckian has kindly taken on the role of Refreshment Co-Ordinator, ensuring that we have sufficient biscuits, squash, and chocolate treats for rehearsals. She will also take over the purchasing of wine, fruit juice and water for the concerts (and arranging for the hire of wine glasses) so that the Chair does not have to undertake this role for future concerts. This vital role can be time-consuming, and it is useful to have another pair of hands assisting in this way, and we are grateful for Lee’s offer to help in this way.
Following our December Concert it was felt that it would be good to improve our publicity. I am very grateful to Claire Armon-Jones and Fiona Jackson for agreeing to take on the role of Publicity Officer. The role has been divided so that one will undertake online advertising and the other will ensure that posters are distributed in the local area.
Jitka Fort has kindly offered to take on the role of Committee Secretary, typing up the notes from our meetings.
A major development has been the complete redesign of the Website (coupled with the launch of a Facebook page) which I enjoyed undertaking. Response to this has been strong, with statistics showing a regular flow of unique visitors and page views. The Facebook page has attracted a regular flow of likes and messages, especially during the period when an advert was run to boost the audience.
We now have the May Concert to look forward to. The posters and programme are ready for professional printing, the tickets are ready for in-house printing and these will be available on-line for the first time (with a booking reference number given to those who buy by this method).
There is plenty ahead to challenge us – but more of this in a moment.
CJM
4. Report from Musical Director:
Musical Director’s Report.
1. Our Concerts since the last AGM (11 November, 2013)
8 December 2013
Sibelius Finlandia
Prokofiev Lieutenant Kije Suite
Dvorak Symphony No 9 in E Minor (New World)
1 May 2014
Rossini: Thieving Magpie Overture
Arnold Cornish Dances
Saint-Saens: Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
7 December 2014
Marquez Canzon No 2
Mussorgsky A Night on a Bare Mountain
Dvorak Symphony No 8 in G Major
Last season’s concerts gave us plenty of challenges to which the orchestra rose magnificently and I think everyone enjoyed the music. The most recent Christmas concert gave us the opportunity to play the famous Danzon by Marquez, with it’s Latin American rhythms, which everyone enjoyed.
The concert in May last year was a great finale to a very enjoyable year. The Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet stretched us to the full. I felt the performance was outstanding and I was very proud of all the players.
It is always wonderful to see how the orchestra develops over the year and I have high hopes for the current orchestra who have made such a promising start to the Sheldonian concert programme for may.
2. The Current State of Orchestra
This year’s orchestra has very good potential, I feel. The atmosphere in rehearsals is really purposeful and we are making good progress with quite a demanding programme of Suppe, Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Sibelius. As last year, we have been able to recruit some key extra players at the start of the season. We are slowly succeeding in recruiting more upper and lower strings – violins, violas, cellos and basses. But anyone with friends, children etc, who would be interested and suitable, then please ask them to come along one Monday and try us out! Our auditions are on 15 June (strings) and 16 June (woodwind and brass).
3. The Coaching Team
We are so lucky to have a first class team of sectional coaches. We are so delighted and grateful to have had John Hounam with us for a full year since PJ has been recovering from Leukaemia. And we are so delighted that PJ has returned to TVYO since January, now recovered. I would like to pay tribute to all the coaches for their amazing work with our players.
4. The Players
Last year’s orchestra made great progress and Mila Ferramosca has made a great start as this year’s Leader. Although we lost a good many players last year, we have had a great many keen younger musicians join us, and they are really beginning to sound like an orchestra.
5. The Management Committee
Mary Wells handed over the reins as our Chairman over a period of nearly three years and has done huge amounts to encourage us all. I would like to pay tribute to all the hard work that she put into sustaining the orchestra and developing our management. Carolyn King joined us at a crucial time, too, providing excellent continuity as Recruitment Officer after Rebecca Allison left us. I am thrilled to now be working with Carolyn May, our new Chairman, who has already done a huge amount in revitalising, re-energising and modernising our organisation. I am grateful to both Mary and Carolyn, and all our hard working committee members, who have done so much to help us recruit talented young musicians.
6. Conclusion
TVYO is in good shape and, thanks largely to our two Carolyns, we are already enjoying a terrific year. I do hope that parents will get actively involved if they can. It is enormous fun and we need them!
Special thanks to all those parents who deliver their children at 6.05pm for a prompt start at 6.15pm and to those that encourage their offspring to stay and help clear up at the end. TVYO is a very special organisation and I continue to feel privileged to be the Conductor and Musical Director.
MAS
5. Report from Treasurer:
TVYO Treasurer’s Report: 2014.
25 June 2014 TVYO accounts for the period ending 31 August 2013 were submitted to the Charity Commission. A copy can be viewed through their website.
In 2014 TVYO made a loss. This was down to a number of factors:
1. Drop of subscription revenue through lower player numbers and challenge of collecting subs (drop of approx £1000)
2. Increased fees for use of Larkmead for rehearsals (increase cost of £100)
3. Increased cost of maintaining mini-bus service from Oxford (with fewer players TVYO subsidy increased by further £200)
Concert revenues were generally static, and overall the concerts generate a net income of approx £400, after taking in to consideration all concerts. The most significant cost is the hire of the Sheldonian Theatre at £1100.
Looking at this year (starting 1 Sept 2014), current revenue projections still show challenges with subscription fees, and increased transport costs, as well as the need to invest within the orchestra to attract more players.
Due to the bequest in the 1990s the Trust has a healthy balance sheet. As such it is acknowledged that, in order for TVYO to continue and to be able to attract the right calibre of players to the orchestra, we will need to make an investment going forward. Since this fund was for the purpose of the orchestra the Trust have agreed to adopt this approach.
6. Comments from Admissions Secretary:
Carolyn King asked Michael and the Committee to consider who we were going to ask to accompany the auditions this year, and also mentioned the issue of the Auditions’ Poster, which is currently in the traditional form that it has been in for a number of years.
Michael suggested asking Christopher Fletcher Campbell to accompany, as he is always excellent on such occasions, and said he would action this.
Carolyn suggested asking Kate to redesign the posters, in order to present a more attractive TVYO persona, and with a view to including information about the new TVYO scholarships. She offered to discuss this with Kate and to agree a dynamic new design. This should enable publicity to go out alongside the posters for the May concert, when she writes to the Heads of local schools.
7. Looking Ahead/ AOB
Various issues were discussed relating to the future of the orchestra, in particular the pressing need to recruit more players for 2015-2016. It is hoped that a strong publicity campaign prior to the May concert, a dynamic Auditions and encouraging players to spread the news to friends will help. Further efforts will be made to foster contacts with local schools through Michael’s contacts, through contacts that the coaches have through their teaching, and through letters and flyers/posters sent out to the Heads of Schools/Heads of Music Departments/Peripatetic teachers. This must continue to be an on-going priority.
It is hoped that the TVYO scholarships will attract the attention of some more advanced players.
Carolyn also mentioned ideas that she hopes to develop further, in order to maintain a positive momentum within the orchestra itself. This included the suggestion that TVYO might undertake the funding of a music scholarship at Ballanta Academy of Music for an under-privileged child or adult who would not otherwise be able to pursue their musical interests.
These and other ideas will be pursued further at committee meetings next year.
Thank you everyone for your time and for your continued support of TVYO.