highnotes, january 2012

HighnotesIssue 18 • January 2012

So here we are! 2012 has begun and with it anunprecedented series of events designed to show offthe creative and artistic life of the UK. One of thehighlights will be the London 2012 Festival, thebiggest festival the UK has ever seen, with music, art,comedy, theatre and other events taking place acrossthe country.

Counting down to the festival will be Music Nation, aweekend showcasing the best of the UK's musicaltalent on 3-4 March. Making Music is representing thevoluntary music sector as part of an extraordinaryalliance of arts organisations involved in the weekend.Around 50 major events will be taking place fromLand's End to the Shetland Isles, with 14 of thoseprojects being led by or involving Making Musicmembers. Highlights will include Superstrings teamingup with folk supergroup Bellowhead; a celebration ofgospel singing in the North East with 20,000 Voices;and a collaborative project aiming to weave musicalthreads across Renfrewshire.

Making Music, the BBC Singers and Voices Now havealso joined forces for a celebration of all things singing

at London's iconic Roundhouse on Sunday 4 March.Voices Now 2012 will see choirs performing indifferent spaces in the Roundhouse, culminating inthe gala première of the Making Music Overture byOrlando Gough, commissioned by Making Music aspart of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.Orlando's piece will then provide a soundtrack to thesummer, with performances taking place across thecountry up until September. I'd urge you to visitMaking Music's website to find out how you can stageyour own performance.

This year provides everyone with a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity to get involved with a range of vibrantmusical activities, the likes of which have not beenseen before in the UK. What better legacy could therebe for 2012 and the London Olympic and ParalympicGames than a renewed enthusiasm for music and agreater understanding of the role it plays in ournational identity?

Making Music groups will be in the thick of all thefestivities, and it's not too late to take part. So join in!

Sing Up

Page 3

Learn about our new projecttwinning member groups withSing Up Award Schools

Olympic Torch Relay

Page 6

Find out how music plays a bigpart in the Maidstone stop ofthe London 2012 OlympicTorch Relay

Darren Henley

1

Managing Director ofClassic FM comments on theNational Plan for MusicEducation

Highlights

Superstrings is one of fourteen groups taking part inMusic Nation projects

A Music Nationfor 20122012 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the arts as well as sport. Susannah Simons, BBC ProjectExecutive for the London 2012 Festival, tells us about the many musical activities taking place

SUPPORTING & CHAMPIONING VOLUNTARY MUSIC

Orlando Gough

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To find out more about the exciting projectstaking place this year, or if you'd like to getinvolved, visit www.makingmusic.org.uk/2012.More information about Voices Now can befound at www.voicesnow.org.uk

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Artistic Director John Woolrich

Exceptional teachingInspirational performancesImmerse yourself in musicDartington International Summer School, Space, Dartington Hall, Totnes,Devon, TQ9 6EN

Phone: +44 (0)1803 847080Email: [email protected]

www.dartington.org/summer-schoolwww.dartington.org/summer-schoolwww.dartington.org/summer-school

DARTINGTON INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL IS A DEPARTMENT OF THE DARTINGTON HALL TRUST, A REGISTERED CHARITY. REG CHARITY NO 279756

Dartington International Summer School21 July - 25 August 2012

Barbershop Conventions are Brilliant!A Week-end of Fun, Harmony & Singing

25th to 27th May 2012

Come and experience one for yourself

www.sing2012.co.uk

The British Association ofBarbershop Singers (BABS)invite you to attend their38th annual convention.

Sing 2012 takes place at theSouthport Theatre andConvention Centre.

If you like the sound of barbershop harmony thenthis is the weekend for you.

Come for a day or thewhole weekend. The fullweekend registration fee isonly £50 and offers accessto all events including theQuartet and Chorus contestsand a lot, lot more!

There are also three showsto choose from with ticketprices starting at just £10!

Over 2000 visitors areexpected and you are sureof a warm welcome. Thereis plenty of opportunity tosing and sing some more!

Come along for a weekendof fun, friendship and song,it’s an experience not to bemissed! Visit our web sitefor full details.

Sing Barbershop - It’s the Harmony that makes the Difference!

The British Association of Barbershop SingersA registered Charity No: 1080930

Book Now!Quartet ContestsChorus ContestThree Great ShowsAward-winning QuartetsTop Quality GuestsSing-a-long SessionsMasterclassesConvention PartyPlus lots, lots more!

........

TEL: 020 8741 4804 WEB: www.ratstands.com

Where would you find a

virtually unbreakablemusic stand?Every school needs an unbreakable stand, which nests for compact storage, and which has no knobs to fiddle with or get lost.

THE

STANDPerformer

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2012 launches withnew concerts, newmusical friends andnew challenges.

The Importance ofMusic – A NationalPlan for MusicEducation waspublished by theDepartment forEducation on 25November. The

plan aims to ensure every child aged5-18 has the opportunity to sing, learn aninstrument, and to take part in inspirationalensemble performances. At the same timegovernment funding for music educationreduces year-on-year over the next three years:currently £82.5m, to £77.5m (2012), £63m(2013), to £58m (2014).

So it is timely then, that Making Music hasjoined with Sing Up to launch a twinningscheme linking twenty voluntary music groupswith their local schools, and can already point tosuch excellent examples of best practice as theWest Bergholt Concert Band (see page 7).

Music making is very important in difficult times(as we learned through Gareth Malone's TVprogramme at the end of last year, The Choir:Military Wives) and we are finding manyexamples of the power of music through ournew Music and Wellbeing strategy. Through theVocality project, Making Music is teaming upwith Sound Sense to start eight communitychoirs in deprived areas, which would benefitfrom your experience and input. To find outhow you can help, turn to page 5.

Before Christmas our members renewed theirannual subscriptions. We want you to takeadvantage of all the benefits we offer, so turnnow to the middle spread to find out what wecan do for you in 2012.

Karen CardyEditor and Marketing [email protected]

If you have any suggestions for articles oryou would like to contribute to Highnotes,please contact the Commissioning Editor,Henry Bird on 020 7422 8291 [email protected]

Copy deadline for the next issue of Highnotes,May 2012, is 10 February 2012

Any views or opinions expressed by externalcontributors may not necessarily representthose of Making Music

In brief

Welcome

Highnotes • January 2012 • 3

Last spring, Making Music and Sing Up setup twenty twinning projects between musicgroups and Sing Up Gold and PlatinumAward schools across England. Sing Up isthe national singing programme aiming toensure that all primary school-aged childrenare able to take part in high-quality singingactivities every day, through a unique blendof resources, training and support.

The twinning project aims to give schools achance to work with choirs, instrumentalgroups, orchestras and bands, learningfrom and singing with them. In return, themusic groups have the opportunity toinvolve their local community in their workwhile helping inspire a love of musicmaking in pupils from nearby schools.

British Composer AwardsNicola Riches of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Arrangers(BASCA) announces the winners of the Making Music category of the 2011 BritishComposer Awards

The Making Music category of BASCA's British Composer Awards celebrates musiccommissioned by amateur groups from today's brightest composers. The 2011 prize wasawarded to Richard Bullen for his work, I can’t find brumm…, which was created as part ofMaking Music's Adopt a Composer scheme. The other two shortlisted works were KirstyDevaney's Hadal Zone, written for the CoMA (Contemporary Music for All) LondonEnsemble; and Tim Sutton's Christmas carol, The Seven Joys, which was premièred byNottingham Harmonic Choir and Thoresby Colliery Band.

If you've commissioned a work that you think should be nominated for nextyear's award, visit www.britishcomposerawards.com

One of my prouder achievements as editor of Gramophone, a post from which I've just steppeddown, is the introduction of the Music in the Community Award as part of the official GramophoneAwards. The prize is given in association with The Times and Making Music, and rewards thoseunsung heroes who inspire others through the sheer joy of making music.

This year we decided to give the award to a communityorchestra. We came up with a shortlist of five fabulousorchestras, all of which have changed lives, literally.

The winner, as voted for by readers of The Times, was MakingMusic member group the Cobweb Orchestra, a group thatexhorts people everywhere to dust the cobwebs (get it?) offtheir old instruments and start playing again. But all five, andfor that matter many more community orchestras, arechampions. More power to their elbows. And their violins, andtheir cellos, and their flutes ...

For details of the other groups in the shortlist, visitwww.makingmusic.org.uk/musicinthecommunity

Sing Up and Making Musiclaunch twinning pilotAndrea Pierides of Sing Up describes an exciting new scheme twinning voluntary musicgroups with Sing Up Award Schools

By Karen CardyMarketing Director

We're hoping to launch more twinningprojects during the course of 2012.Keep an eye on www.singup.org forupdates and more!

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Cobweb Orchestra winsGramophone AwardJames Inverne from Gramophone Magazine reports on the winners of this year'sMusic in the Community Award

James Inverne

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4 • Highnotes • January 2012

Music and wellbeing

Green light for music and wellbeing

What music hasdone for meMusic can provide support to people duringboth good times and bad. In a recent survey weasked our members how being involved with amusic group has benefitted their lives. Here area few responses from people who have felt thepositive effects brought on by singing in a choir:

I contracted Chronic Fatigue Syndrome fiveyears after joining a friendly local choir, andever since singing has been the one outsideactivity I have always managed to maintain.The choir is like an extended family; singinglifts my spirits and helps ward off theaccompanying depression I am prone to,and taking on jobs within the choir gives mea sense of self worth that I have not beenable to have by resuming my career.’’Angela, Chesterfield

Singing in a choir is always hard work,sometimes very challenging, but such fun,with a sense of community. It makes me feelextended physically and mentally and givesme such a feeling of wellbeing and wonderat being part of the beautiful sound.

‘‘’’Ailsa, Leicester

Singing in my choir makes thecomplicated world disappear and nomatter how tired I feel at the start Ialways leave exhilarated.

‘‘’’Elizabeth, Kirkintilloch

Delegates at our 2012 conference feel the positive effects of group singing

Nick M

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Our annual conference in Glasgow last September celebrated the rich connectionbetween music making and health and wellbeing, over two days packed with lively andinspiring examples of the great work taking place all around the UK.

We were honoured to have Professor Robert Winston speaking passionately about howimportant participatory music is on the brain's development. Delegates from NordoffRobbins also gave a brilliant introduction to music therapy, using examples todemonstrate the positive therapeutic impact music can have on an individual.

Since the conference our Music and Wellbeing Group has been meeting regularly todevelop a plan of action. The group itself is made up of people with a variety ofbackgrounds in the field, and we're about to enlarge it with representatives from healthprofessions.

We've published a Manifesto on our website that gives a flavour of the passion andcommitment Making Music is investing in this area. Here are just a few of the projects thatare now either underway or in development, and which our members can get involvedwith in 2012:

Wellbeing choirs: a pilot scheme to establish choirs for NHS patients, aimed atpromoting the physical and mental benefits of singing in a group;

Workplace choirs:we'd like to help set up choirs in workplaces, helping to alleviatestress among employees as well as providing other benefits. There are many precedentsfor this already (such as Making Music member group the John Lewis Partnership MusicSociety) but we think there's room for a whole lot more!

Hospital residencies: we're working with NHS arts co-ordinators to see how we couldfacilitate musical residencies in hospitals in order to engage patients, staff and familieswith music making. One project being considered is Singing Grannies and Grandpas,which will provide volunteers to sing to babies and children in hospitals;

Singing for COPD: our successful pilot projects with the British Lung Foundation havegiven us lots of positive material to run further 'singing for breathing' courses for thosewith COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

As Professor Winston commented in his closing remarks, 'clinical evidence now supportswhat we've known for a long time: music is fantastically beneficial for people's health. Thisis the start of something really exciting, and music groups all around the country can playa part in it!'

We'll be bringing you news about these and other projects during the courseof 2012. Visit www.makingmusic.org.uk/musicandwellbeing to find out more

‘‘

The therapeutic effect of music making is currently a hot topic. Sarah Rogers describes how our 2012 conference was a launchpad for an array of Making Music projects using music to improve health and wellbeing

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In October, we launched a campaign to save the YorkshireLibraries and Information (YLI) Music and Drama Service, one ofthe largest collections of printed music in the country. JudithSunderland, Making Music Yorkshire and North East, outlines thecurrent situation

In late 2011, the YLI announced it was ceasing to provide its laudedMusic and Drama Service 'in its current form'. At Making Music, we knewthis was likely to mean the collection was going to be broken up andpossibly even removed from the public domain. As such, we decided toact. Nearly 100 letters were written by Chief Executive Robin Osterley toMinisters, Shadow Ministers, MPs, MEPs and Councillors. Over 2,500letters were received by YLI, leaving no room for doubt as to the strengthof feeling from our members.

Expressions of interest have since been received from three organisationsprepared to house and manage the service. These vary in scope from bids tomanage a single element to those pledging to manage the entire collection.

The YLI council meeting on Monday 12 December, to which Making Musicwas formally invited, discussed both the initial proposals and the next steps.Councillor Andrew Pinnock, chair of the YLI Committee, has once againemphasised the need to ensure that this valuable collection is preserved,stressing that the final solution must be the right one for both the Counciland the public.

A smaller working party, of which Making Music is a member, will make arecommendation to be presented to the next Council meeting in lateJanuary.

The staff at the Music and Drama Library have asked that we thank everyoneat Making Music for their continued support. Councillor Pinnock and the YLICouncil are also very grateful for thecontribution that Making Music is making tothe process. We will continue to keepeveryone informed via the Making Musicwebsite, but in the meantime please docontinue to use the YLI library service!

To find out more about the campaign, visitwww.makingmusic.org.uk/ylicampaign


Making Music update

Gareth Maloneawarded Sir CharlesGroves Prize 2012The star of The Choir: Military Wives has been given thisyear's prize in recognition of his enormous contribution toBritish choral singing

The 2012 Sir Charles Groves Prize has been awarded to choir masterand TV presenter Gareth Malone. The prize, awarded annually to anindividual or organisation for making a significant contribution toBritish music, has beenpresented to Gareth inrecognition for programmessuch as The Choir: UnsungTown and The Choir: MilitaryWives 2011.

Making Music ChiefExecutive Robin Osterley says:'Gareth is a worthy recipientof this year's prize. Hisinspirational TV programmesand live events have helpedcreate the huge currentinterest in singing, and we aredelighted to be able to offerthis recognition of his influenceon British musical life.'

To find out more, visitwww.makingmusic.org.uk/grovesaward

Campaign to saveYorkshire Music Library

Community-changingchoirs are go!Kathryn Deane, of community music organisation Sound Sense,announces the locations for the eight choirs being formed aspart of the Vocality project

Making Music and Sound Sense have now launched the Vocality project.Funded by the Headley Trust and the Rayne Foundation, the project aimsto help create community development through singing. Eight songleaders are now setting up community choirs across the UK, targetingareas of disadvantage and diversity:

• Rabab Ghazoul, Cardiff • Philip Milburn, Brighton• Jenny Goodman, Kirklees • Juliet Russell and Simone Niles, London • Sarah Harman, Newport • Ann Stott, Boston• Hugh Nankivell, Torbay • Liz Terry, Gloucester

We'd welcome your help! If you live in one of these areas andthink you could share useful information with the song leader,helping ensure the choirs are set up in areas where they're mostneeded, please contact [email protected]

Representing jazzCatherine Tackley outlines what she hopes to achieve asJazz Representative on the Making Music Council

I am delighted to have been selected as a member of the Making MusicCouncil. I am the founder and director of a successful community bigband, as well as being Musical Director for a wind band. In my day job Iam Senior Lecturer in music at the Open University.

I am committed to making suremusic, particularly jazz music, isaccessible to all. Through my role onthe Making Music Council, I hope toencourage the expansion of theorganisation's initiatives within a jazzcontext. I also look forward toadvising on how jazz memberorganisations could provide usefulmodels for groups in other genres.

We're currently looking for abrass band representative tojoin the Making Music Council.To apply, [email protected]

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Gareth was one of the key speakersat Voices Now 2011

Catherine Tackley

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Out and about

Carrying thetorchMandy Hare of Hazlitt Arts Centre tells us about the music makinghappening on the Maidstone leg of the Olympic Torch Relay

Maidstone Borough Council was thrilled to secure a stop on theLondon 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. We're now keen to showMaidstone off to its best advantage, giving the chance to as many ofthe hugely talented members of the Maidstone community aspossible to participate. All this in the 20 minute time slot we havebeen allocated during the event!

Working with the localamateur arts council(Maidstone Area ArtsCouncil) and Kent CountyCouncil (who haveprovided funding for theproject) the concept of theMaidstone Theme wascreated. We have invitedcomposers to create a newpiece of work usingMaidstone as theinspiration while reflectingthe values of diversity,inclusion and youthengagement. We arethrilled with the responsethat the composer call outhas had and we thankMaking Music for beinginstrumental in spreadingthe word.

To find out where theOlympic Torch Relayis coming to in yourregion, visitwww.london2012.com/olympic-torch-relay

Bandstand Marathon 2012Katharine Lane, from community arts organisation Superact, reports on this year's Bandstand Marathon

Following on from the success of Bandstand Marathon 2011, whichsaw brass bands, rock groups, choirs and musicians of all ages playingon bandstands across the UK, this fantastic event is set to return on9 September 2012. This is a great opportunity to play your part in aproject as part of the closing event of the London 2012 CulturalOlympiad, while helping create a musical legacy for everyone once thegames are over. Plus you'll have the chance to perform in some of themost beautiful and unusual locations in the UK – some of thebandstands are truly magnificent! This is a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity and I would encourage every Making Music member tojoin in.

The aim for this year's event is for 500 groups to take part. Ifyour group would like to participate, [email protected]

The Bandstand Marathon will see groups performing on bandstandsacross the UK

Choir of the Yearis back!Helen Price from Choir of the Year gears up for this year's questto find the UK's best singing group

Since the Wellensian Consort won Choir of the Year 2010, musical directorChristopher Finch has been bowled over by offers of recording contracts,broadcasts and high profile concerts. 'The competition provided us withinvaluable advice from many of the country's leading musical figures', Chrissays. 'It is an utterly inspirational environment that has provided us with aseries of amazing opportunities.'

The search for the Wellensian Consort's successor is now on, and auditionsfor Choir of the Year 2012 begin in Buxton on 29 January. Over the nextthree months choirs representing all age groups and styles of music willperform in a series of events leading up to the grand final at London's RoyalFestival Hall on 28 October.

Alongside the competition, Choir of the Year is once again joining forceswith Making Music and the British Association of Barbershop Singers forLearn to Sing, a series of courses for adults who long to sing but may nothave the confidence to join a choir. Applications are open for member choirsin Manchester and London who would like to host courses in September.

Visit www.choiroftheyear.co.uk for tickets to this year'sauditions. If you'd like to host a Learn to Sing course, visitwww.makingmusic.org.uk/learntosing

The Wellensian Consort were crowned Choir of the Year in 2010LO

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The Olympic Torch will comewithin a one hour journey of 95%of people in the UK

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In August last year, I wascontacted by the City ofBirmingham Choir (CBC) aboutan ambitious project bringingtogether choirs from Afro-American, Chinese, Indian,Arabic, Eastern and WesternEuropean traditions. Theproject, called Equinox:Cultures in Harmony, was toculminate in a concert atSymphony Hall featuring anewly-commissioned piece ofmusic.

As I'd already worked with theCBC through Making Music's Adopt a Composer scheme, they asked ifI would be interesting in composing the new piece. Naturally, I jumpedat the chance and set to work composing a three-movement workbased on the ideas of cultural awakening, conflict and resolution. Noneof this would have been possible had it not been for Adopt a Composer,and it has been a unique privilege to have been able to work with somany diverse choral groups.

Equinox: Cultures in Harmony takes place at Symphony Hallon 17 March 2012. Keep an eye on Twitter for updates on theproject @ChrisLongCOMP


Diverse groups

Recruiting young people is a breezeMichael Allen of West Bergholt Concert Band outlines the various ways his group encourages local youngsters to have a go

West Bergholt Concert Band was formed in 1978 with the aim of givingyoung musicians the opportunity to play in a fun concert band. The bandincludes two groups: Training Band for Grades 1-4 and Concert Band forabove Grade 4. We always support charities through our work, withrecent concerts raising over £20,000.

Last year we celebrated our conductor's 30th year in post. He joined as aclarinettist at the age of 12 whilst being taught by the band's founder;after moving to lead saxophone (and commuting back from YorkUniversity for rehearsals and concerts) he took the baton 22 years ago.

The band's membership includes all ages, abilities and walks of life, withairline pilots, retired heart surgeons and music teachers performing

alongside students from primary schools through to university. In orderto retain this mix of players, the band performs regular workshops andconcerts with local schools. Music teachers are encouraged to send theirpupils to weekend workshops, where the band's experienced playersguide the new recruits through music that is specially selected to beplayable and enjoyable. The workshops culminate in a concert, oftenattended by the Mayor and our local MP, who once congratulated theband on their 'impressive performance' after a schools concert.

The young people love being involved, with one parent saying 'my sonloves band – it's the highlight of the week'. The opportunity to perform inthe area's finest venues is a particular highlight for the young people, andthey in turn help to keep the band's repertoire current by requestingpieces; this is reflected in the programme for our youth concert last year,which included music from Twilight, Lady Gaga, Glee and Family Guy. This contemporary repertoire sits alongside more traditional works byShostakovich and Gershwin, among others.

Breadth of repertoire is a great benefit to young musicians, as it exposesthem to styles and pieces that they otherwise might not have comeacross. The band is also frequently chosen as a Duke of Edinburgh Awardactivity, and we provide young people with the opportunity to help runthe band and mentor younger or older players.

We joined Making Music four years ago and have benefitted greatly fromlearning about other groups' approaches to events and fundraising.

Find out how to start your own youth participation projectson our website at www.makingmusic.org.uk/youth

Equinox: Cultures in HarmonyComposer Chris Long was paired with City of Birmingham Choir through Adopt a Composer 2005. Six years later, he is workingwith the choir again as part of a multi-cultural choral extravaganza

Youth participation runs through the heart of West Bergholt Concert Band

Adopt a Composer2011/12 is underway!Fiona Harvey, Operations Director at the PRS for Music Foundation,announces the pairings for this year's Adopt a Composer scheme

Now in its eleventh year, Adopt a Composer pairs amateur music groups withup-and-coming composers. Over the course of a year, each composer willcreate a new piece of music especially for the group they've been paired with.

Here are the pairings for this year's scheme:

• Kew Wind Orchestra with Ella Jarman-Pinto• The London Chorus with William Dougherty• Woking Symphony Orchestra with Bernard

Hughes• Flautissimo with Ruta Vitkauskaite• Llandaff Cathedral Choral Society with

Duncan MacLeod • Grimsby Philharmonic Society with Lauren

Redhead

Follow the groups' progress on theAdopt a Composer Blog atwww.makingmusic.org.uk/aac.Applications for next year's scheme willopen in April 2012

Equinox will bring together 12choral and percussion groups fromdifferent cultures

Duncan MacLeod

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Creating inspiring opportunities formusic makers everywhere; helpingmembers with local fundingapplications; advising on audiencedevelopment; providing insurance;putting people in touch with their localmusic community – all part of a day'swork for our dedicated team of 22 staffand 150 invaluable volunteers.

Whether you are a new group findingyour feet, a well-establishedorganisation with a strong structureunderpinning what you do, or a group

looking to see how it should evolve with the changing times, we hopethat you will find services that support your particular needs.

We're taking this opportunity to profile a few highlights of services thatyou might find useful as members.


In focus

Making the most of your m

Sarah Rogers

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Insurance

You will probably know about our insurance scheme (even if youhave never had to use it) and we are rightly proud of this excellentservice, which is provided by Ecclesiastical – our insurance partnerfor 50 years! The scheme protects trustees for all of the critical risksinvolved in running voluntary music groups. But were you awareyou can add on Abandonment Cover to insure against thecancellation of concerts? If your soloist is ill on the day, theinsurance will cover your additional costs in finding a replacementat short notice. Likewise, if you have to cancel an event because ofextreme weather conditions, it will cover you for the costs youhave already committed to paying.

'As a very small set-up we'd never considered joining any kind oforganisation before. However, our trustees were worried that wedidn't have insurance for cancellations, so we signed up toMaking Music. Thank heavens we did, as our festival is held in thedepths of winter, and the very next year we were engulfed in thicksnow. One of our concert venues was snowed in, musicians weredelayed, all was chaos. Making Music were amazing, and helpedus sort out the insurance to cover the four-wheel drive we neededto hire to carry on with our concerts! Some of our audience madeit through the snow too, and we managed to put on one of ourbest festivals ever. I think without Making Music the festival wouldreally have struggled to survive.'

Olivia Lacey, Wye Valley Music

At Making Music, being there for our members – 3,000 and growing – in person, on the phone or online is vital.Sarah Rogers, Head of Membership, describes just a few of the ways we can help you flourish in your music making

Our insurance can help you if severe weather affects your concert

At Making Music, we're here for you in person, on the phone or online

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In focus

r membership

Lobbying

Our lobbying activity may seem far removed from your day-to-dayinvolvement with your music group, but this is an area of our work thatcan have a big impact on you. We spent 14 months in negotiation withHMRC, arguing the case for amateur music groups to be able to claimGift Aid on their membership subscriptions when HMRC was planningto revoke their eligibility altogether. The outcome was that we wereable to save members literally thousands of pounds that they wouldotherwise have lost.

'HMRC indicated that our membership subscriptions did not quality forGift Aid, and that we would potentially be liable to repay over £18,000.This was of huge concern to us, and we were very pleased with the newguidance from Making Music clarifying that HMRC's position will onlybe applied to future claims. I feel certain that the result achieved byMaking Music was far better than could have been achieved had wenegotiated with HMRC individually; the assistance and support we havereceived on this issue alone makes the Making Music subscriptionexcellent value for money.'Jo Underdown, Treasurer, Twickenham Choral Society

And much more ...

There's so much more to membership than the few things wehave highlighted here. We are here to help you run yourgroup day-to-day. As you'll see from reading this magazine,we also aim to provide you with opportunities to get involvedwith national or local projects, while keeping you up to datewith the latest news in the voluntary music sector.

For a broader list, and suggestions of how you couldmake greater use of our services to help music flourishin your community, request your copy of our newmembership guide atwww.makingmusic.org.uk/membership

Young artists scheme

At 50 years old and still going strong,our Award for Young Concert Artistscheme is the flagship of a portfolio ofprogrammes we run to help you put onhigh-quality concerts more frequentlyand more affordably. Through thescheme, you can book today's mosttalented young performers atpreferential or subsidised rates.

'The Making Music young artist schemehas grown over the years to become areliable resource for amateurorchestras, choral groups and musicclubs. Expectations are always high; tobe at ground floor level with an artiston the verge of a career is both aprivilege and a reward. Use the schemeto the full; I have never beendisappointed. The only problem hasbeen that I am invariably spoilt forchoice!'Christopher Fifield, MusicDirector, Lambeth Orchestra As well as recognising the UK's best young musical talent, our Award for Young Concert Artists

provides a high-quality and affordable service for hiring performers

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One-to-one support and training

For many of our members it can be reassuring to talk tosomeone for advice or support. We are here to help, and wespeak to members every day on a range of issues. Some of thecommon areas in which we offer advice are:

• Charity governance: trustee liabilities, organisationalstructures, what to do if things go wrong;

• Music and venue licensing: copyright, music recording,using music online, public entertainment licensing;

• Child safeguarding: working with children, developinga child safeguarding policy, applying for CRB checks;

• Audience development, membership recruitment andmarketing tools and techniques.

We are running more events with our Regional Managers andvolunteer teams across the UK in 2012. Keep an eye on ourregular news bulletins to find out what's happening in your area.

When the production company left and the local peopletook on the management of the choir, we decided tolook for experts to give advice in the areas we werelacking – so we joined Making Music.’’

‘‘Terry Pettitt, South Oxhey Choirs(BBC Two's The Choir)

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Musical musings

What gets my goat ... poorly presented musicPicture the scene: your orchestraconcert on a midsummer's evening. Asyou turn the page to perform a dreadedpassage of scurrying semiquavers, thesun positions itself through the church'swest window to just over theconductor's shoulder, right in your eyeline. So you can't see a thing. Whatmakes matters much worse is thatyou're reading from an ancientorchestral part of brownish hue thatshould have been binned 30 years ago,so you don't have a chance of readingthe tiny hand-copied notes withaccidentals so small that sharp andnatural signs look identical.

It infuriates me that so often we musicians are expected to read fromcopies that are the wrong size (too small for players, too large for singers)or the print too faint. View A4-sized instrumental parts with deepsuspicion and check the notes are legible for your desks of string playerssharing a stand, and for your bass players and your percussionists.

And here's another thing that drives me mad: crummy old editions, suchas those 19th century vocal scores with illegible crotchet rests. But at leastthese editions were edited – once. Someone really did think about howthe music should lie on the page, and checked the notes were correct. Notso necessarily with free internet downloads, which have often never hadany editorial input at all. You may spend all your valuable rehearsal timearguing about how many mistakes there are in this 'free' version. Then,whoops, suddenly it's the performance and there s no time for a final run-through. Oh, and who sung the wrong note in performance because theyweren't listening to the conductor when he gave the choir the correction?

I'm paid to think about how to better the life of musicians reading music.That's why I spent nearly 20 years compiling a book on the subject (notthat it was supposed to take that long). In these times of careful financialmanagement, be aware of false economies: find decent editions and theappropriate materials can be put at your service, to help you render thesensational performance of your life. Good luck with it!

Elaine Gould is Senior New Music Editor at Faber Music, andauthor of Behind Bars: The Definitive Guide to Music Notation,which was published in January 2011. She is a member of theJoyful Company of Singers, the New London Chamber Choir andthe London String Players

UK government recognises the importanceof music educationDarren Henley, Managing Director of Classic FM, comments on the new National Plan for Music Education

The National Plan for Music Education aims to provide more musicalopportunities for every child in the UK aged 5-18

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In early 2011, I authored an independent review on Music Education forthe government. My review made a range of recommendations to tacklethe problem of patchiness in music provision across the country.

The government responded by publishing The importance of Music– A National Plan for Music Education. Excitingly, this is England's first evernational music plan. It outlines the use of 'hubs', consisting of partnershipswhich could include local authorities, schools, and arts organisations, as ameans of funding music education in England from September 2012.

Voluntary music groups will be able to play a part in the hubs, alongsideprofessional music educators. Where appropriate, this could provideamateur groups the opportunity to play a greater role in music education.And well they should; many voluntary groups are an inspiration to youngpeople, broadening their musical horizons and demonstrating how musicalstudy during school can lead to a fulfilling musical life in adulthood.

To understand more about how Music Education Hubs will work,visit www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/music-education-hubs

By Elaine Gould

29 January marks the 150th anniversary of the birth ofBritish composer Frederick Delius. To mark this specialanniversary year the Delius Society is promoting eventsaround the country, and would like you to get involved.

If you are considering programming Delius into your 2012 concerts,the Delius Society can offer you support by:

• helping with repertoire information

• offering discounts on sheet music hire and, in some cases, freedownloads

• providing details of artists who like to perform Delius

• providing publicity support – including promotional flyers,biographical information and speakers for your events

• promoting your concerts on the Delius society website, as well asin journals and newsletters.

To find out more about the celebrations taking place thisyear, visit www.delius.org.uk

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I wanted to thank Robin Osterley forhis help and insight on the issues wehave been experiencing with acontract we're preparing.

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Since our new website launched just over a year ago, we've been observinghow our members are using our online tools and services in order to identifyareas for improvement. In response to our findings, we are planning a seriesof new developments in 2012:

• Events calendar: introducing a newformat and design layout to make iteasier for you to promote your events;

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• Find a musician: launching an exciting new tool to help youfind other amateur or professional musicians (either forperformances or informal music making), as well as composers,conductors and soloists;

• Music Bank: improving our tools to help you programme yourconcerts, including a major expansion of our Music Exchangescheme to offer library services to instrumental groups and choirs.

You will need to be registered to the website to get access to allof our online tools. To find out how to register, or for tips onnavigating around our site, visit www.makingmusic.org.uk/help

What's new on the websiteBy Mathurot Chuladul, Digital Communications Executive, Making Music

You can now use our MusicExchange facility toborrow or lendinstrumental repertoire

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Making Music's four new Regional Managers: CherylBennett (East), Sue Bradley (Yorkshire & North East), Cat Duval (South East) and Stuart Isaac (West).Cheryl, Sue and Cat are new to Making Music, while Stuart moves from his former position as TransitionManager in the Yorkshire & North East region. All four bring a wealth of experience and talent to theorganisation, which we are sure will be of great benefit to our volunteer teams and members. They jointhe existing Regional Managers, Kate Allen (South West) and Craig Roberts (Wales).

We're sad to be saying farewell to our Regional Development Officers, Alice Little, Kate Murdoch,Micaela Schmitz and Becky Stickland. I'd like to thank them all for their contributions to Making Music'swork over the years, and to wish them well in their future careers, which I know will be successful!

Find out more about what our Regional Managers will bring to Making Music atwww.makingmusic.org.uk/regionalteam

New Regional ManagersPeter Stokes, Head of Volunteer Management, welcomes the new members of theRegional Development Team

94140 MM__ 10/01/2012 17:00

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