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A new Chairman will be

elected at this year’s AGM

to be held on 26 November.

Please see the INVITATION

to attend this meeting on

page 11 of this newsletter.

Exit stage right…The Mole Valley Arts Forum Chairman, Simon Fielder, has decided to step down this year at the MVAF’s AGM in November.

I’ve only been a member of the Forum for a short while and thus I asked a couple of the longer standing members for some feedback on Simon’s time with MVAF.

Caroline Salmon, MVAF’s Treasurer has spoken highly of MVAF’s progress with Simon as its leader and said, “Simon has really pulled the Arts Forum forward, through his encouragement to

diversify the duties and roles between a number of people; to help spread the load previously taken by the Chairman. He foresaw that getting those who have the time to commit to doing small actions the Forum has made huge leaps forward in communications and the MVAF website”

Meike Laurenson, MVAF Secretary, went on to say that “Simon’s main contribution, whilst being the Chairman, was to regain an active presence on-line, especially after public funding came to an end. Simon realised that the Forum is a valuable skills bank and that strength would come from membership. He felt that a good public face on-line would provide associations and art forms an on-line forum where they could look for solutions, come with problems and find out how to solve them”.

Lastly Caroline added that, “unfortunately for us, Simon has also been successfully taking his own business forward and as it has become more successful he has had less time to commit to our MVAF group. We are sure he will continue to grow his own business and we must build on his ground-breaking work to continue to build our MVAF forum into being THE Forum he envisaged, that would really be where the Arts come together and share knowledge in Mole Valley”.

Thus, it is just left for me to say, a BIG thank you to Simon for all your forward thinking, time and direction, during your four-year term as the MVAF Chairman, and we wish you well with all your future projects.

Jo Taylor – MVAF Social Media & Newsletter Editor

Welcome toCouncillors David Draper and Mary Huggins who will be acting as MVAF representatives for the period to May 2015.

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If you would like to have your news or article in the next Mole Valley Arts Forum’s Newsletter, please do get in touch. Ideally the article will be no more than 200 words and can include photographs. I would like to have your article by Sunday 14th December. Contact Jo admin@jojotaylor.co.uk

NEWS! READ ALL ABOUT IT! NEWS! READ ALL ABOUT IT! Follow us on @ArtsForumMV

Like us on/ArtsForumMV

3 new members join the Forum!The Martineau Singers martineausingers.org.uk

Hannah Pershar Sculpture hannahpescharsculpture.com

Dorking Choral Society dorkingchoralsociety.org.uk

Mole Valley’s Winning Composer claims the prize for Cornwall’s International Choral FestivalA much-loved poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson provided the inspiration for the winning piece of new music among 40 UK entries for Cornwall’s next International Male Voice Choral Festival.

The hotly contested Composers’ Competition ended with Mole Valley’s local composer Ian Assersohn’s setting of Tennyson’s Crossing the Bar moving an audience at a Truro and Penwith College-sponsored prize evening almost to tears when it was performed for the first time by Alastair Taylor’s newly formed Celtic Male Ensemble.

The Composers’ Composition is one of the jewels in the crown of Cornwall’s biennial world Choral event which will take place from April 29 to May 4 next year, with more than 60 choirs converging from around the globe for 50 concerts in 40 venues in every corner of the Duchy.

Ian, who studied composition and piano at the Royal College of Music before embarking on a 25 year career as a senior IT director, recently came back to his music – with outstanding results. Announcing him as the winner

among 40 entries by 31 composers, adjudicator Dr Alan Bullard said he had created “an effective and moving work which represents the best of the Male Voice Choir tradition, with shapely melodic lines, a sense of musical climax, and a traditional but effective harmonic control. It will appeal to performers and it sets a well-known text will which will win the audience’s hearts.”

Ian, the Musical Director of Epsom Male Voice Choir, Leatherhead Choral Society and Concordia Singers, was presented with a silver cup and a cheque for £1000 by joint president of the Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival, Michael Galsworthy.

‘Crossing the Bar’ will have its world première during the 2015 Festival which Director Peter Davies says is already set to be the biggest in the event’s 14 year history.

On 22 November 2014 Ian will be conducting one of his own compositions, Songs of Catullus, together with Rutter’s Requiem in a concert to be given by Leatherhead Choral Society at St George’s Church, Ashtead.

If you have enjoyed a performance or an experience, don’t keep it to yourself! Let others know by posting on our forum at http://molevalleyartsforum.org/forum/

Composers’ Competition Winner Ian Assersohn with Alastair Taylor (bottom left) and the Celtic Male Ensemble.July

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Leatherhead Drama Festival 27 April - 9 May 2015Applications are now invited from all drama groups (junior & adult) to enter the Leatherhead Drama Festival in April / May 2015 at The Leatherhead Theatre.

The Festival is a competition for One-Act plays of any length between 20 and 55 minutes.

Junior groups (aged 12 - 18) will perform during the week of 27 April - 1 May; Adult groups will compete from

Monday 4 May (Bank Holiday) to Friday 8 May. The Gala Awards Evening will showcase the two winning groups who will re-perform their plays in front of a prestigious audience on Saturday 9 May, and all awards will also be presented by a celebrity guest. Full details are available from Meg Brett (Festival Organiser) megbrett@tiscali.co.uk

DON’T DELAY – ENQUIRE TODAY!

St. John’s School, Leatherhead (Junior Winners 2014)

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* Members & MU Card Holders. Concessions £1.00 off Higher Price. Students admitted at Half Price.

Watermill Jazz Facebook PageKathryn Shackleton has set up a facebook page for Watermill Jazz and she would be really grateful if those of you who have a facebook account would ‘like’ the club please.

To do this, just click here:

http://www.facebook.com/WatermillJazz

Forthcoming eventsReVoice! 2014 9 October £21/£16*

Georgia Mancio’s hugely acclaimed international voice festival - ReVoice! - celebrates its 5th anniversary with the opening concert taking place here at Watermill Jazz, with two of the UK’s most popular and talented performers: Claire Martin and Joe Stilgoe and their new show celebrating Paris, The City Of Light. From Gershwin to Cole Porter, Charles Trenet to Maurice Chevalier, with detours into Joni Mitchell, Jacques Brel and Bernie Taupin, this Parisian programme will have you in a whirl of French glitz, glamour and Gauloises, half expecting to find l’Arc De Triomphe in the middle of Dorking High Street as you leave. Georgia will also perform a set of beautiful standards and Brazilian/Italian songs with stellar British pianist Robin Aspland. This concert is also our contribution to this year’s local Mole Valley Arts Alive festival.

www.revoicefestival.comClaire Martin – vocals & Joe Stilgoe – piano and vocals, Georgia Mancio – vocals & Robin Aspland – piano.

A portrait of Erroll Garner with the James Pearson Trio 16 October £17/£12*

Pianist, composer and creative tour de force, James Pearson is the Artistic Director at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, where his trio is the house band. James is equally at home as a music expert and as a concert pianist.

He has played concertos with the Philharmonia and the BBC Concert Orchestra amongst many others,

with his performance of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd piano Concerto broadcast on Classic FM and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto and Rhapsody in Blue on BBC Radio 2. With collaborations ranging from Paul McCartney to Wynton Marsalis, James is one of the country’s most sought-after pianists. This evening will feature the music associated with the legendary American pianist Errol Garner.

www.jamespearsonmusic.comJames Pearson – piano, Sam Burgess – double bass, Ian Thomas – drums.

Tim Garland’s Lighthouse 23 October £18/£13*

Grammy award winning saxophonist and composer Tim Garland has illuminated the UK music scene for 20 years and formed an integral part of Chick Corea’s globe trotting band for the past 14 years. Tim released his new CD ‘Songs to the North Sky’ to great critical acclaim this year. The trio will play selected tracks from this double album, the work of an artist at the peak of his talents and which highlights Tim’s great skills as both an improviser and award winning arranger.

www.timgarland.comTim Garland – tenor/soprano sax & bass clarinet, John Turville – piano, Asaf Sirkis – drums.

Art Themen with the John Donaldson Trio 30 October £17/£12*

Pianist John Donaldson has worked with Art Themen for 20 years, playing a wide ranging repertoire including compositions by Monk, Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and more. Art was a longstanding member of all of Stan Tracey’s groups, dating back to 1974, whilst John has accompanied many familiar faces on the UK jazz scene and also in America where he lived for over 10 years, including Eddie Henderson, Red Holloway, Alan Barnes and Norma Winstone, as well as leading his own groups.Art Themen – tenor sax, John Donaldson – piano, Oli Hayhurst – double bass, Winston Clifford – drums.

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Dorking Concertgoers at Dorking Halls!The first concert of Dorking Concertgoers 2014/2015 Season, which is generously sponsored by Classic FM, is on Sunday 26 October 2014 at 3.00pm. ‘Sublime Sitar’ is a concert of Indian classical music with traditional Indian Ragas from North India given by Vijay Jagtap playing the Sitar with Hanif Khan on Tabla and Hema Shah on Tanpura. The tickets are £18, students half price and under 18s accompanied by full price ticket holder are admitted free.

This concert which forms part of Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival is sponsored by Dorking Brasserie.

The second concert of Dorking Concertgoers season on Saturday 15 November 2014 at 7.30pm is a Cello Duo recital by Natalie Clein and Sergio Tiempo. At the age of only 16, cellist Natalie Clein won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and also the Eurovision Competition

for Young Musicians. She has gone on to have a distinguished international career, playing with the world’s most famous orchestras and conductors. Her partner in this recital will be the Argentine pianist Sergio Tiempo who also began his career at an early age and is now a world-class artist. Their programme includes two contrasting cello sonatas, by Mendelssohn and Shostakovich, as well as an opportunity to hear each instrument individually, with a Bach solo cello suite and a group of Chopin preludes for piano. The tickets are £20, students half price and under 18s accompanied by full price ticket holder are admitted free.

Tickets for both concerts are available from 01306 740619 and 01306 881717 or online at www.dorkinghalls.co.uk

For details of all the events in the Dorking Concertgoers season visit www.dorkingconcertgoers.org.uk

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Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra The Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra has two events planned in the lead up to Christmas. The first is on Tuesday 4 November 2014 as part of the Arts Alive Festival. It is an opportunity either to Come and Play or to Come and Sketch.

• Players are invited to join the orchestra for the evening to rehearse music by Beethoven (Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Eroica), Mozart (Symphony No. 3 in E flat) and Richard Strauss (Horn Concerto No. 1 in E flat).

• Artists are invited to sketch or paint the orchestra at work.

Admission is free, and places can be booked by phone; players should ring 01372 276949 and artists 01293 863115.

The event will take place from 7:45 - 9:45 pm at Christ Church, Epsom Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8ST.

The orchestra’s first concert of the year will take place at 7:30 pm on Saturday 6 December 2014, at Christ Church, Epsom Road, Leatherhead. The programme will be as given above for the Come and Play evening. The conductor will be Mark Fitz-Gerald, and the soloist in the horn concerto will be Keith Maries.

Are you a player or an artist and thinking of going along? If so, why not tweet us @ArtsForumMV or use #MVAF on the day / evening you visit and let us know?

An artist sketches the orchestra from last year’s event.

Outstanding Ursula‘Enormous technical finesse….poise, assurance and maturity….fully deserving the rapturous applause…’ – just some of the accolades for Ursula Perks, who will be performing with Dorking Chamber Orchestra on 11 October at St Martin’s Church, Dorking.

Ursula, who is a student at the Menuhin School, will be performing Mozart Piano Concerto 19, K459. Jo James, Chair of the Orchestra says, ‘It is a great privilege for us to welcome Ursula, and especially fitting that as part of the Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival, we are able to showcase a local musician of Ursula’s star quality.’

Ursula lives with her family in Dorking. In addition to various solo concerts, she enjoys chamber music, including performing with her two brothers, Oscar and Elliott, in the Perks Ensemble. They are a very talented family – all three have attended the Yehudi Menuhin School.

The 11 October concert will be conducted by Andrew Morley and will include Dvorak’s Czech Suite and Haydn Symphony No 104 (London). The orchestra is led by Clare Kennington.

Tickets will be available on the door or may be reserved via Dorking Chamber Orchestra’s website:

boxoffice@thedco.co.uk

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ue 3 (in association with

The Cat’s Grin Theatre Company), present:

Tales from Shakespeare3 plays, 30 characters, 3 performers, 70 minutes.

The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are retold with verve and wit in these specially adapted junior versions of Shakespeare’s plays. Presented in modern language and allusions, with dashes of original Shakespeare, these ‘mini’ plays remind young & old of the power and effect of these stories and provide an interactive introduction for newcomers to the work of The Bard. Includes audience participation.

For 6 years old and upwards.

Saturday 11 October 3pm at The Masonic Hall, Dorking Halls.

No pre-booking required. Come early to be sure you get a seat!

The 20th Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival The festival this year will be bigger than ever with over 100 events, an outstanding launch party at the Yehudi Menuhin School, two street parties in Dorking and Leatherhead and the first ever West Street Festival.

People will come from far and wide to enjoy the variety of arts events on offer during this year’s festival throughout the month of October. Events range from art exhibitions, interactive theatre, singing with choirs, choral groups and open mic nights, poetry, dance, poppy making craft workshops, writing, textiles, comedy and much more. 20 Mole Valley based creative groups

received grants from Arts Alive, MVDC and SCC to host events enabling more people to enjoy the vast amount of talent within the area.

This year’s festival brochure was designed by competition winner Amy Norman from Manor House Independent School for Girls and saw her cover design on 22,000 brochures distributed across the district.

We would love to hear from you if you are interested in the creative arts and would like to become involved in Arts Alive, by joining the committee or hosting your own event – contact arts@molevalley.gov.uk

Tempted to attend / participate in one of these events?

Why not let your family and friends know by sharing the event from our Facebook page and may be they will be tempted to come along too?

https://www.facebook.com/ArtsForumMV

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The Ancient Craft of Feltmaking is alive in Mole ValleyEarly April this year, Meike had an email from Lesley Spiers, Mole Valley Arts and Community Officer, about leading a felt workshop, suitable for all ages, to make poppies on 18 October, as part of the Arts Alive Festival. As well as being in the opening Street Party event in St. Martins’ Walk to handfelt friendship bracelets in one of the empty shops. These events were intended to be an introductory

experience to feltmaking for youngsters. Meike also recently enjoyed a busy local workshop with twenty seven young embroiderers who wanted to make mobile phone cases from woollen fibres which turned out to be a great success.

www.meikelaurenson.co.uk

WEA East SurreyIt’s a new term at the WEA (Workers’ Educational Association) in East Surrey and there are plenty of classes to keep you in shape this autumn.

FitSteps is a dance-based exercise class devised by two of the stars of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and is designed to get you fit while you learn some energetic Latin American routines.

Adult Ballet classes take place on Monday evenings at Leatherhead Trinity School (8 - 9 pm) and at St Joseph’s Church Hall in Dorking on Wednesday evenings from 7 - 8 pm. No experience required – just pop along in some comfy clothes and soft shoes. Or if tap is more your thing, why not try our Adult Tap Class for Fitness

& Fun, which takes place after the ballet on Wednesdays in Dorking.

WEA is also pleased to be part of the Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival this year and is offering two FREE dance classes on Saturday 11 October at the Dorking Christian Centre. Ballet takes place from 11 - 11.40 am (ref: C3736907) and Tap (ref: C3736906) from 11.50 am - 12.30 pm. Come along and have a go – it’s totally free and there is no obligation to sign up for a course.

You can reserve a place online by visiting www.southern.wea.org.uk or calling the FREEPHONE number 0800 328 1060.

For more information about WEA Adult Education in Mole Valley please call 01737 225100.

WOW! Dorking has its Gala Night on 4 December where lots of our MVAF members do bits and pieces, providing music and entertainment.

This year the Dorking Chamber and Town Management are having a classic Christmas theme with a potential road closure between Pump Corner and Lloyds Bank so that the Gala Night can have entertainment safely within the street – and also in South Street in the old bandstand area

opposite what will be a farmers market. Oh by the way Caroline “Mrs. WOW” is the Chamber President, so the Gala Night will be run from her gallery!

It is always a fun night – from 5.30 - 8.30 pm – just come on your own or with the kids and wander around sampling the congeniality of the town whilst you start to think of Christmas shopping!

Woodfield EntertainersChristmas might seem a long way off with the sun still warm enough to please and the leaves only just starting to turn, but The Woodfield Entertainers are already rehearing for their next Panto for their loyal audience in Ashtead and the surrounding areas.

This year’s Panto is Rapunzel, the traditional tale of the princess stolen from her royal parents and locked away in a tower whose long hair has magical powers. All the usual panto characters are included, including the Dame and Good Fairy and this time there are a host of Undesirables who are sure to provide plenty of disgusting entertainment for the children.

The Woodfield Entertainers annual event makes a great start to the Christmas season. Tickets are on sale now at £9 for adults and £5 for children (under 16) from woodfieldentertainers@yahoo.co.uk or our Box Office on 07763 568973.

The venue is the Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall, Woodfield Lane, Ashtead and the show is playing from 11-13 December at 7.30pm with a matinee performance at 1.30pm on 13 December. If you are thinking of attending the matinee performance please book early to avoid disappointment, as the tickets for this show sell out fast.

In the meantime why not keep up to date by looking at the Woodfield Entertainers’ website www.surreycommunity.info/woodfieldentertainers or following them on Facebook “The Woodfield Entertainers” or on Twitter @Woodies12? They look forward to hearing from you!

Photos from the last Panto “Captain Hook’s Revenge” in December 2013 can be seen below and right.

Are you thinking of going along to see a performance? If so, why not tweet us @ArtsForumMV or use #MVAF on the day / evening you visit and let us know?

Captain Hook and the Pirates

The finale

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Ashtead Players present…

Your invitation to the Mole Valley Arts Forum

annual General Meetingwednesday november 2014

at the show bar 7 - 9 pm Dorking halls

[ drinks and nibbles afterwards with an opportunity to

mingle with the members ]

open to all

26

Please note: The DaTe

has been changeD in orDer

To accommoDaTe more people

a new chairperson will be announced

Welcome… to your personal invitation to the Mole Valley Arts Forum Annual General Meeting

An opportunity to mix with like-minded individuals and groups over drinks and nibbles. Live music will be provided by one of the Forum’s members – a string quartet from the DCO players – who will be playing a Mozart and a Haydn Quartet.

Committee members will be around should you have any questions about the Forum and the membership benefits.

In the meantime should you require any further information regarding this event please email Jo Taylor on: admin@jojotaylor.co.uk

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

Events Co-OrdinatorThis person enters the MVAF events and members events in to the clash diary. They organise our MVAF socials. They enter event articles on the website and then they delete them.

Newsletter Co-OrdinatorThis person collates all the information and articles needed for the newsletter and provides it in the correct format for the artworker. They ensure that the MVAF members and committee members know what articles they need to provide and when. Distribution of newsletter and upload on to website.

Social Media OfficerChecks the MVAF website on a daily basis to review events and on-line forum discussions. Tweets and Posts about these events and articles. Interacts with other Mole Valley businesses and groups on a social media platform that are not

already members to encourage joining us. Tweets and Post items of interest from other organisations. Shares information that they deem useful to our members.

On-Line Forum Co-OrdinatorThis person encourages members and committee members to use the on-line forum. They look at members websites, the calendar, event articles, newsletter articles and social media and ensure that they create articles in the on-line forum to compliment the other references. They start discussions in the forum.

Public Relations OfficerThis person is responsible for the advertisement of MVAF. They will organise flyers and advise on the costings. They will know about good PR, provide assistance to Events Co-Ordinator when a MVAF social is being organised, and be able to go to events and socialise with our members at the members events. They will actively introduce the MVAF

to the Mole Valley community by attending events, giving out leaflets, chatting to local business owners and retail outlets, as well as emailing Mole Valley groups and organisations.

Membership SecretaryThis person will assist the treasurer directly in keeping an up to date and accurate list of all Mole Valley Arts Forum members. They will update the MVAF website with the all the members’ introductions and contact details. They will ensure that all contact details of each member are current and up to date. They will issue a reminder to each member when they need to renew their membership and pay their dues. The Membership Secretary will then collate membership monies on an annual basis. Furthermore, the Membership Secretary will provide information to encourage new members to the MVAF and will provide the benefits of being a MVAF member.

Simon Fielder – Chairman 07775 780057 simon@simonfielder.com www.simonfielder.com

Caroline Salmon – Vice Chair & Treasurer 01306 743403 caroline.salmon@thewowgallery.co.uk www.thewowgallery.co.uk

Meike Laurenson – Secretary 01737 248909 mlaurenson@talktalk.net www.meikelaurenson.co.uk

Rowan Munson – Webmaster & Youth Voice Representative 0758 3175990 communications@rowanindustries.com

Joanne Taylor – Social Media & Quarterly Newsletter Editor 07904 121491 admin@jojotaylor.co.uk

Maurice Homewood 01737 843 603 MauriceHomewood@btinternet.com

Lesley Spiers Lesley.spiers@molevalley.gov.uk

Sandra Preston – Dorking Chamber Orchestra sepnumina@icloud.com

Susan Bixley – Dorking Concertgoers susan.bixley@ntlworld.com

Sue Hawkesfield – Ashtead Players & Leatherhead Drama Festival 01372 279614 sue.hawksfield@virginmedia.com

Liz May – Secretary / Organiser – Leith Hill Musical Festival 01372 458811 maytime59epa@talk21.com

Elected by Council to represent the interests of Mole Valley Council:

Councillor David Draper davidbesg@yahoo.com Councillor Mary Huggins cllr.huggins@molevalley.gov.uk

Mole Valley Arts Forum committee members

Committee members meetingMonday 1 December, 7 - 8.30 pmBlue Café, 52-56 Church Street, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8DW

Get involved with MVAF… we want you!

Are you a Mole Valley Arts Forum member?Subscriptions fees for 2014 / 15To renew your subscription or to become a new member of the Arts Forum please visit our website at www.molevalleyartsforum.org for benefits and expectations. The fee is only £20 a year for groups and organisations and £10 a year for individuals. The website has a link for your ease of use.

more events…Check out the online calendar on the Mole Valley Arts Forum website for further information on forthcoming events – click on the linkwww.molevalleyartsforum.org/index.php/events-pg

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