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Musical Director’s Report for BCS AGM on Tuesday 2/9/14
Choice
of repertoire; process:-
1.
Suggestions
box.
2.
Music
sub-committee.
3.
Main
committee.
4.
But I
have the largest input. Part of the job; qualifications and experience, music I
would like to conduct.
Considerations:-
1.
Good
music? Enjoyable for 12 weeks and memorable?
2.
Potentially
popular with members, and potential new members?
3.
Ditto
with audience? Marketing – sales?
4.
Appropriate
to the size, experience and age-profile of the choir?
5.
Quantity
and difficulty of notes? Known to
some members? How many weeks to learn?
6.
Charitable,
or profit (loss) to choir funds?
7.
Joining
with other performers? Other societies, school? Are we assisting another choir/orch.?
8.
Venue?
Extra performance in different venue? Tour?
9.
Balance
of types of music within year and across years.
10.
Acquisition
of music; BCS library, public libraries, borrow elsewhere, purchase?
11.
Finance;
always a major consideration.
Finance;
some thoughts:-
1.
Apart
from outgoings due to weekly rehearsals, the largest variable costs are:-
(a)
Soloists.
These may be:-
(i)
‘In-choir’,
if the part is not too hard and long, and we have the right voices.
(ii)
Other
amateurs, who might be happy to sing for expenses
(iii)
Local
semi-pros. or singing teachers; small fee/expenses.
(iv)
Experienced
pros.; more substantial fee.
(b)
Instrumental
accompaniment. This may be:-
(i)
Wholly
unaccompanied; not really appropriate for BCS.
(ii)
Piano/organ.
We benefit enormously from John Jenkin’s enthusiasm and expertise in
performance as well as rehearsal, and his charges are very reasonable. However,
other considerations apply:-
(aa)
There is no decent piano in Bromyard. Grand pianos are expensive to move.
(bb)
Many works are unsatisfying unless the piano is of high quality.
(cc)
St Peter’s organ is not in the ideal position, but use of the choir stalls is
just possible.
(dd)While
baroque pieces work well with organ, many 19th century pieces are
difficult.
(iii)
Small
instrumental ensemble; this depends totally on repertoire.
(iv)
Baroque
orchestra of strings; amateur group sometimes possible; pros not too expensive.
(v)
18th
century orch. of strings/wind; more amateurs to find; pros more expensive.
(vi)
19th
century full orch.; needs big choir, music more difficult for amateurs; pros v.
expensive.
Conclusions;
over a cycle of 3-5 years, it is good to have a mix of both music and
financial outlay.
As in previous years, I have enormously enjoyed my time rehearsing and performing with BCS, and I am grateful to all those, especially committee members, who put in so much time to ensure the success of the society.
Richard Mynors
Income and Expenditure statement for the year ended 30th June 2014 is attached together with breakdowns of some items. I don’t think any further explanations are required at this stage, but I shall be pleased to answer any questions you may have at the AGM.
Our concerts are financed in the main by members’ subscriptions, and for some time now we have just about broken even from year to year. We have been able to perform more ambitious concerts, with orchestral accompaniment without any major increases in our annual subscriptions. We are indebted in this respect to Richard Mynors who through his contacts, family members and skill has been able to persuade musicians to take part at little or no cost. Whilst we have funds in reserve which could be used to supplement the costs of concerts if need be, the committee is loath to dip into this unless the society could replenish funds from income.
It is with this in mind that a proposal will be put to the AGM to increase singing members’ annual subscriptions to £75 with immediate effect.
You will see from the Income and Expenditure Statement that the amount we receive as a refund of tax under the Gift Aid Scheme was substantially lower in 2014 than the previous year. The rate of refund has been gradually reducing over the last few years in line with the reduction in basic rate of income tax. We have also some members who have stopped paying tax, and therefore cannot Gift Aid their subscription. This is a valuable source of income to the Society, and I would ask that if you pay tax on income or Capital Gains you consider Gift Aiding your subscription if you do not already do so. This will not cost you any extra.
The committee has decided that ex-members returning to sing in the Verdi concert in Malvern in November must pay the full members subscription of £75 (or whatever figure is agreed at the AGM) in accordance with our constitution. Those members will of course be able to take part in all activities of the Society for the 2014/15 season. Members are reminded that the half fee concession is only applicable to new members joining the Society for the first time after 1st January. Members of other choirs who will have paid subscriptions to their own choir, and are joining us on this occasion, will be required to pay £10 towards the costs of music hire etc.
Tudor Jones.