CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY

A Committee Meeting was held on Tuesday 31 January 2006 at 6.30 p.m. in Lect 4 of the Music School, West Road.

Present:

Executive Officers: Mark Austin (MA), Stephen Cleobury (SC), George Corbett (GC), Mary Flook (MF), Grace (DG), Caroline Goulder (CG), Maggie Heywood (MH.), Fiona Jacques (FJ), Dora Kemp (DK), Gordon Lawrence (GL), Daniel Trambaiolo (DT),

Co-opted members: Richard Andrewes (RA), Simon Fairclough (SF) Jo Whitehead (JW)

Apologies:

John Barber (JB), Sam Hudson (SH), Jamie McVinnie (JM), Max Pappenheim (MP), Claire Pike (CP), Graham Ross (GR),Alex Selby (AS), Christine Schmalz (CS), James Sherlock (JS)

2. Minutes

The minutes of the meeting of 02.11.05 were approved and signed.

3. Matters arising

4(2) Programme planning: The sec gave the new dates for Lent Term concerts next year, booked in the light of discussions with CUMS I.

5: Long-term planning - a meeting will take place on Feb 18th with MA, GC, RA, JW & SF

6: The War Requiem Charity performance will not now be taking place.

  1. Programme Planning 2006/07

The proposed programme timetable, supplied by SF, was considered. It will be the same as before but with a budgeting built into it at an earlier stage. There was a brief discussion covering who would be responsible for the budget (there is a template with regular costs already listed so ensemble treasurers with the librarian's help will be able to fill in the gaps); how much input will there be from the ensembles in planning the programmes (they have already made their suggestions which will be passed on to the new conductors next week); and the wind orchestra convenor would like to offer guidance to the new conductors, if they're not too familiar with WO repertoire (agreed)

The plan was accepted.

  1. Secretary's appointment.

JW explained that we need to make some decisions concerning the appointment of a new secretary, following MH's decision to retire:

  1. Do we need a secretary?

  2. a small committee to decide on an advert, job description & interview.

  3. Place the advert throughout the CUMS membership and in `Careers'.

  4. Agree the salary-range, and whether or not it will be near the market-rate.

A number of questions were raised:

Are we thinking of becoming an employer? (JW has consulted the employment office)

What if we can't raise the money? (We could raise some from the Fund 3-4% would give us nearly all we need and this has been agreed in principle by PTJ, a Trustee of the Fund)

It's a timely reminder that times are changing and we need more people willing to put time into CUMS.

Is it all within the Constitution? (Yes, but the Fund constitution would need to be amended)

It isn't necessarily going to produce a better outcome if we pay more.

Student input is a very good thing as long as there's someone to pick up the pieces when it doesn't go well.

Could the job be split up into several smaller jobs shared by more people?

Could we utilise the parental skills acquired in running youth orchestras?

Should we offer a contract for certain tasks to be fulfilled and rely on volunteers for the rest?

Can we advertise the post without mentioning the remuneration? Describe it as `negotiable'?

The CUMS Fund is there to help us do things artistically which we wouldn't otherwise be able to do (not to pay individuals). Yes, but it could be used for artistic purposes more often to save general funds.

It was agreed that further opportunities for discussion would be arranged before the next meeting so that a decision may be made at that meeting on the way forward.

  1. AGM (Treasurer) DK pointed out that the accounts for 2004/05 show a huge loss on concert income - partly because the price has gone up to the regular commercial rate for the Zephyrs, now that they are not supported by the Faculty, partly because we had a guest conductor's fee to pay and also because the Lent Term choral concert did not sell as well as it should have done. This was also the first year of higher remuneration being paid to the secretary and the conductor. Instrument hire income is vital to the financial stability of the Society. It was suggested that SF or JW discuss the charges to the Zephyrs with the Faculty Representative.

Comments: Do we always apply for funding for the activities which merit some? Can we apply for support from the CUMS Fund for the Guest Conductor? Can we apply to the Donald Wort fund for orchestral coaching? The Treasurer was asked to prepare a submission for the funding of allowable expenses from the CUMS Fund. Student treasurers should take responsibility for collecting unpaid subs from their members. Should players be charged who have been asked to fill the place of a paid-up member?

The Zephyr convenor pointed out that one week they tried to squeeze 60 people into lecture 3, while CUCO had a sectional rehearsal in the Recital Room for 6 players. (CUCO takes priority over the Zephyrs because they're supported by the Faculty)

7. Dates for future meetings MH will consult SC and send round the options for one more meeting this term, and two in the Easter term.

  1. A.O.B.

SC said that he was not happy with the outcome of the disciplinary issue with three people from CUMS II. He didn't feel it was the role of the CH Manager to ban students from University organisations. Tutors are there to deal with such matters and that is not the way we treat students. SF was asked to speak to the Faculty Board representative on the CUMS Committee about it, although SF pointed out that the Manager has retracted to an extent in that the ban is now for one term not two.

The next meeting will be on Saturday 11 March from 10am-11.30 in lecture room 4 at the Faculty of Music, West Road.