CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
A Committee Meeting was held on 11 March 2006 at 10am. in Lecture Room 4, in the Music School, West Road.
Present:
Executive Officers: Stephen Cleobury (SC), Mary Flook (MF) Chris Ford (CF) Jacob Head (JH) Maggie Heywood (MH) Fiona Jacques (FJ) Gordon Lawrence (GL), Robert Nimmo (RN), Daniel Trambaiolo (DT) Richard West (RW), Katy Wyatt (KW),
Co-opted members: Richard Andrewes (RA) Simon Fairclough (SF) Caroline Goulder (CG), Claire Pike (CP), Jo Whitehead (JW)
Visitors: Michael Sharp, Dan Hill, Joseph Fort, Emily Taylor, Brandon Green
The new conductors were welcomed as visitors to the meeting, and also the prospective fund-raiser, Michael Sharp.
1. Apologies:
Mark Austin (MA) John Barber (JB), Max Pappenheim (MP), Graham Ross (GR), Christine Schmalz (CS), Alex Selby (AS)
2. Minutes: The minutes of the last meeting were agreed and signed.
3. Matters arising: none.
4. (taken after 5.)
5. Appointment of Secretary. JW asked if anyone had any major concerns.
SC agrees that it would be helpful to take a look at MH's work and seek to get some of the tasks covered by other people, BUT he has a strong view that the strength and stewardship of M's genius is that she knows everybody in the four performing groups. The way she achieves that is to do the auditions, attend rehearsals and attend concerts. He suggests that whoever considers the appointment should take that into account. JW summarised and SC indicated that he would welcome any comments from the committee on this point, because the functioning of the society IS the rehearsals and concerts. RA thought that it might be difficult to find someone who would make that scale of commitment - an alternative model might be to find two or three people, or to find an orchestral secretary as well as a general secretary.
CP asked if we were going to advertise the salary. No, we shall say that it's negotiable.
JW - there have been no volunteers to take large chucks of the work on, so we shall try to replace MH with a similar model!
SC: it's important that the society knows that there is the widest possible representation on the appointment sub-committee. It was agreed that four officers plus the four convenors would be appropriate: SF, JW, SC and CF plus DG, DT, FJ & MF. The date for interviews was fixed for Sat 6 May from 9.30am.
After hiring the secretary we need to go to the CUMS Fund Trustees to apply for funding.
We also need an `Awards' sub-committee which should be the Treasurer plus two more.
JW suggested that the subscription for senior members should be increased to £60 pa and that student subs should be discussed. CG wondered whether voluntary contributions might be sought to go towards the secretary's salary. To do: Chris to propose and manage the launch of an Awards Sub-committee (proposal to be presented at the next committee meeting)
CP proposed the adoption of all of the points agreed in relation to appointing a new secretary, RA seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously.
To do: Jo and Simon to proceed with advertising for a new secretary. Stephen, Simon and the convenors (or substitutes) to attend interviews on the morning of May 6th, with the 1st and 5th as reserves in your calendar if we need them. Maggie can you see if you can find a room?
4. Programme 2006/07 SC introduced the general plan with skeleton programmes underway for CUMS II and the Zephyrs. It was agreed that 31st March is the deadline for programmes to be submitted to MH who will pass them on to SF & SC for approval, and RN and JH for budgeting of hire charges and instrument implications. MH will book the guest conductor and soloists. The budget must be ready by May 12th for approval at the next meeting.
Elgar `The Apostles' was planned for May Week 2007 but with less rehearsal time for the orchestra in that term DT wondered if we should move it to Michaelmas 2007 instead - this is still within Elgar's anniversary year.
The Composition Competition was advertised a little late this year so it was agreed that as soon as we have agreed what we want, and when it will be performed, we should advertise the fact to allow as much time as possible for composers to be inspired. SC spoke up strongly in support of the performance by CUMS of contemporary music by its own students. JH wanted composers to be encouraged to use more percussion in their works.
To do: Stephen, Simon and Maggie to finalize the programme and send it out together with required instrumentation detail to Jacob for budgeting for instrument hire and Robert for music costs. Stephen to add estimates for soloist costs. Maggie to check funding for Stanford concert. Maggie to ensure that all information is available by mid April. Jo and Maggie to create the draft budget for concerts using this input by next meeting
6. Convenors reports had been circulated by e-mail before the meeting. SF, responding to a rather negative report from CUMS I explained that there was little that could be done at this stage. He was very disappointed not to have been told about the problems ahead of the report being written, since he had offered to discuss any issues on numerous occasions. RW agrees with SF and explained that he had also suggested a meeting, but these issues haven't been simmering for months they're all quite recent. MH explained why she had not invited anyone to represent CUMS I at the conducting auditions this year. It was agreed that next year we would again try to set up a special evening for the auditions and have an orchestra representing all three ensembles for the purpose. (This year we had twelve volunteers for such an orchestra with two months warning). JH raised the issue of the Zephyrs having to move out of the Recital Room more often than is reasonable, since the group is now far too big to fit into a lecture room. SF will raise this problem with George Brown.
7. Yale Alumni Chorus has issued an invitation for members of CUMS to join them in Rotterdam to give a concert of Beethoven's 9th Symphony under Valery Gergiev. Paul Fray from the chorus has agreed to co-ordinate the CUMS responses.
8. The dates of the next two meetings are Friday 12 May, 6.30-8pm in the Music School, and Thurs 15 June at 1pm, probably in Clare College.
To do: Maggie to send out a reminder about the dates of the upcoming CUMS committee meetings.
9. Instrument Hire document: JH introduced his idea for expanding the profile of the percussion sections of the CUMS ensembles by arranging for them to give a concert for the Selwyn College Music Society and also, if we can get support from the faculty, to run percussion workshops for local schoolchildren, culminating in the Zephyr Ensemble concert for schools. After some discussion both proposals were agreed.
To do: Jacob to proceed with the schools percussion day and percussion concert (the idea of an ensemble can perhaps be discussed when you have an event or two under your belt!). Jacob to keep Simon and Jo informed - but he has the support of CUMS main committee and we understand that it may involve an initial outlay of about 2-300 for music hire for the percussion ensemble and hire of a van for the percussion day. Michael should discuss funding opportunities for the schools day and the schools concert with Jacob. The main source of revenue will be for the percussion ensemble at May Balls (Jacob, please clarify how much will come back to CUMS).
10. A.O.B.
i) FJ reported that all the Zephyr members have had their cheques returned to them by the former Treasurer because they had not been paid in soon enough. They've been invited to send another.
ii) The Annual Dinner has been arranged for May 3rd at 7pm in New Hall.
11. Co-option: Caroline Goulder, who has kindly volunteered to step down from the committee to make room for another co-opted member, was warmly thanked for her contribution to the committee over the last three years. Michael Sharp was elected unanimously to the vacant spot, and he will be concentrating on fund-raising.
To do: Michael to prepare a proposal for a membership campaign to raise extra funding - to be presented at the next committee meeting and to ensure that we apply for funding for the November 2007 Apostles concert in time!