CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
A Committee Meeting was held on 15 June 2011 at 1 pm in The Beves Room, Webbs Court, King's College
Present
Executive Officers: Josh Borin (JB), Will Cole (WC), Chloe Davidson (CD), Caroline Goulder (CG), Jennifer Howells (JH), Michael Sharp (MS), Nick Shaw (NS), Simon Smart (SS), Rachel Thomas (RT), SarahYetman (SY)
Co-opted members: Simon Fairclough (SF), Chris Lawrence (CL), Paul Nicholson (PN), Jo Whitehead (JW)
Observer: Jon Dumbrill (JD)
Simon Fairclough was in the Chair. Christine Skeen took the minutes.
JD was introduced as JB's successor.
1. Apologies were received from Richard Andrewes, Stephen Cleobury, Martin Ennis, Maggie Heywood, John Willan.
2. Minutes of the last meeting were approved after amendment to '3.b. PN suggested liaison between CUCOV and chapel choirs.'
3. Matters arising see below
a. Budget for 2011-12: NS reported that we were near to a break-even budget for 2011-12 with a £2k deficit currently being shown. CUWO and CUCOV had still to submit budgets. JB said CUCO hoped to build up a musical as well as commercial relationship with King's Choir. RT had made substantial inroads into fundraising ventures. NS estimated that in 2010-11 at least £12k would be lost on concerts and after £5k for instrument depreciation, a loss of around £8k would be sustained. There was however over £50k in cash reserves, and modest surpluses had been recorded since 2005. SF said (i) we had learned to avoid showing a loss in more than one consecutive year; it reduced our credibility. He and JW would go through the budget together in detail, including recordings and tours. Action: SF, JW.(ii)we needed to do even more fundraising.
(iii)was there a way to keep an eye on how things were going? JW said CUMS I, CUCO and Chorus could be asked to do their own budgets together to improve accuracy. Invoices should be sent to NS as soon as possible. Fundraising should concentrate on major donors.
b. Programme for 2011-12: CL went through the paper previously distributed. Harry Ogg was keen to get a student composer's work in CUMS I's programme. CUMS II's programmes on 1 December and 14 March were swapping Barber and Strauss because of the soloists' involvements.
CUWO were to have a full evening's programme on 29 November. WC would speak with the CUWO convenor about lighter material for the schools' concert and more serious when combining with Oxford. Action: WC. It was agree that a shared Easter term concert between CUWO and CUMS II was a good idea. CL said that getting names of conductors and winners in the concerto competition late caused problems; ideally the competitions would take place before Christmas, and we would promise a minimum of three rather than five concerto prizes. Action: CD, CL, JW to discuss moving conducting and concerto competitions into Michaelmas term. Advertising could be done at Freshers' Fair so as not to exclude first years. SF pointed out that Martin Yates' availability would need to be ascertaind for the competitions. For the Chorus, CG was keen to have a guest conductor at least every two years. Ralph Woodward would be chorus master for Graeme Jenkins in June. CUCO's recording with Roger Norrington would take place on 7 and 8 December, probably in St George's Church, Chesterton. Replying to SF, NS said the budget for it was in hand, £250 for two days' church hire. JB said that on the way back from their tour to France, CUCO hoped to find a free venue in London for a concert there. Ian Christians was to pay all their costs while in France. CUMS would need to find the remaining £7k – JW requested that in the budget this should be borne by the players initially, and that CUMS should seek to raise as much as possible towards this sum. Action: JB, SF, JW to discuss. Replying to PN, JB said that Norrington was doing the recording at no cost, and CUMS would retain the copyright in the recording. SF suggested that a contribution to the £5-10k needed for the CUCO tour and the CUCOV/CUCC tours to Israel and the USA should be sought from the David Willcocks Music Trust. Action: SF, RT
The order of the agenda was changed
d. CULC update: WC spoke about the paper previously distributed. He intended to combine two programmes, thus opening up a further slot in May. SF asked whether we want a blank slot left for freshers; WC replied that we did not as they would have their chance the next year. We needed now to fix programmes for the London recitals at the homes of Bob boas and Sir Vernon Ellis. Action: CD, WC to discuss
(WC left the meeting)
c. Long-term working party: a paper showing members and brief plans had been distributed previously. SF said they aimed to meet in September.
(CG left the meeting)
e. Instrument cupboard security: the paper distributed previously was discussed. There was general approval for trying a combination of CCTV and passive RFID. The cupboard would still need unlocking but there would be evidence of who had been there. CL suggested trying to find out the systems in place elsewhere in the faculty, and whether our CCTV system could be built into existing ones. Action: SS. NS spoke of a minimum hire charge and suggested that for one of less than £25 it should be paid in advance, in an attempt to overcome difficulties in recouping money.
f. Proposed changes to audition procedure: a paper had been distributed previously. There was general approval for the proposals in the paper outlined by CD.
g. CUMS II's name: it was proposed to change this to CUMS Concert Orchestra, at the same time changing CUMS I's to CUMS Symphony Orchestra. CUMS II would have a separate page in the season brochure and would be advertised inside colleges but not to the wider public (eg in posters on railings); most of their audience were family and friends.
4. AOB nil.
The meeting closed at 14.20