CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY

A Committee Meeting was held on 4 May 2011 at 1 pm in the Faculty of Music Boardroom

Present

Executive Officers:  Ned Booker (NB), Josh Borin (JB), Will Cole (WC), Chloe Davidson (CD), Martin Ennis (ME), Caroline Goulder (CG), Maggie Heywood (MH), Nick Shaw (NS), Simon Smart (SS), Rachel Thomas (RT),  Sarah Yetman (SY)

Co-opted members: Richard Andrewes (RA), Chris Lawrence (CL), Paul Nicholson (PN), Jo Whitehead (JW),  John Willan  (JWi)  

Jo Whitehead was in the Chair.  Christine Skeen took the minutes.

1.  Apologies were received from Stephen Cleobury, Rachel Croft, Jennifer Howells.

2.  Minutes of the last meeting were approved after amendment to '5. Long term plan:...Martin Ennis had spoken to the proctors who may de-register the chamber choir, which would make the name available for new use.'

3.  Matters arising  

a.  Marketing:  the paper which had been distributed before the meeting was discussed. It was agreed that generally marketing was effective. Emphasis should be given to concerts where there was potential to generate more revenue e.g. CUCO and less well-attended concerts such as Judas Maccabaeus. There was some discussion about posters, with agreement that termly ones were preferable to seasonal, having less content to read through.  SS observed that concert dates could be made more prominent.

Website: the document by Aljoscha Leonhardt, webmaster, was discussed. It was agreed that the website was very important, and was in need of reform which would be based upon industry-standard Content Management System WordPress, and made over the summer to be effective in September. An appropriately skilled,  paid webmaster was needed for an estimated 80-100 hours of work on technical set-up and maintenance.  Subsequently users could post and amend content themselves. Action: CD, NS

b.  CU Consort Of Voices: a paper had been distributed previously. CL said Stephen Cleobury was in favour of the proposal provided that the Chorus was not diluted, and had observed that from a chapel chorister's point of view the proposed first year programme was ambitious. ME explained that some of items were repeated at different venues. CG wondered where invitations to give concerts had originated and whether the Chorus might be invited. ME said Tim Brown had been asked to provide a choir for the Israel tour, and if anything numbers would be smaller rather than  larger than the usual CUCOV. JW added that it was intended for younger rather than older members of CUMS.  PN offered to liaise between CUCOV and chapel choirs. Replying to CL, ME said personally he would choose the title of Chamber Choir for the ensemble, were it to become available.  JW confirmed that the ensemble would appear in the season brochure, being part of CUMS, though run mainly independently. The naming was crucial from the start and had to be decided in July in time for the brochure preparations. An email and poster campaign would also be necessary. Action: CD, ME.  NS asked whether the Yale visit would be organised through the CUMS Tours company. JW replied that it would not, being funded mostly by individuals. He would discuss with NS outside the meeting.  Action: NS, JW.  JW asked for the committee's agreement to having CUCOV join CUMS; PN proposed, WC seconded and the motion was carried unanimously with an abstention by RA.  The constitution would be amended at the next AGM. Action: JW

c.  CUCO: JB spoke about the previously circulated papers on job descriptions for the CUCO Orchestra Manager (RT) and Committee.  NB questionned what seemed to be duplication of duties between them. CL pointed out the risk of specific job titles restricting what a committee member might do. JW said RT and the committee would review the actual implementation of the proposal during the first year of operation, and if necessary change it next year.

(The order of the agenda was changed)

f.  Booking ensembles for CULC: WC spoke about his paper previously circulated.  After the May 15 deadline, the CULC Committee would review applications received in response to an email to music students and aim to make a selection and arrange the programme by May 22,  checking with this committee. CL would like the programme extended into the Easter Term but WC said he had been unable to get extra bookings to do this. CL would also welcome a seventh Michaelmas week slot to allow keen freshers to perform.  WC wondered how freshers would be chosen and CL offered to talent-spot. Good performers were usually evident by the end of the first week. If none was forthcoming, the slot could be filled alternatively. Action: WC, CL.  WC thought the Stephen Varcoe recital had proved very successful and would like to repeat an alumnus performance at the end of the season, with perhaps Michael Chance.  CL pointed out that two of the last series were all CUCO members and warned against adding to their workload. CD asked whether everyone was happy with the concerto competition/concert. RA said it was a good format but wondered why  runners-up had been included instead of being part of the chamber series.  MH expressed concern that the  new CULC committee might be friends from the same college rather than a wider spread.  WC said that this was not the case and gave their names: President, WC (Clare); Vice-President, Oli Pashley (Clare); Secretary, Alex Platts (Christ's); Concert Manager, Karys Orman (Churchill); Front of House Manager, Paddy Flanagan (Churchill). 

g.  Financial update: A budget document by NS had been previously circulated.  CL asked that in future a statement of concert income and expenditure be presented to this committee at every meeting.  An overall picture could be given once a term or year. Action: NS  

e.  Instrument cupboard: SS would soon be stocktaking. Some 'missing' instruments had re-appeared.  Sam Kemp was to work on hire figures for the website.  Prices for non-university hire should be made commercially viable and the minimum charge raised.  NS reported how hard or impossible it could sometimes be to get money from hirers. JW wondered whether we should be doing more about security.  SS was writing notes on this, but said ultimately CUMS did not have control of the cupboard.   MH had seen timpani being rolled down a street on its wheels and asked what the rules were on moving them .  SS replied that transport should be used, which was impossible to check up on.  JB said it was possible to have damage reported by the next hirer.    Ideally the instruments would somehow be tagged.  CD would compile a list of possibilities. It was agreed that a more formal paper should be presnted at the next, or a future meeting.  Action: CD,SS

h.  Artistic planning:  the planning document for 2011-12 had been previously circulated.

4.  AOB:   There was some discussion about a new name for CUMS II.  CUMS Concert Orchestra had been suggested. JW asked that suggestions should be circulated within the committee for a decision to be made at the next meeting.  SY would test CUMS II's reaction beforehand.  

Action: all

The meeting closed at 14.10