This page contains info for Orchestra Members only. If you are not a member, we suggest looking at the Home or Achievements pages for info for you.
Rehearsal Schedule & Key Dates
- Mon 8 July – An opportunity to play some ensemble pieces for our own entertainment, possibly in small groups.
- Mon 15 July – Run through for fun – Rachmaninov’s ‘Isle of the Dead’ & Tchaikovsky’s ‘Fantasy Overture for Romeo and Juliet’. Music available from the librarians, but must be returned on the night.
- Mon 2 Sept – first rehearsal after summer break
- Sat 30 Nov – Autumn concert including concerto with Aminata Kanneh-Mason
- Sat 28 Mar 2020 – Spring concert
- Sat 11 July 2020 (provisional date) – Summer concert with Folk Theme
- Sat 21 Nov 2020 (provisional date) – Autumn concert with Russian Theme
Autumn concert – 30th Nov 2019
The concert will be at St John’s Church, Beeston. The programme has been agreed as shown below. Sheet music for all parts will be available from September, but links are provided to IMSLP if you want to preview it or print extra copies.
- Verdi – Force of Destiny
- Bruch – G minor violin concerto with soloist: Aminata Kanneh-Mason
- Brahms – Symphony No 2
Rehearsals (and refreshment breaks!)
- Rehearsals are held in the Theatre building at the Sherwood Rise site of the Djanogly Learning Trust, NG7 7AR (See map) on Monday evenings from 7.00 pm to 9.15 pm.
- If you are able to arrive a few minutes early to help put out chairs, that is really helpful.
- We have a refreshment break at ‘half time’ for which we ask members to bring their own (small) mug. Three members of the Orchestra are rostered each week to provide the refreshment – so please check the Rota to see when you are scheduled.
Membership and Subs
Members need to be able to come to rehearsals regularly – as frequent gaps make it less enjoyable for other players.
Subs should be paid by standing order – either annually in January; or quarterly in November, February, May and August. Currently they are £100 per year (Please contact the treasurer, Roger Kilby, for standing order information). One exception is that membership for a full-time student is free – so don’t forget to tell Roger if you already are (or if you become) a student!
Provisional programme for future concerts
28 March 2020: Tchaikovsky – Polonaise from Eugene Onegin; Elgar – Three Bavarian Dances; Sibelius – Karelia Suite; Elgar – Cello Concerto with Danuska Edirisinghe
11 July 2020 Folk Theme: Vaughan Williams – Folk Song Suite; Holst – A Somerset Rhapsody; New commission from Ben Graves; Dvorak – Symphony No 8
21 November 2020 Russian Theme: Balakirev – Overture on Three Russian Themes; Mussorgsky – Dawn at the Moskva River; Rimsky Korsakov – Trombone Concerto; Tchaikovsky – Symphony No 6
Organisation
Our orchestra is a registered charity (Charity No. 1084053) and our structure is defined in the DCO constitution. Day-to-day management is by our committee – each member of which has specific roles, as shown below. Orchestra Members can read Minutes from committee meetings and AGM (contact the Enquiries for a password).
Chairperson: Jacky Fisher.Jacky has been a member of the cello section since 2001, and is currently the committee Chairperson. She largely retired a few years ago from her job as a social worker in the field of disability. She hides at the back of the cello section, but loves the opportunity to make great music in a full-scale orchestra.
Treasurer: Roger Kilby.
Roger has been playing violin with the orchestra since about 1995. He started learning at school and continued at University, and is still involved in other string groups and choirs. Roger enjoys our Orchestra because he finds both the friendly atmosphere a real tonic after a day’s work, and because it presents the opportunity to tackle some genuinely challenging pieces of music.
Secretary & Website manager: John Thurston.
John joined the committee in 2012. He plays tenor trombone and joined the orchestra in 2008. Having played for many years previously only in a church music group, the transition to orchestra was challenging at times but was greatly helped and encouraged by other members of the Orchestra.
Membership Secretary and Facebook manager: Cath Lovatt. Cath joined the committee in 2013. She plays clarinet, which she started at school (even performing with a very young Nigel Kennedy!). What she really likes about playing with Djanogly is that nobody cares about your day job – it’s just about making music. Her favourite from Djanogly repertoire is Aaron Copeland’s Appalachian Spring – mainly for the lovely clarinet solos.
Djanogly Learning Trust Liaison and Concert Programmes: Laura Ewart. Laura is a member of the trumpet section of the orchestra. Her role on the committee are to write and produce the programmes for all of our concerts. She also works at the Djanogly Learning Trust which helps us enormously in the liaison and organisation of concerts and rehearsals.
Concert Activities Manager: Robyn Scott-Chaplin. Robyn joined the orchestra committee in 2015 where her remit is to Manage activities for each concert. She joined the Orchestra in 2000 as a very new percussionist, and is now our chief timpanist. She only became a committee member after cutting down on her day job, and loves to hear how music is created in front of our ears – just like magic!
Concert Venue Manager: Susan Sullivan. Susan joined the orchestra in 2016 and the committee in 2017. She has been keen choral singer for many years, and decided to learn an instrument in retirement. Wanting one that you neither have to hold up nor blow down, she decided on the cello. She is enjoying playing in the friendly cello section.
Other Roles
Leader: Stephen Howarth. Stephen joined the Orchestra in 2006. As Leader, he has an honorary role on the committee. He started learning violin age 5 and was heavily involved in performing music throughout his whole of his school life and his career as Chemical Engineer. He says that the Orchestra is full of welcoming and friendly musicians who enjoy making music together and putting on a good performance.
Librarians: Emma Grishin and Alison Raju. Emma (who plays flute) and Alison (who plays French Horn) share the role of Librarian for the orchestra. They help us get the music we need for our rehearsals and concerts, distributing it to players, and collecting it up and returning it after the concert. As such they are not committee members but play a vital role.
