Members’ Page

This page contains info for Orchestra Members only.  If you are not a member, we suggest looking at the Home Page or our History and Gallery pages for info for you

Autumn 2026 Programme (updated 05/09/2026)

Our next concert will be on 5th December 2026 at Djanogly Sherwood Academy, Sherwood Rise, Nottingham, NG7 7AR

The programme will be as follows:

  • Mussorgsky, Night on a Bald Mountain (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov) – YouTube (with score) – IMSLP
  • How To Train Your Dragon – YouTube (with score)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – YouTube
  • Jurassic Park – YouTube
  • Adventures on Earth (ET) – YouTube
  • Christmas at the Movies – YouTube (with score)
  • Beauty and the Beast – YouTube
  • Rimsky-Korsakov, The Snow Maiden – YouTube (with score) – IMSLP
  • Frozen – YouTube (with score)

Rehearsals and Key Dates (updated 12/07/2026)

Rehearsal dates are as follows:

  • September 7th –
  • September 14th –
  • September 21st –
  • September 28th –
  • October 5th –
  • October 12th –
  • October 19th –
  • October 26th –
  • November 2nd –
  • November 9th –
  • November 16th –
  • November 23rd –
  • November 30th –
  • Friday December 4th –
  • December 5th – Concert Day, Djanogly Sherwood Academy
    • 2.00 to 4.30 tba
    • 7.30 pm – Concert
  • December 14th –

Note: First rehearsal of spring term will be Monday 11th January, 2027

Future Rehearsal and Dates for 2026 and 2027

Click here for one page overview of Rehearsals and Notable Dates 2026 (pdf doc)

Click here for one page overview of Rehearsals and Notable Dates 2027 (pdf doc)

Future Concert Dates (Updated 31/03/2026)

Dates for concerts for 2026 are listed below (Programmes and venues yet to be finalised):

2026-27 Concert Dates

  • December 5th 2026
  • March 20th 2027
  • July 17th 2027
  • December 4th 2027

Rehearsals Procedures (Updated 05/09/26)

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 to 9.15.  Occasionally the location is moved within the school building during examinations etc. Any changes will be announced at rehearsals and via email.

We have a break at ‘half time’ to rest and to socialise, to which you may bring your own refreshments. Usually there is the opportunity to make tea and coffee if you bring your own mug.Biscuits are available.

  • Members are asked to stay away if they feel unwell, and notify another member of the orchestra if possible.
  • Wind players should bring a means of wiping up or collecting drips.
  • Our latest risk assessment (which covers general risks as well as Covid) is Here.
  • Our current Safeguarding policy is Here.

Rehearsals Etiquette (Updated 05/09/26)

Punctuality: Rehearsal time is limited; please aim to arrive in good time so that all members are ready to tune up promptly at 7pm.

Mobile Phones: Mobile phone use can be very distracting and affect other members’ concentration and enjoyment of the music. Please ensure your phone is either silent or switched off during rehearsals. (Exceptions are made to those on emergency call-out duty; an example being for the NHS.)
If you do need to use your phone please restrict its use to the break or to the end of the rehearsal. If you are not involved in a movement and wish to use your phone please be sensitive to other members and make sure you are not causing any distraction. Consider moving to the back or leaving the rehearsal space if possible.

Chatting: Please avoid chatting during tuning, when a section of the orchestra is rehearsing a particular part of the music, or when Dan is attempting to talk to some, or all, of us.
Clearly there are times when we may need to talk to our playing partner, ask Dan about something, or for section leaders to address their sections. These are absolutely fine providing they do not occur during the three occasions mentioned above.

Care of Sheet Music: Members need to take care of the sheet music we hire and the music from our own library. Please do not place music directly onto the floor either in a rehearsal or during a concert. Either keep music on your stand or bring a folder/envelope. Essential notes/fingering/dynamics, etc. should be marked neatly with a 2B pencil (for easy erasure) and please keep your music as tidy and clean as possible.

Membership and Subs (updated 12/11/23)

If you are not a member but interested in joining the Orchestra, please see info on the Home page.

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 (please contact the treasurer, Jess Mesrati, for standing order information).   Subs are currently £120 per year. There is one exception – full-time students are free (so don’t forget to tell Jess if you are a student!).

Organisation

  • Our orchestra is a registered charity (Charity No. 1084053).
  • Our structure is defined in the DCO constitution. 
  • Management and planning is through our committee.
  • Minutes of committee meetings and AGMs are available to all members Here 
  • Each member of the committee has specific roles, as shown below.
Chairperson: Roger Kilby.
Roger joined the orchestra in the mid-nineties as a violin player and he has thoroughly enjoyed both the friendly atmosphere and the opportunity to tackle some genuinely challenging pieces of music. He served as treasurer of the orchestra for 22 years and is honoured to become the fifth chairperson of the orchestra. He started to learn the violin at the age of twelve when his school offered free violin lessons – his parents scraped together the £15 needed (12 years pocket money back then!) to buy a decent violin and he has never looked back since. Roger plays in a number of groups across the city as well as singing in a choir.
 
ID: Jess Mesrati
Treasurer: Jess Mesrati. 
Music has always been a huge part of Jess’s life, starting with school bands and continuing through various groups ever since. She absolutely loves being part of the Djanogly Community Orchestra, which she joined in 2022, and you can usually find her bouncing between the flute and percussion sections. Jess is excited and honoured to be joining the committee for the Djanogly Community Orchestra as its new Treasurer this year.
 
ID: Jane Sherratt
 Secretary and Website Manager: Jane Sherratt.
Jane joined the committee in 2024. She plays in the 1st violin section and joined the orchestra in January 2023. She thoroughly enjoys the challenges, opportunities and rewards that playing in this orchestra provide.
 
 
 
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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.
 
 
 
staff_robynscottchaplin
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!
 
staff_emmagrishin
 Librarian and Concert Venue Liaison: Emma Grishin.
Emma (who plays flute)  is our Librarian.  She hires or buys the music we need for our rehearsals and concerts, distributing it to players, and collecting it up and returning it after the concert. Emma also liaises with our concert venues.
 
 

Other Roles

 
Leader: Becky Cross.
I started playing the violin when I was 6 and joined Djanogly in 2006 after finishing my music degree at Nottingham University. I have been in orchestras since I was 10. I also play the clarinet and piano and when I’m not doing something musical I enjoy being out in the countryside and looking after my 3 children! Djanogly is a friendly and supportive orchestra where we get to learn and perform some great music together.
 
 
fran_rhoden
Membership Secretary: Fran Rhoden.
Fran became our membership secretary in September 2021.  She plays at the back of the viola section, where she enjoys sitting right in the middle of the orchestra. It’s the best spot for listening to the orchestra, feeling part of the music making at Djanogly.