North West Early Music Forum Chairman’s Report 2010/2011
1. The Annual General Meeting of NWEMF in March 2010 and subsequent cooptions resulted in the following committee:
Presidents: Roger Wilkes, David Allen
Vice President: Andrew Mayes
Chair: Mark Flinn
Secretary: Ruth Stock
Treasurer: Val Wilkes
Newsletter Editor: Elizabeth Dodd
Membership Secretary: Shirley Grimshaw
Members: Peter Syrus, Clive Walkley, Bob Foster
2. NWEMF has had a busy year. The following workshops and events were planned since March 2010:
April: Viol Weekend at Fort Belen (Clive Tolley)
May: Chromatic Motets (Morris Davies): sadly this workshop failed to recruit sufficient numbers
May: Loquebantur (David Allinson)
July: Summer School at Ambleside
October. Croce (Michael Procter), joint with NEEMF
December: Praetorius (Peter Syrus)
February: Lutheran service (Roger Wilkes): postponed to 21 May 2011)
March: …And Birds do Sing (Martin Westhorp)
Workshops and events have been well- attended and feedback has been positive. The committee is starting to plan for the 2011/12 season, and suggestions of themes, music and workshop leaders are welcomed from all members.
3. The last Ambleside Summer School ran successfully in July, making a significant surplus which will support the planning of future events. The precise size of this surplus will depend on the amount of the final invoice from the University of Cumbria, which, despite frequent prompting by Val Wilkes, is not yet forthcoming, eight months after the event.
4. NWEMF membership totalled 131 in March 2011 compared with 121 in March 2010.
5. The committee has met three times: in March, September and January (postponed from December due to inclement weather). In addition to the detailed work around the planning of individual events, two issues took up much time: the Summer School and the distribution of the Newsletter.
6. With the mothballing of the University of Cumbria Ambleside campus, it was necessary to find another venue for the 2011 summer school. After research and a visit in April 2010, Burton Manor, on the Wirral, was chosen: it had been the venue for a number of events and conferences including, for some years, the Northern Recorder Course. Just before Christmas, however, it was announced, out of the blue, that Burton Manor would be closing with effect from 31 March 2011. Some deft footwork by Roger Wilkes and others in January 2011 evaluated the various alternatives, and it was agreed late in the month that the 2011 summer school would be held at Trafford Hall, near Mickle Trafford, Chester. Trafford Hall has hosted other music events, is well-equipped for the summer school and has good on-site residential facilities. Booking for the summer school at this new and attractive venue (with easy access to Chester and the Wirral) is now open.
7. The costs of printing and circulating the Newsletter were noted at the last AGM. After some discussion, the committee decided that future newsletters would in general be distributed electronically, with hard copies retained for those without computer access or with special needs. The success of this approach depended on generating an up-to-date list of members’ email addresses, and Shirley Grimshaw achieved considerable success in ensuring that 108 of the 131 members are now receiving the Newsletter by email. All booking forms for events are available for direct download from the website. Particular thanks are due to Elizabeth Dodd, Ruth Stock and David Allen for their work on this project, which will save NWEMF hundreds of pounds each year, which can be ploughed back to workshops and other events.
8. The committee is keen to expand the number and range of workshops and events: please contact committee members or myself. We will seek to maintain a balance between “popular” events which are likely to recruit good numbers (for example the planned Paul Spicer event on 4 June 2011) and events for smaller and specialised forces.
9. I would like to thank all members of the committee for their support this year and for the invaluable work they have done in organising and running events. NWEMF is in good health, and we anticipate an even more active and musically fulfilling year in 2011 and 2012.
Mark Flinn Chair, NWEMF March 2011
NB. The 2011 AGM resulted in the officers and committee being re-appointed or re-elected en bloc.
