Chairman’s Report 2011/2012 (as presented to the AGM on March 10th)
The Annual General Meeting of NWEMF in March 2011 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
NWEMF has had a busy year. The following workshops and events have run:
March: ..and Birds do Sing (Martin Westhorp)
April: Viol Weekend (Ibi Aziz)
April: Esquivel (Clive Walkley)
May: Bach motets (Paul Spicer)
July: Summer School
October: Victoria (Roger Wilkes)
November: Striggio (Robert Hollingworth), jointly with BMEMF
February: Lutheran Vespers (Roger Wilkes)
March: Viol Weekend (Ibi Aziz)
March: Schütz and contemporaries (Philip Thorby)
Workshops and events have in general been well- attended and feedback has been positive.
On 28th April, we welcome back Paul Spicer for more Bach. On 26th May, Sally Drage studies West Gallery music, and on 23rd June, in the charming surroundings of Cholmondley Chapel, Peter Syrus explores Ludford and Tallis.
Plans are now well under way for a fascinating season from September 2012: the website has up-to-date information available between newsletters. We welcome David Allinson on 1st September (Renaissance Masses), David Hatcher on 13th October (Josquin and Lassus) and Leigh Nixon on 10th November (Machaut and Dunstaple). Later workshops by Jeffrey Skidmore (23rd February 2013), Andrew Fowler, Philip Duffy, John Butt (29th June 2013) and Evelyn Tubb are planned. I would like to thank Clive Tolley for continuing the excellent series of Viol Weekends, which go from strength to strength.
The 2011 Summer School was historic in two senses. It ran for the first time at Trafford Hall, near Chester, and it was Roger Wilkes’ last Summer School as Musical Director. Roger has made (and continues to make) a unique contribution to Early Music in the North West, and his involvement in the Summer School for over 30 years, and leadership for 10 years, has been of enormous benefit and delight to attendees. He is (literally) irreplaceable as Musical Director, and the 2012 Summer School will be run by a “collective” of tutors. We must, of course, also thank Val for the considerable behind-the-scenes work which helped to ensure the success of the Summer School. I am delighted that Barbara Hammond is taking on the administrative burden relating to the 2012 Summer School. Trafford Hall has many virtues as a venue, and was blessed with good weather last July: we hope for the same this year.
NWEMF membership totalled 132 in March 2012 compared with 131 in March 2011.
The committee has met five times: in April, June, September, October and February. In addition to the detailed work around the planning of individual events, much time was spent on considering how the Summer School could continue to run following Roger’s retirement from the Musical Director role.
The arrangements for the electronic distribution of the Newsletter, introduced last year, have functioned well. After many years as Newsletter Editor, Elizabeth Dodd is standing down. We must thank Elizabeth for her hard work and imagination that has ensured efficient publication of varied and interesting newsletters over the years. We now need a new Editor!
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 and events for smaller and specialised forces.
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 continues in good health, and we anticipate more active and musically fulfilling years in 2012 and 2013.
Mark Flinn
Chair, NWEMF
March 2012
