North West Early Music Forum Chairman’s Report 2012/2013
1. The Annual General Meeting of NWEMF in March 2012 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: Vacant
Membership Secretary: Shirley Grimshaw
Members: Elizabeth Dodd, Peter Syrus, Clive Walkley, Bob Foster
2. NWEMF has had a very busy year since the last AGM in March 2012. The following 11 workshops and events have run:
March: Schütz and his Contemporaries (Roger Wilkes)
April: Bach and Bach (Paul Spicer)
June: Ludford and Tallis (Peter Syrus)
July: Summer School at Trafford Hall (see below)
September: Missa ad Imitationem (David Allinson)
October: Josquin and Lassus (David Hatcher)
November: Ars Nova: Dunstaple and Machaut (Leigh Nixon)
January: Officium Stellae (Philip Duffy)
February: Latin American music (Jeffrey Skidmore)
March: Viol Weekend (Clive Tolley)
March: West Gallery music (Sally Drage)
Workshops and events have in general been well- attended and feedback has been positive. We have run workshops across the region: from Lancaster to south Cheshire. The spring workshops were all held in very cold weather in venues that were not coping successfully with the elements: we will do our best to avoid this next year.
On 18th May we welcome the fine singer Evelyn Tubb to Natland, and our season concludes with John Butt in Toft, just outside Knutsford, on 29th June.
3. Plans are now well under way for a fascinating season from September 2013: the website has up-to-date information available between newsletters. We are anticipating workshops 8 with (amongst others) Roger Wilkes, Alistair Dixon, Ralph Allwood, Martin Westhorp and James Weeks.
4. The 2012 Summer School ran successfully in July 2012, although with reduced numbers compared with previous years. In addition to established members of the tutorial team (Grace Barton, Deborah Catterall, Elizabeth Dodd, Martin Eastwell and Peter Syrus) we welcomed David Hardie as a new tutor. A dinner on the last night of the School thanked Roger Wilkes for his unique contribution to, and leadership of, NWEMF Summer Schools over many years. It is sad that, after 32 years, we are not able to run a Summer School in 2013 as the booking numbers, despite extensive publicity, were well below levels of financial or musical viability. Thanks are due to Barbara Hammond, who acted as administrator for the 2012 Summer School.
5. NWEMF membership totalled 137 in March 2013 compared with 132 in March 2012.
6. The committee has met three times: in May, September and February (a planned January meeting was cancelled owing to bad weather). 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, such as this year’s Plainchant and West Gallery events.
7. 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. Particular thanks are due to two members who are standing down from the committee: Shirley Grimshaw (Membership Secretary) and Val Wilkes (Treasurer). Val in particular has held the important role of Treasurer for many years and has most successfully ensured the continuing financial health of NWEMF. With a renewed committee membership, we anticipate more active and musically fulfilling years in 2013 and beyond.
Mark Flinn Chair,
NWEMF April 2013
