Semitones review of 2023
Another year has sped by, and another excellent one for Semitones, with one major sadness that deserves mentioning at the outset. On August 15th we were all shocked and dismayed to learn of the sudden death of Chris Cooper, who had long played cello with Semitones but was also a fine violin and viola player who had recently taken up the clarinet. She had also contributed by arranging local songs for Semitones. Above all, she was a bright, positive presence in all the groups she worked with, including ours. As Cecilia put it in breaking the news to us, 'Chris was a talented, modest, musician who loved Semitones and the work we do. A good friend to many, she was always there offering kind support and encouragement, and I for one will never forget her sense of humour and her warm smile. So many will miss Chris so much.' By a strange coincidence, Annette had played cello in a Semitones rehearsal shortly before the summer break, swapping it for her oboe, and sitting alongside Chris, so she has been able to take up the bass line, as it were with Chris's blessing. We've also been very grateful to have Helen filling in on oboe throughout the autumn,* as well as to members of the Sunderland Symphony Orchestra for filling in occasional gaps in our line-up.
In other ways this has been the first normal, more or less Covid-free year since the pandemic. The concert venues have been in Gosforth (Philip Cussins, Eothen (twice), Abbeyfield (twice)), Jesmond (Cestria, Wordsworth, Fleming), Castle Farms (Abbeyfield), Longbenton (West Farm), Fenham (St James & St Basil, twice), Cowgate (Brieryside), Ponteland (Royal Hampton), Walker (Astell), Gateshead (Angel Court), Whickham (Manor House) and Whitley Bay (Eothen). Musical standards have been more than kept up, and as well as some fine ensemble playing there have again been some beautiful and memorable solo spots in concerts, especially from Annabel on violin and Peter on trumpet, always sensitively accompanied by our amazing pianist Neil. As usual, the run-up to Christmas has been especially busy and enjoyable, with still more variety of repertoire than before (for instance O Holy Night, among the new pieces gifted to Semitones by Dave last year). The traditional two hours of busking in Gosforth Shopping Centre seemed to go quicker than ever this year.
We continue to be extremely grateful to All Saints Church, Gosforth, for the use of their Upper Room for rehearsal, at a very reasonable rate. It's always a pleasure to be able to give a little back by providing background music for their occasional Sunday afternoon teas – two this year.
Semitones is extremely fortunate in its leadership. Cecilia as Chair plays a vital role in creating a motivated, together, and welcoming group (and since Katharine set up a WhatsApp group informal communication has been easier). The week-by-week running of concerts and rehearsals is smoothed by Angela's outstanding organisational abilities, design skills, and generosity with her time. Annette as Treasurer looks after the finances admirably, and provides the following information:
Our financial situation remains healthy, with just over £2000 in the bank. This was helped by two grants this year: £500 once again from Magic Little Grants and £180 from North Jesmond council ward. We also raised just over £200 at our regular Christmas busking session at Gosforth Shopping Centre and over £800 from donations from homes. Our main expenditure has been monthly rent to the church hall for rehearsal space, payment to our conductor and membership of Making Music, the organisation which organises our insurance.
Turning to other vital roles: without Sue's hard work as Concert Organiser there would be no concerts through which to share music with the community, without Jennifer as Music Organiser the supply of sheet music would be in chaos, and without Carol we would have an out-of-date website and no social media presence. Without Peter as keyholder we would be out in the cold! Heartfelt thanks go to them all.
Finally and most indispensably: if anyone seeks a model of 100+% commitment they need look no further than our conductor David. As well as leading the music-making and devising programmes, he comperes our concerts with warmth and good humour. Incorporating quizzes into the programmes requires prizes, and his handmade wooden gifts have given many people pleasure. We can only say once more how lucky we are to have him.
To sum up, Semitones are in very good heart and as we enter the New Year we look forward to another year of sharing the joy of music with each other and others.
DW January 2024
* A very sad update is necessary here. Only a day after this report was written, we were shocked to learn that Helen Flynn had died suddenly of a stroke. Her music-making and friendly, generous spirit will be much missed.
In other ways this has been the first normal, more or less Covid-free year since the pandemic. The concert venues have been in Gosforth (Philip Cussins, Eothen (twice), Abbeyfield (twice)), Jesmond (Cestria, Wordsworth, Fleming), Castle Farms (Abbeyfield), Longbenton (West Farm), Fenham (St James & St Basil, twice), Cowgate (Brieryside), Ponteland (Royal Hampton), Walker (Astell), Gateshead (Angel Court), Whickham (Manor House) and Whitley Bay (Eothen). Musical standards have been more than kept up, and as well as some fine ensemble playing there have again been some beautiful and memorable solo spots in concerts, especially from Annabel on violin and Peter on trumpet, always sensitively accompanied by our amazing pianist Neil. As usual, the run-up to Christmas has been especially busy and enjoyable, with still more variety of repertoire than before (for instance O Holy Night, among the new pieces gifted to Semitones by Dave last year). The traditional two hours of busking in Gosforth Shopping Centre seemed to go quicker than ever this year.
We continue to be extremely grateful to All Saints Church, Gosforth, for the use of their Upper Room for rehearsal, at a very reasonable rate. It's always a pleasure to be able to give a little back by providing background music for their occasional Sunday afternoon teas – two this year.
Semitones is extremely fortunate in its leadership. Cecilia as Chair plays a vital role in creating a motivated, together, and welcoming group (and since Katharine set up a WhatsApp group informal communication has been easier). The week-by-week running of concerts and rehearsals is smoothed by Angela's outstanding organisational abilities, design skills, and generosity with her time. Annette as Treasurer looks after the finances admirably, and provides the following information:
Our financial situation remains healthy, with just over £2000 in the bank. This was helped by two grants this year: £500 once again from Magic Little Grants and £180 from North Jesmond council ward. We also raised just over £200 at our regular Christmas busking session at Gosforth Shopping Centre and over £800 from donations from homes. Our main expenditure has been monthly rent to the church hall for rehearsal space, payment to our conductor and membership of Making Music, the organisation which organises our insurance.
Turning to other vital roles: without Sue's hard work as Concert Organiser there would be no concerts through which to share music with the community, without Jennifer as Music Organiser the supply of sheet music would be in chaos, and without Carol we would have an out-of-date website and no social media presence. Without Peter as keyholder we would be out in the cold! Heartfelt thanks go to them all.
Finally and most indispensably: if anyone seeks a model of 100+% commitment they need look no further than our conductor David. As well as leading the music-making and devising programmes, he comperes our concerts with warmth and good humour. Incorporating quizzes into the programmes requires prizes, and his handmade wooden gifts have given many people pleasure. We can only say once more how lucky we are to have him.
To sum up, Semitones are in very good heart and as we enter the New Year we look forward to another year of sharing the joy of music with each other and others.
DW January 2024
* A very sad update is necessary here. Only a day after this report was written, we were shocked to learn that Helen Flynn had died suddenly of a stroke. Her music-making and friendly, generous spirit will be much missed.
Semitones review of 2022
This year has seen Semitones gradually getting back to normal as Covid restrictions eased. The group has been in good heart and the concert diary filled up as care homes gradually opened to visitors. Musically, there has generally been an effective balance of instruments, with new players joining, and the strings especially strong with a good number of violins and the addition of a double bass. Our repertoire has expanded thanks to a grant of £500 from People's Postcode Lottery (Magic Little Grants) which enabled us to purchase new sheet music and to commission new arrangements of numbers from the shows from composer Phil Jackson. We are very grateful to Phil for taking the time to visit us (joining in on trumpet) in order to understand our needs, and then coming up with ideal arrangements for us. Our conductor David Milner has brought his trademark energy, musicianship and meticulous preparation to the job in hand and as ever we consider ourselves very lucky to have him. On the organisational side, we are blessed in having Cecilia Owens, Annette Hames, Jen Burn and Jennifer Purvis continue as chair, treasurer, bookings secretary and librarian respectively – all outstanding in their roles, and we are grateful to our webmaster Michael Firbank for sterling work behind the scenes. In a new development, Angela Carruthers has used her wonderful organisational and design skills to help us keep abreast of arrangements and present ourselves more professionally. The dynamic of the group is down to the dedication and warmth of those named and all its members, and there is a strong sense that sharing music as we do is both worthwhile and enjoyable. We continue to be pleased and grateful to be able to rehearse at All Saints Church, Gosforth. We transferred in March from the main hall to the upstairs room when Covid restrictions eased and we no longer required so much space. It is always a pleasure to say thank you to the church by providing music for Sunday afternoon community teas, and these were held in April and October. Due to rising energy costs, we now make a contribution to the church for use of the room. Otherwise Semitones' main expenses are payments to our conductor and public liability insurance. Most homes and groups to whom we play make a small donation, and we raised £195 with our Christmas busking at Gosforth Shopping Centre. In the months to November we performed at the Bradbury Centre, Brunswick Village; Kenton Lodge; Abbeyfield, Gosforth; Royal Hampton, Ponteland; Northbourne Care Home, Low Fell; Sutherland Court, Fenham and Craghall, Matthew Bank. We also contributed two concerts to the Jesmond Community Festival in May, at Jesmond URC and Jesmond Library, and we made two enjoyable return visits to St James and St Basil's Church Hall, invited by the charity Search. As our conductor Dave reminds us, Christmas starts early for musicians, with a run of seasonal rehearsals, but we have all been very glad to be immersed in Christmas music, in rehearsal and then at concerts in Abbeyfield, Gosforth; Angel Court, Gateshead; and Royal Hampton, Ponteland, as well as our now-traditional Saturday morning busking session in Gosforth Shopping Centre. It all seems to have gone with a particular swing this year, perhaps especially because our expanded repertoire allows us to ring the changes more easily, but also thanks to all the audience members – whether passing families in the Shopping Centre or residents in sheltered accommodation – who have joined in with such good heart by singing, clapping or shaking jingle bells. It's always a highlight to see the drama of a volunteer playing the whip (two hinged pieces of wood) in Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride, enthusiastically cued in by Dave. It has to be said that Dave makes an excellent, engaging host, as well as conductor, for our concerts, and this Christmas he not only made the 'whip' but added an extra special touch by bringing one of his hand-crafted wooden decorations as a gift for each venue. Lovely solos by Peter (trumpet), Carol (flute) and Annabel (violin) with Neil (piano) were the icing on the Christmas cake.
DW December 2022
Review of 2021
The last annual review for Semitones was written in June 2021, since Covid-19 not only played havoc with our rehearsing but also delayed our AGM for several months. Hence this report covers only the second half of 2021.
As noted last time, we have been extremely grateful that All Saints Church allowed us to rehearse in their main hall, meaning that we could be confident of having maximum ventilation and distancing. Hence we have been able to meet and play since June, at first very cautiously with much spraying of sanitizer but with great pleasure at making music together again, and seeing each other in person. Bright summer weather in June and July also allowed a few outdoor events: rehearsals at Abbeyfield, Castle Farms and a concert in the garden of All Saints.
After a summer break, we resumed regular rehearsals, twice monthly, from September to November, and as Christmas approached it was lovely to have the prospect of playing festive music for live audiences again. Thanks to patient and resourceful efforts from Jen and Annette we were welcomed to play at Abbeyfield in Gosforth and The Royal Hampton in Ponteland with whom we already had strong links. A few other visits to care homes had to be cancelled because of the Covid situation. A new venture, and in fact our first indoor concert since the start of the pandemic, was a concert in the hall of St James and Basil Church, Fenham. It was a real joy to play for a large and lively audience gathered by the charity Search – topped by the first mince-pies of the season! We also had a very kind and appreciative audience at Angel Court, Gateshead and an extremely successful morning of group busking in Gosforth Shopping Centre, making the arcade ring with the Sleigh Ride, Walking in the Air and other Christmas delights. We earned £244 towards our running costs, but also had the fun of being joined by passing youngsters who were recruited to join us on jingle bells and other percussion.
Financially Semitones is in good shape, not least because of a generous grant of £500 Magic Little Grants, gained once more especially through Annette's effort and skill. This will enable us to purchase new music and expand our repertoire. As always, there are many people to thank, but perhaps above all our Chair, Cecilia, who has kept us in touch so magnificently through times of musical feast and famine, and our wonderful conductor Dave, who gives so much both in rehearsals and concerts. We have all had to be extremely patient and flexible this year, and it's a tribute to everyone involved that 2021 has ended on a high.
DW 8 January 2022
DW December 2022
Review of 2021
The last annual review for Semitones was written in June 2021, since Covid-19 not only played havoc with our rehearsing but also delayed our AGM for several months. Hence this report covers only the second half of 2021.
As noted last time, we have been extremely grateful that All Saints Church allowed us to rehearse in their main hall, meaning that we could be confident of having maximum ventilation and distancing. Hence we have been able to meet and play since June, at first very cautiously with much spraying of sanitizer but with great pleasure at making music together again, and seeing each other in person. Bright summer weather in June and July also allowed a few outdoor events: rehearsals at Abbeyfield, Castle Farms and a concert in the garden of All Saints.
After a summer break, we resumed regular rehearsals, twice monthly, from September to November, and as Christmas approached it was lovely to have the prospect of playing festive music for live audiences again. Thanks to patient and resourceful efforts from Jen and Annette we were welcomed to play at Abbeyfield in Gosforth and The Royal Hampton in Ponteland with whom we already had strong links. A few other visits to care homes had to be cancelled because of the Covid situation. A new venture, and in fact our first indoor concert since the start of the pandemic, was a concert in the hall of St James and Basil Church, Fenham. It was a real joy to play for a large and lively audience gathered by the charity Search – topped by the first mince-pies of the season! We also had a very kind and appreciative audience at Angel Court, Gateshead and an extremely successful morning of group busking in Gosforth Shopping Centre, making the arcade ring with the Sleigh Ride, Walking in the Air and other Christmas delights. We earned £244 towards our running costs, but also had the fun of being joined by passing youngsters who were recruited to join us on jingle bells and other percussion.
Financially Semitones is in good shape, not least because of a generous grant of £500 Magic Little Grants, gained once more especially through Annette's effort and skill. This will enable us to purchase new music and expand our repertoire. As always, there are many people to thank, but perhaps above all our Chair, Cecilia, who has kept us in touch so magnificently through times of musical feast and famine, and our wonderful conductor Dave, who gives so much both in rehearsals and concerts. We have all had to be extremely patient and flexible this year, and it's a tribute to everyone involved that 2021 has ended on a high.
DW 8 January 2022
Reviews from previous years can be accessed below:
semitones_annual_reviews.docx |