New Member Information

This page provides useful information for new members of the orchestra.

Commitment

In order to function effectively, the orchestra requires all members to commit themselves in respect of attendance, practice and punctuality.

• Attendance – please try to attend as many rehearsals as possible;
• Practice – please ensure that you undertake sufficient personal practice between rehearsals to ensure that you are able to perform the music to an acceptable standard; and
• Punctuality – please aim to arrive at rehearsals in time to set up and tune before the scheduled start time.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are held at Millhouses Methodist Church, Millhouses Lane, Sheffield, S7 2HA on Mondays during school term time from 7.30pm until 9.30pm.  Please bring along a music stand and a pencil and rubber and arrive at the rehearsal in enough time to be set up, tuned and ready to begin playing at 7.30pm.

The orchestra performs two or three concerts per year, and rehearsals will concentrate on pieces to be performed at the coming concert.  The conductor will provide a rehearsal schedule.  The formal concerts take place at other venues, usually on Saturday evenings, and there is always a rehearsal at the venue on the morning or afternoon of the concert.

Rehearsals are friendly and undertaken with good humour, but should be taken seriously to achieve a high standard of performance.  Occasionally sectional rehearsals may be arranged, but usually the whole orchestra will rehearse together.  The conductor may ask sections to perform separately for development purposes.  Members of the orchestra are expected to practise their parts in between rehearsals.  The conductor will concentrate on orchestral technique and ensemble playing during the rehearsals.

The rehearsal schedule is published at the beginning of each term.

If you are unable to attend a rehearsal for any reason, then please contact the leader of your section in advance so that an understudy can be invited if appropriate.

Music

Music for each concert is made available at the first rehearsal, and is shared between desks for the strings section.  Members are encouraged to mark the parts in soft pencil to record directions as provided by the conductor.  Members are encouraged to take home their parts for practising, and a book is provided for sign-out purposes.  If you borrow music, then please ensure that it is returned for each rehearsal.

Music must be returned following each concert, since some music may be on hire and the orchestra will incur fines if not returned promptly.

Ticket Sales and Publicity

Proceeds of ticket sales for the Endcliffe Orchestra concerts are donated to a chosen local charity.  Members of the orchestra are invited to submit their suggestions for charitable donations.  All members are asked to assist in the sale of tickets to family and friends, and in publicising concerts through the placement of posters and circulation of flyers.

The Committee

The orchestra is managed by an elected committee, all of them playing members, plus the conductor and the leader.

Finances

The orchestra is financed through the following sources of income:

• Membership subscriptions
• Ticket sales (net proceeds from concerts are usually donated to a local charity)
• Bank/Building Society interest
• Refreshment sales

The orchestra’s expenses consists primarily of the following:

• Conductor fees
• Hire of rehearsal room and concert venues
• Hire of music
• Copyright fees for works performed
• Printing and publicity
• Public liability insurance
• Making Music subscription

The orchestra’s accounts are produced annually by the Treasurer and verified by an independent qualified person, and are available to all members of the orchestra.  The annual accounts are presented at the Orchestra’s Annual General Meeting, usually held in March of each year.

Making Music

The orchestra is a member of Making Music (formerly the National Federation of Music Societies), whose aim is to represent and support amateur and semi-professional music groups, including orchestras and music promoters throughout the UK.

Making Music represents over 130,000 musicians and music lovers in the UK and is a source of finance for its members via subsidies for young concert artists and project funding.