Summer Newsletter 2016

Sittingbourne Music Society
Affiliated to Making Music

SMS GENERAL NEWSLETTER
Summer 2016

Welcome to the Sittingbourne Music Society’s annual newsletter.

We thank all our members for their support of the society and hope you enjoyed the last season and will continue to do so in the coming one. We also hope you will be able to attend the AGM, details below, which is your opportunity to contribute your views on the society.

Annual General Meeting – Friday 9th September 2016 at 8 o’clock
The Midwinter Room Tunstall Church

AGENDA
1.    Chairman’s Welcome
2.    Apologies for Absence
3.    Minutes of AGM 2015
4.    Reports: Chairman – Secretary – Treasurer – Adoption of Accounts
5.    Retirement and Adoption of Directors
6.    Election of Officers: Chairman – Company Secretary – Treasurer
7.    Any other Business

The meeting will be followed by light refreshments and a short musical interlude.
——————————————————————————————————–

CHAIRMAN

We are very grateful to Marilyn Austen for being our acting Chairman this year; she has done a good job even if it was undertaken rather reluctantly!
As well as a new Chairman, we would very much like to see more members on the committee, so if you or anyone you know, would be willing to join us as Chairman or committee member, please let a member of the committee know.

OUR 2015/16 SEASON

This was another year of high quality and varied music enjoyed by all who attended. We had a variety of instruments – The Thomas Shelbourn Baroque Ensemble with recorder, flute and harpsichord, Prince Bishop’s Brass, The Thorne wind Trio and Manus Noble and his guitar. We also heard music from all ages from Renaissance to the present day and from various parts of the western world.
Some people were able to attend our joint concert with Faversham Music Society where we enjoyed music by the young piano and viola duo, Omri Epstein and Daniel Palmizio.

OUTREACH WORK

One of the aims of the society is bring music to a wider audience of all ages. We were able to provide outreach work to local schools again, this time thanks to Manus Noble, an outstanding international guitarist.
He gave a day’s workshop to young guitar students of all abilities from St Peter’s and Highsted schools. It was good to hear the fruits of their labours in an item at the evening’s concert. We thank Highsted School for hosting the event.

Next season another outreach session is being organised for local students when the Charlotte Ashton  Flute Trio will provide a school workshop.

OUR NEXT SEASON

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OUR CONCERTS NEXT YEAR WILL START AT THE EARLIER TIME OF 7.30

Four more concerts have again been organised which we hope you will enjoy. The season starts with the Charlotte Ashton Flute Trio (flute, harp and viola) In November Apollo 5, an a-cappella group will give a concert which should prove to be a good introduction to the festive season. February will see the Le Page Jenkinson Duo with a variety of genres for violin and cello. Our season will finish with the Muzika Lyra Ensemble with music for violin, piano, voice and guitar.

THANK YOU

We would like to thank all our members who kindly add a donation when paying their subscription.

We also want to thank all the organisations who have supported the Society financially. The outreach work with Manus Noble would not have been possible without help from Kent County Council’s Combined Member Grant Scheme and the Philip and Dorothy Green Award for Young Performers through Making Music.

Without support the Society would be unable to provide such a wide variety of high standard professional concerts – so a big thank you to all our concert goers.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR TREASURER

It’s that time of year again for members’ subscriptions to be paid; we have maintained the subscription again this year at £42 for four concerts and, hopefully, you will agree that it is excellent value for money. We are very aware of the need to balance the cost of professional artists against keeping the price of the concerts at a level which is accessible to a wide variety of people; we would, therefore, like to thank all those who add a donation, large or small, to the cost of their season ticket. Any donations received are increased in value as gift aid can be claimed on them helping to keep SMS financially viable.

Internet users – If searching for information, try using www.easysearch.org.uk  – and if shopping register with www.easyfundraising.org.uk and nominate Sittingbourne Music Society. Each purchase will generate a small donation at no extra cost to you and we can claim gift aid as well.

Thank you once again and we look forward to seeing you at the coming season’s concerts.