Summer Newsletter 2021

The society AGM will be held at 7.30 on October (see details below).

After eighteen months of cancelled concerts and much uncertainty, it is good to find ourselves in a position to offer a season of concerts again. This our 18th season will have four concerts as usual which will all take place in The Millennium Hall, Fulston Manor School, Brenchley Road, Sittingbourne ME10 4EG. Access to the car park and Millennium Hall is in Brenchley Road at the first roundabout from Bell Road. It has full wheelchair access. The piano is of a suitable standard for professional players, so we have been able to include pianists in our repertoire without the very high costs of hiring a piano.

All concerts will start at 7.30.

We are not producing a brochure this year so here are details of our four planned concerts.

Friday 8th October 2021
Indira Grier, Cellist with Pianist Antoine Preat
including music by Beethoven, Debussy Janacek and Schubert.

Friday 19th November 2021
Susan Piggott, Soprano and Richard Furstenheim, Piano
An evening of English and French songs

Friday 4th February 2022
The Aurora Trio: Flute, Viola and Harp
Including works by Bax, Patterson, Debussy Piazolla and Knotts

Friday 11th March 2022
The Barbican Quartet – String Quartet
Haydn op. 77 no. 2 / Bartok Quartet no. 2 / Beethoven op. 59 no. 2

We hope you agree that this offers a wide variety of professional performers who, no doubt as usual, will provide us with very enjoyable evenings. Paper programmes will be provided but information can also be found online at www.sittingbournemusicsociety.com.

The concerts will each cost £15 and £1 for under 18s but because of the financial problems caused by last year’s cancellations the Society has decided not to offer a reduction for buying tickets for all four concerts in advance; we hope you will understand and agree it still provides good value for money.
It you would like to pay for all four concerts (£60) we will have season tickets available at the door at the first concert. If at all possible, we would prefer payment by cheque, please.

We will of course be mindful of any Covid related regulations imposed by the Government at the time of each concert. Please do not attend if you feel unwell, you have been told to self-isolate or are in quarantine after a visit abroad or you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
We will be following guidelines for management of live performance provided by Making Music:
You may be asked to queue on arrival and provide your contact details. We will endeavour to have a one-way system in operation, will provide hand sanitiser and request that you wear a mask until seated. Please be respectful of each other’s space (minimum 1 metre) when choosing your seat. We will keep some doors and windows open for as long as we can to ensure good ventilation and will thoroughly ventilate the hall during the interval. The concert will last for 2 hours with a 15-minute interval. Unfortunately, we cannot provide refreshments, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Here are also details of our AGM to which you are cordially invited. Our chairman Marilyn Austen kindly offered to host the evening; her address is 14 Silverdale Grove Sittingbourne.

Sittingbourne Music Society Annual General Meeting

Friday 1st October 2021at 7.30pm

AGENDA

1. Chairman’s Welcome
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Minutes of AGM 2020
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

After the meeting there will be a short musical performance of Spohr’s duo music by Miles Attwell and Freya Jury.

OUTREACH WORK

One of the society aims is to bring professional classical music to a wider audience. In the past several of our performers have visited local schools. Unfortunately, now we have not been able to organise anything for this season; if it does become possible, we may be able to add something later in the season.

THANK YOU

We would like to thank all our members for supporting the Society and those who have kindly given a donation. Gift aid can be claimed on donations we receive which obviously helps our funds even more.
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. We thank all of you who have used this service in the past.

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