Members' Page

Members' page
Useful information for members of the Sheffield Chamber Orchestra (and interested non-members)

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Rehearsals

Rehearsals are held at Endcliffe Methodist Church Lower Hall (just below Hunters' Bar - use rear entrance on Neill Road) on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm. - 9:30 pm. Please bring a music stand and arrive at the rehearsals at least 15 minutes before the starting time so that you can get set up, tuned and ready to start playing at 7:30.

There are usually 6 or 7 rehearsals prior to each concert, and on the day of the concert an afternoon rehearsal is held at the concert venue. Rehearsals are taken seriously and you should expect to work hard, but they are also friendly occasions - full of goodwill and humour. If you don't feel confident, please ask for advice from the section leader. There is a great deal of orchestral know-how to be learned, however brilliant your instrumental technique, and punctual attendance at every rehearsal is absolutely vital.

Rehearsal Schedule 2011 - 2012

Full rehearsals - Endcliffe Methodist Church Lower Hall, 7:15 (for 7:30 start) - 9:30 pm, unless stated otherwise. Sectional rehearsals - strings at Endcliffe Methodist Church, wind and brass at Bents Green Methodist Church - BUT this is subject to confirmation. Please listen for announcements at rehearsals.
2011 Autumn	2012 Winter	2012 Spring
18th October	17th January	20th March
25th October Dvorak/Strauss/Faure/Rameau	24th January 7:30 pm Mozart 8:30 pm Beethoven (plus Bach if time permits)	27th March
1st November (Sectional) Wind/brass at Bents Green MC; Strings at Endcliffe MC	31st January (Sectional)	17th April (Sectional)
8th November (AGM) Dvorak/Strauss/Faure/Rameau	7th February	24th April (SGM)
15th November Mozart/Faure/Strauss/Dvorak/Rameau	14th February	1st May (Sectional) Strings: Endcliffe MC Wind + cello: Bents Green MC for Dvorak; important that all please attend!
22nd November Charpentier/Rameau/Dvorak/Strauss/Rameau	21st February (Sectional)	8th May
29th November With soloist (TBC) for all items, then Charpentier/Faure/Rameau	28th February	15th May
Saturday 3rd December Firth Hall, University of Sheffield. Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:30 pm CONCERT 7:30 pm.	Saturday 3rd March Firth Hall, University of Sheffield. Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:30pm: CONCERT 7:30 pm.	Saturday 19th May Bents Green Methodist Church. Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:30 pm CONCERT 7:30 pm.

If you can't attend a rehearsal, for whatever reason, please let us know well in advance. Contact either another member of your section or the Membership Secretary, Gloria Townsend (strings) or Steve Dumpleton (wind and brass). If necessary, please give your music to another orchestra member to take to the rehearsal.

New members

The Sheffield Chamber Orchestra welcomes new members, subject to available vacancies. Please contact the Chairman, Peter Dyke in the first instance. We don't normally hold auditions, but a minimum playing standard equivalent to Grade 8 is expected.

Currently we welcome applications from all string players, but especially cellos and double basses. There are no vacancies for wind or brass at this time.

We also maintain a list of additional players of instruments that we do not normally use regularly, such as trombones, extra double basses, horns, keyboards, percussion, etc., whom we can call upon when the concert programme demands it. If you would like to be added to this list please contact the Chairman, Peter Dyke (strings) or Steve Dumpleton (wind, brass and percussion).

Music

Music for each concert is available at the first rehearsal, and is shared between desks where necessary. Individual practice is vitally important. Please mark the parts only in soft pencil (always bring a pencil and a rubber to each rehearsal). After each concert performance hand in ALL music to the librarian, Lucy Catalano - NEVER take it home after the concert! The orchestra is fined for missing parts. (We always have to pay for the hire of music - the orchestra has no library of its own).

Subscriptions

The current Annual Subscription is £80 (£30 for students) and is due in October, at the beginning of the Orchestral year. Payment, preferably by cheque, payable to "Sheffield Chamber Orchestra" should be given to the Treasurer, Liz Versi. Pro-rata rates apply to those joining the orchestra later in the year.

Gift Aid

If you are a UK tax payer at the standard rate, we can reclaim the income tax that you have paid. This gives us an extra £16.80 for each tax-paying member's subscription and therefore is a particularly valuable source of income for the orchestra. Please ask the Chairman, Peter Dyke for a Gift Aid Declaration form, if you have not already made a tax declaration.

Ticket sales and publicity

Ticket sales provide our main source of income. The help of all members of the orchestra is essential to publicise our concerts to as wide an audience as possible by distributing flyers and selling tickets (available from Sue Shaw at rehearsals). Each member is urged to sell at least 3 tickets (preferably a good deal more) in advance of each concert.

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The Sheffield Chamber Orchestra gratefully acknowledges assistance from

Making Music

and

The University of Sheffield