Committee Meeting 20-Jul'04 [Bristol - St Mary's Fishponds]

• Organists' Training Scheme [OTS]:  There are currently five students.   The question was raised about stage 5 but since the National Scheme [RSCM] is due to be launched next year,  which would test up to Gold standard,  it was felt that this would fully satisfy our needs in the future.

• Chorister Training & Awards Scheme:   Names of those who had received awards last year had still not appeared in CMQ,   but should be in the next publication along with the names for this year.    The next awards would be assessed in Sep'04 [most likely in the Swindon area] and the closing date for applications has been set at 31-Aug'04.

• Review of Recent Events:  

  - RSCM Celebration Day [Salisbury]: a most enjoyable day for all who attended.  Several members attended the AGM then joined the singers for the rehearsal and service.  Next year,  the AGM [possibly London] and Celebration Day [York Minster] will be separate [as prior to 2003].
  - Music Day [Coalpit Heath]: the choice of music was very good, but it was felt that the singing standard was down on the previous year.
  - Voice for Life launch:  Numbers were small but it was a useful day for those who came,  mainly organists and choir trainers.

• Diocesan Choral Festival [9-Oct'04]:    The cathedral choir are no longer available on Saturdays,  but St Mary Redcliffe choir will be present.   The music books are now available and can be rpinted on demand.   A coach will be arranged for those travelling from Swindon for the festival.
  
• Future Events:

  -   Workshop with Barry Rose [6-Nov'04]:   This is being arranged at St Mary Redcliffe,   along with the 'Friends of St Mary Redcliffe' .  Tewkesbury Abbey choir will attend and the expected charge will be £10 per head [£5 for juniors].
  - Meet, Eat & Sing [22-Nov'04 St Cecelia's Day at Wroughton Parish Church with Katherine Dienes of St Mary's Warwick - concentrating mainly on voice production.
  - Singing afternoon at St Monica's [15-Jan'05]
  - Singing day followed by Service [12-Feb'05] [theme likely to be 'prayer & praise'] at Christ Church Swindon [10am - 7pm ish] with Martin van Bleek & Patrick Hopper [from RSCM NW Europe]
  - Plainsong Evening [date in Feb/Mar to be arranged]
  - Summer Sing [June 2005] - hope to be at Corsham Church.
  - Diocesan Liturgy Committee - RSCM has been asked to lead a workshop on psalmody.

• Correspondence & AOB:

  - RSCM International Summer School  8-14 August 2005 in York [delegates being agreed]
  - June edition of Network News received from RSCM HQ
  - the Dean has accepted invitation to DCF.
  - Bishop of Bristol unable to attend DCF and new Bishop of Swindon unlikely to have been appointed by then.
  - Copy of RSCM accounts received.

• Date of Next Meeting:  currently 23 Nov'04 [St Mary's Fishponds 7.30pm]

   

Committee Meeting 15-Mar'04   [Swindon]

• RSCM Celebration Day [12-Jun'04] Salisbury Cathedral:  those RSCM affiliated churches who are inending [been invited]   to attend will be limited to 5 choristers maximum,  each of whom should be familiar with the music [to be notified] 'ready to sing' before the service.

• Organists' Training Scheme [OTS]:   There are currently at least 10 students in our Area,  following the scheme.  Recent mailings have produced some more enquiries;  no firm commitments so far!   RSCM [Cleveland Lodge] are proposing/planning to produce a training scheme for Organists with with bronze, silver and gold awards [cf Chorister Awards].  Each level will have its own tutor book and anthology of organ music.   This is expected to be available in 2005 or 2006.

• Chorister Training Scheme -  Voice for Life:  The revised Voice for Life scheme will be launched to the press in Apr'04 at St. Paul’s Cathedral,   and other launch meetings are being prepared around the country.   The scheme is aimed at adults as well as juniors and can be used in secular contexts   [eg schools].   Each singer has their own workbook and the tutor handbook covers all the grades,   each being colour coded [light-blue, dark-blue, red & yellow].   The grades are equivalent to Association Board standards of 3, 5 and 7.   It was agreed that we ask Gloucester Committee to join us to launch the scheme in Bristol,  likely date being 15th May in the Cathedral Chapter House and led by David Ogden [this confirmed after the meeting].

• RSCM Chorister Area Awards [Bronze/Dean's & Silver/Bishop's]: The committee approved Tim Eyles and Andrew Kirk as assessors in this area.   The next chorister assessments will be held on the evening of 11th May,   and for these David Ogden will be asked to act as Assessor as most of the applicants are well known to Tim and Andrew.

• Course in Sacred Music studies: The University of Wales, Bangor  is offering various courses in sacred music studies leading to qualifications under the auspices of the RSCM [information available from the RSCM website].

• Singing Event, Henleaze:  As only six applications had been received prior to the event, it had to be cancelled. A few people did turn up on the day.  It was agreed that we include a time limit on future application forms, or recommend that people check by phone if not pre-booked.

• Future Events: 

Easter Course: Has been well subscribed this year.    ATB needed to support the juniors at the services each day (5.15 p.m. 14th & 15th, 6.00 p.m. 16th April).

Singing Day: Coalpit Heath. Arrangements are well in hand for next year.

Diocesan Choral Festival - Bristol Cathedral :  Originally 16th October  [date needs to be changed, due double booking at Cathedral.  New date will be notified shortly].    We are looking for a 'good value for money' publisher [possibly in Devon]  for the service books to keep the overall costs down.   HQ has suggested that one way of minimising costs would be for several areas to cooperate over a joint publication, which could be produced at Cleveland lodge. (NB. Date will change because of double booking of Cathedral).

Autumn Event:  we will try to arrange a Meet, Eat and Sing on 22nd Nov (St. Cecilia’s Day) at Wroughton, 7-9 p.m.

Plainsong Session: Suggested that this could be held at St. Monica’s, Jan 2005.  John Rowlands-Pritchard to be asked to lead.

Come and Sing Choral Evensong:   offer from our RSCM colleagues in NW Europe [Martin van Bleek ARSCM - Dir: St Anne & St Mary Haarlem with Patrick Hopper FRCO from St John & St Philip's in The Hague] to run this early in 2005, probably at Christ Church, Swindon].


• Appointment of a Young Person’s (Child Protection) Officer:    Each area committee has to appoint one of their members to this post.   Margaret agreed to be the nominated person from this committee. She will need to check that all,  who require Child Protection validation,  either Enhanced or 'Self-Certified' at events,   have completed the correct procedures.

• Future Meetings [all at 7.30pm]:

Tuesday 20 July 2004 [Bristol Cathedral]

Wednesday, 10th November 2004 [St Mary’s, Fishponds, Bristol]

Monday, 7th March 2005 [30 Goddard Avenue, Swindon]

 

Committee Meeting 19-Nov'03 [Bristol]

• Organists' Training Scheme [OTS]: publicity being prepared to encourage more people to take part in the scheme; also with Somerset Area. [Philip Carter is the Area Coordinator for the scheme]
• RSCM Awards: All of our seven applicants for the Deans/Bishops awards in Oct'03 were successful; and their awards were presented by the Dean Bristol Cathedral and the Bishop of Swindon at our 2003 joint Bristol & Gloucester Diocesan Choral Festival held at our Cathedral. It was agreed that we would aim to hold assessments twice a year [March and October respectively]. Applications for March would be expected by end-Feb; successful applicants in March would be able to wear their medals following their notified result and their certificates would be presented at the Choral Festival. We need to encourage more of our choristers [of all ages] to consider working towards their Deans/Bishops/Gold awards.
• Diocesan Choral Festival: For the 2003 festival, the music and liturgy were both excellent and people enjoyed having both cathedral choirs present; a good number of juniors attended! It was suggested that the Cathedral Girls' Choir might be invited to take part next year. For the 2004 event, the theme is 'Songs of the Seasons' and Brendan will be preparing the service outline/detail.
• Taizé/Iona Evening: Despite a few applications a week beforehand, there was a good attendance of nearly 60 singers on the evening; with very positive feedback all round.
• St Monica's Singing Afternoon: since St Monica's will be undergoing building work, the event will be held on 24-Jan'04 in St Peter's, Henleaze. The church is booked from 2-6pm, the hall from 4-6pm and evensong at 5pm with Tim Noon again directing the afternoon.
• Easter Course: This will be held on 14-16 April 2004 with David Ogden as Director.
• Summer Singing Day: led by David Ogden is arranged for 19 June 2004 at St Saviour's, Coalpit Heath [creche facilities being checked].
• A New Repertoire Day: has been proposed for spring 2004. Enquiries on confirming a suitable location and date are being followed.
• Future Meetings: Monday 15 March 2004 [Swindon], and Tuesday 20 July 2004 [Bristol]
  
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