DATE AND VENUE
Saturday 3rd Jan 2009
The Yorkshire College of Music and Drama
19 Shire Oak Road
Headingley
Leeds
LS16 2DD
The
College will be open from 10am. Times for rehearsals of the large
ensembles (overture and finale) will be confirmed in due course. The
concert will start early afternoon and will finish around 5pm -
times will be confirmed nearer the date.
Music stands are available, but more would be useful if you are able
to bring your own. Please make sure it is named.
TRAVEL
Mainline trains run to Leeds City Station, with a local connection to Headingley station. It is 1 mile from Headingley station to the college and if anyone would like a lift, please let me know your times of arrival and departure.
If anyone is travelling into Leeds/Bradford Airport and would like a lift, again please contact me.
Limited car parking is freely available in the College grounds, or directly outside the college on Shire Oak Road (also free).
PARTICIPATION
The concert is being organised with a view to enabling adults to gain
experience and confidence playing in public. New performers and nervous
performers are especially welcome!
Participants under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. Please put the name of your accompanying adult on the application form.
Although the concert is primarily for adults, younger forum members or children of forum members will also be accommodated if possible.
The fee to perform will be £14. There will be no fee payable by piano
accompanists who do not also perform solo or in second-instrument slots,
but an application form still needs to be completed. There is a fee for
visitors to the afternoon concert of £5 each. Proceeds will go to The Yorkshire College of Music & Drama which
is a charitable trust.
Performers’ fees must be sent with the application form. If you are not sure if anyone else is coming with you, you can delay paying “visitor” fees until the closing date, but all fees must be paid by then.
PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT
Some forum members have kindly offered their services as accompanist and if you would like an accompanist, please say so on the application form. If you are having an accompanist, you will need to supply them with a copy of the music a few weeks in advance - please bear in mind that they may have several pieces to familiarise themselves with, and they may also have other personal commitments or holidays to take into account, so please let them have the music sooner rather than later.
Rehearsal time on the day may be short, bearing in mind that each accompanist may have to rehearse with other participants, and performers will also need to allow time for rehearsals in ensembles. It is in everybody’s interests therefore to agree tempo, dynamics etc in advance so that there are fewer aspects to address on the day.
Please note that whilst every effort will be made to find an accompanist for solo performers, you should be prepared to play your piece unaccompanied in case it is not possible to allocate you an accompanist.
The piano accompanists do a great job at these concerts - please remember to thank them at the end of your performance and invite them to also take a bow!
SMALL ENSEMBLES
If you would like to play in a small ensemble and you don't know anyone
to play with, contact me letting me know your instrument and level, and
I will try to partner you with one or more other performers. With regard
to the music, if you have a piece you would particularly like to play,
you would
normally
ask your partner(s) if they would be happy to play it; or alternatively
another member of the ensemble might suggest a piece to play.
In case of difficulty in finding suitable music, please contact me to see if I can help.
LARGE ENSEMBLES
The large ensembles at this concert will be the Overture and the Finale. These will be rehearsed by a teacher at the Yorkshire College of Music, who is also the Principal of the College and a choral conductor. The Finale will be led by a forum member who is making her conducting debut - please give her your support!
The Finale, and possibly the Overture, will have parts for percussion and piano. In the event of more than one pianist applying for the piano part in the Grand Finale, the part will be offered to the pianist who has the fewest other playing opportunities at the concert, and within that, on a first-come, first-served basis.
ALLOCATION OF SLOTS
I will do my best to accommodate everybody’s applications, but if time constraints don’t allow this, then the following principles will be followed.
• To enable everyone to play a solo if they wish. Priority
will be given to new members/new performers, and thereafter on a
first come first served basis (provided that the balance mentioned below
can
still be achieved)
• To enable everyone to play a second solo if they wish (and provided their first solo is not more than 4 mins). Priority will be given to pianists who do not also play in an orchestral ensemble.
• To enable everyone to play in at least one small group
as well as the large ensembles. Priority will be given to ensembles involving
new members/new performers and thereafter on a
first come first served basis.
• To achieve a balanced concert of solos, duets/trios, small
ensembles and large ensembles.
Please note that group slots cannot be allocated until application forms and fees have been received from *all* the partipants in the group.
Confirmation of allocation of slots will be sent out soon after the closing date. As stated above, I will do my best to accommodate everybody’s applications, but if anyone is not allocated the slot(s) that they applied for and wishes to withdraw, a refund will be offered.
The closing date for receipt of application forms and fees is Saturday 6 December 2008. Earlier applications are recommended in order for ensembles to be arranged.
LENGTH OF SLOTS
The time limit for solo and group slots is 4 mins of actual playing time
(please keep the introductions brief!) If everyone were to add even a little
extra time, it could seriously disrupt the timings and affect some people's
travel arrangements, so anyone playing longer than 4 minutes runs the risk
of "time" being called and being stopped in the middle of the
performance - sorry!
SECURITY
Acknowledgements that your application form and fee have been received
will be sent. THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL ACT AS YOUR “ENTRANCE TICKET” TO
THE COLLEGE ON THE DAY - PLEASE PRINT IT OUT AND BRING IT WITH YOU. If
you forget to bring it, for security reasons you may not be allowed into
the college. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within 7 days of
sending your application form, please contact me.
For security reasons, everyone will be given a name badge on arrival and asked to wear it during the day. It is fine to show either your forum name, your real name or both, as long as there is some way of identifying that you are a bona-fide participant at the event.
DRESS CODE
There is no dress code as such. Some people prefer to wear casual during the morning and change into “performance clothes” for the afternoon. Others prefer to wear whatever they feel comfortable or confident in.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Many people like to have their photograph taken whilst they are performing, but if you are taking photographs, please be sure to do this discreetly as otherwise it can be very distracting for the performer. If you would rather not have your photograph taken during your performance, please let me know.
Many people enjoy seeing pictures of the concerts on the forum, but if you would prefer not to have your picture on the internet, just let me know. Or if you don't mind having your picture posted but don't want to be identified, again just let me know. If you are taking photographs, please respect anyone’s request not to be photographed.
Please note that the venue, the Yorkshire College of Music & Drama, is a charitable trust run by a Board of Trustees. The policy of the trustees with regard to photography of the college is that photographs may be taken for personal use, but may not be posted on any web site without their approval.
REFRESHMENTS
Tea and coffee will be available throughout the day. Snacks will be available
for a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break, but participants should bring
their own picnic lunch. Sandwich
shops are within walking distance, but depending on the times of the rehearsals,
it may be difficult to fit in a walk to the shops.
FAMILIES/VISITORS
Friends and families of performers are very welcome to come to the concert as well - performers need an audience, particularly a friendly and supportive one! Visitors are welcome to remain at the college during the morning, or spend the morning doing something else and come back for the concert in the afternoon.
Please note that babies and young children will not be admitted to the event.
If anyone has any queries on this aspect, please feel free to contact me.
ACCOMMODATION
If you have a particular hotel in mind and want to check with me as to the suitability of the location, please feel free to contact me.
If you are staying in Leeds for a short break and would like some ideas on “things to do, places to go”, please contact me and I will do my best to assist.
SUGGESTED ITEMS TO BRING WITH YOU
Instrument(s) (+ reeds if applicable)
Instrument stand
Music stand (some are available at the college but more will be appreciated)
Music (your own and whatever parts you've been supplied for the ensembles)
Tuner
Pencil, eraser (to agree dynamics etc with your accompanist)
Printout of Acknowledgement
Map/directions
College telephone number - 0113 275 1232
Packed lunch/drinks (sandwich shops are quite close by - you'd be out about 1/2 hr, walking there/back and queuing)
THE APPLICATION FORM IS AVAILABLE BY CLICKING THIS LINK
The closing date for receipt of application forms and fees is Saturday 6 December 2008. Earlier applications are recommended in order for ensembles to be arranged.
If anyone has any queries, please contact me.
See you soon!
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