The Royal Tunbridge Wells Orpheus Male Voice Choir. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thursday 14th September 2017 Held at St Peter s Church Hall, Bayhall Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells at 7.30pm AGENDA 1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the 2016 Annual General Meeting 2. Matters Arising 3. Chairman s Report 4. Musical Director s Report 5. Business Manager s Report & Programme 6. Treasurer s Report 7. Independent Examiner s Report 8. Membership Subscriptions 9. Election of Committee and Officers 10.Election of Independent Auditor 11.Any Other Business 1 of 7
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Orpheus Male Voice Choir. Minutes of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thursday 14th September 2017 Held at St Peter s Church Hall, Bayhall Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells at 7.30pm Present : Choir Officers: John Cohen. Chairman and Business Manger Gerry McElhatton. Treasurer Nick Witham. Librarian Peter Costello. Committee Member Richard Walshaw. Music Director. Adam Crane. Accompanist Apologies:M Birkett M Broomby Neil Herbert Smith David Wake Brian Bonner Peter Parfitt + 30 Choir Members 1. Acceptance of 2016 minutes. Chairman apologised for the errors in 2 2016 minutes and their lateness. Accepted, proposed by Ken Morgan and seconded by Johny MacFarlane. It was noted that next years agenda should start with apologies 2. Matters arising NIL. 3. Chairman s report. BUSINESS MANAGER S REPORT TO RTWOMVC AGM, 14 SEPT 2017 In 2 parts: a report on the past 12 months, and then a brief look ahead at plans for 2018. To recap my objectives : (1) set up concerts with our targeted customer groups (2) raise the Choir s profile in the community Our targeted customer groups remain the same as in previous years: Churches and charities in the area and occasionally nationally, to help with fundraising projects, and Businesses which want to entertain customers or individuals who want to mark a special occasion The balance of concerts between these two groups is about 80/20, in keeping with the Choir s long tradition of supporting churches and charities. 1. Concerts 2016/7 12 performances took place in the 12 months since the last AGM (8 previously). These were a mix of full concerts, Remembrance/memorial services, carols and a wedding. 2 of 7
The performances were Pembury Autumn concert, Oct Remembrance Sunday, Nov Hospice in the Weald, Nov Burrswood, Dec Rotary Club Charities carols on the Pantiles Carols at Willicombe Park Carols at Berkeley Homes Carols at Cornford House Care Home Salvation Army Proms concert, Maidstone, March Abbey Funeral Memorial Service, April Orpheus at Trinity, May My daughter s wedding, August By working jointly with the host organisations to organise & promote concerts I try to ensure they are successful. This involves planning meetings, poster/flyer design, poster display, & music programme design. And for each event, Ken Morgan as Stage Manager has inspected the venue to plan for the physical arrangements for the Choir. As concerts are agreed, details will be put in the local media. This activity supplements the local publicity arranged by the host venue. Our own main Summer concert of course gets very special treatment, which for the 5th year running was held at Trinity Theatre. Big thanks again to Neil, the designer at Neil Herbert-Smith s business who worked with me on the design & production of the posters and music programme. I contacted 25 businesses & got 11 of them to buy ad space contributing 960 income for the event. In addition we all helped to distribute and flyers. However, it is worth noting that Trinity hire costs have increased and will rise more over the next couple of years. So we will need to decide how best to offset them. 2. PR Raising the Choir s profile The second objective is raising the Choir s profile. I have continued to use Twitter to raise our profile amongst a wider & younger community. We now have 1,082 Followers (up from 996 last year). Also, working with Peter Costello, the Choir s Facebook page is in its 3rd year and we are continuing to post quite a lot of pictures and comments. I reported at the last AGM that I had approached 15 leading firms in Tunbridge Wells with a proposal to partner the choir for a 12 month period. Unfortunately there was no take-up. A major additional task this year has been the complete rebuilding of the choir s website. Peter Costello, David Wake & I, with guidance from the Committee, have designed, with the help of a contractor, a new concept, using new text, fresh images, and a Membersonly page. The new site is clearer, more attractive, accessible using smartphones and laptops and freshens our image. We hope you like it. 3 of 7
3. 2017/8 Turning to the rest of 2017 & 2018 our priorities and focus are likely to remain the same. As you all know, we have a full programme for the rest of this year, with 4 concerts, attendance at the Remembrance Sunday service in Tunbridge Wells, and 3 carol singing sessions. 2018 is our 80 th Anniversary year and with the Committee s ideas and help I am working on a programme which will have some special features. It is too soon to be sure yet, but I hope to persuade TW Salvation Army Band to join us for the next Trinity concert. We are also planning an Anniversary Lunch at the Royal Wells Hotel on 2 June, and a trip to France/Belgium in early August which will include taking part in the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. We very much hope you will support these plans. Conclusion Finally, I d like to thank all those who have offered suggestions and advice during the year. John Cohen, Business Manager, 13 September 2017 Ken Morgan proposed thanks on behalf of the Choir to JC for his role as business manager. Acceptance proposed by Darren Roberts. Seconded by Ray Hoff. 4. MD report. Musical Director s Report 2017 AGM. I would like to start with words of thanks: thank you to all members of the committee, a big thank you to Adam, but, chiefly, to yourselves. I have many excellent memories of the last season, the end of which was slightly overshadowed by the eventual reality of our house move to Pembury, in August. In fact some memories from late 2016 have become more distant still since the move, as my previous diary has disappeared without trace, making me very glad to be prompted by John s report, reminding me of the performances we actually gave. I think our best were Remembrance Sunday (so good we are invited to return), and also at the Salvation Army concert in Maidstone, and at Trinity; both highly successful evenings, despite a little retrospective criticism of the balance of repertoire at Trinity. However, I have found myself needing increasingly to go into my now famous persuasive second-hand car salesman pitch, before concerts, to assure you that you really can deliver something that the public will enjoy, and to believe in your own abilities. NB: I m always right, too! 4 of 7
It remains my privilege to continue my work with you as MD, a role to which I feel the need to commit harder and harder to maintain the interest and enthusiasm that enables all of us to function as members of a well-oiled musical machine. (Perhaps my reference to the word oiled might be questionable.) We sometimes rehearse with the kind of numbers approaching danger level, in respect of having too few in each section to create a realistic level of mutual support. A section rehearsing with as few as 2/3 members is going to come under considerable unwelcome pressure to deliver successfully compared to a larger section whose mutual support has enabled them to switch on the cruise-control. So the bottom line is, quite simply, how do we recruit? Inevitably, members move-on, but this is measured against the fact that the last taster evening saw no new faces, and, suitably discouraged, we have decided not to put them on any more. Technically, you really do know a great deal about the successful giving of your voices in the various styles in which you sing. As I mentioned earlier, it has been my privilege to work with you, to see and, more importantly, to hear how the new techniques improve your sound, and blending of it. We also have an uncanny knack of staying in tune, even on long passages unaccompanied. If you want to keep all these attributes fresh and at their best, here are a few suggestions: Do read the words of all your songs at home. I will always give out 3 or 4 numbers for the following rehearsal, so you know they are going to come up. Read the story. Think about the importance of your voice to the communication of this story, especially if you have become aware of any special treatment your section gives to particular words via a few extra notes or a distinctively shaped musical motif, which may need emphasising more loudly. And, yes of course, do listen to midi-files, and hum-along. It may not sound like an onerous task, but it really does help every section get its tonal focus. If you enjoy the success of the your musical manoeuvres, the whole army will win the fight. So, neath one banner, and all that! Batter to death all those perceived difficulties (yes, I do realise that is not the song s exact wording), but do it all with the impish smile of a youngster! Audiences will flock to your car sale rooms, and you will know that you have loyal friends all over our area. Richard Walshaw 14/ix/17 Acceptance proposed by Chris Wright. Seconded by Peter Costello. 5. Business Managers report. John Scott asked about the number of Carol concerts where the number of singers was limited to half the choir or 20 singers. John Cohen replied that this year the bookings so far were not limited in numbers and could accommodate the full choir. Acceptance proposed by Mungo Chapman and Seconded by Richard Coombe. 6. Treasurers report.(see attachment) Acceptance proposed Bob Jupp. Seconded Darren Roberts. 7. Independent examiners report. Acceptance proposed Ken Morgan, Seconded by David Dunnett. 5 of 7
8 Membership subscription. John Cohen proposed that subscriptions should rise by 5 to 55. David Dunnett suggested that we should not be apologetic for asking for a 5 increase in subs and suggested it could be 10. Ken Morgan stated that the subs were a minimum and that anyone can add a donation. Dick Prime said the weekly raffle cannot apply to gift aid whereas a donation can. Darren Roberts asked if we had a just giving page? David Dunnett pointed out that his suggestion of 10 was not a formal proposal and if it was being treated as such he withdrew it. The subscription increase of 5 was carried by a show of hands 9. Election of Committee and Officers: New committee: J. Cohen - Chairman G McElhatton - Treasurer N. Witham - Librarian P Costello - Secretary (replacing D Wake) R Coombe - New Committee member Together with R Walshaw - Music Director Carried by a show of hands. 10 Election of Independent Auditor; carried by show of hands. David Dunnett pointed out that this should say Election of independent Examiner in future. 11. A.O.B Darren Roberts raised the question of recruitment, The Chairman advised that at the time of NHS retirement due to health issues the committee had in hand some advertisements but because these were being prepared at Neil s work place the matter had not been finalised. The committee were aware that membership was declining and would look at ways of attracting new members. Johnny MacFarlane suggested that Taster evenings held in January were not a good idea, and a debate ensued about Taster evenings. Darren Roberts asked if our new web site could include something about recruitment. John Cohen said there is a special page on the new website aimed at encouraging new people to join us and contact numbers are shown on every page. Martin Apps asked if we found out how new members found us and John Cohen replied that we do. Richard Coombe said that recruitment was one of the reasons he decided to join the committee and that maybe the committee should report back in 3 months on proposals to encourage new members. This was agreed. Richard Walshaw advised us that people looking for a MVC will find us and we should aim at attracting the people that love singing but don t know that they want to be in a choir until they try it. Ken Morgan stated that some years ago we got a number of people to a taster evening by handing out leaflets on T Wells platform in the mornings, this was 6 of 7
effective until we were stopped from doing it! Ken also stated that he had tried attracting singers in other choirs but that in many cases the fact that our rehearsals are on a Thursday evening created a problem. Richard Walshaw said he was in favour of bringing back the taster evening because it s better to get 2/3/4 new members joining at the same time rather than one at a time, he also suggested that possibly at a different time of year and Nick Witham advised that May after Trinity had been suggested in the past. David Dunnett suggested that the committee look at new ways of advertising for the taster evening and it was agreed that the committee would report back in 3 months time. Ray Hoff asked that we minute our thanks to Bill Waghorn who had been forced to retire from the choir, Bill was an ex-chairman with 48 years of membership. Johnny MacFarlane asked about the proposal to have the Salvation Army Band at Trinity next year and it was explained by John Cohen that this was not necessarily to replace Bennett Memorial but in addition to them. David Dunnett asked that we minute our grateful thanks to NHS for all the hidden benefits he had provided for the choir and his many years as Chairman and committee member and we all hope to see Neil back singing with us soon. Peter Costello referred to last week s rehearsal when we had sung in the Church and suggested we should see if we can use the Church for one or two rehearsal prior to the Brighton festival. Richard Walshaw agreed that this would be a good preparation for the Brighton festival especially because we do not have a regular concert venue and are always singing at different locations. Peter Costello agreed to speak to St Peters about this. Peter Costello Secretary. 22nd September 2017 The meeting was closed at 20.40. 7 of 7