The Branch had 29 members, 4 fewer than the previous season (4 new members and 8 non-renewals). We met on 35 Monday evenings from September to June for combined playing. One-to-a-part groups met in each other’s houses.
On Saturday 19 November we welcomed Pam Smith, Musical Director of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Branch, as our visiting conductor. In the morning she coached a one-to-a-part group and in the afternoon we enjoyed playing as a large group with visitors from other branches.
Our Christmas Evening was on Monday 12 December when we played to an audience of family and friends in Augustine United Church. We were joined by members of the Edinburgh Community Education Evening Class conducted by Margaret Hall. The collection made a profit £81.30 which was sent to Amnesty International.
On Saturday 21 January the branch hosted a highly successful intermediate level Conductors’ Workshop at Mayfield Salisbury Church when the tutor was Colin Touchin. The workshop was attended by members of the Edinburgh Branch and other Scottish branches.
On 23 January we hosted a joint meeting of the Branch and the Edinburgh Community Education Evening Class. Henriette Bos and Margaret Hall conducted.
On Monday 20 March we welcomed Eileen Silcocks as a guest conductor.
The National Recorder Festival took place on 1 and 2 April at Casterton School, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria and was attended by several members of the Edinburgh Branch. On 2 April, Eileen Finlayson and Henriette Bos attended the Society’s Annual Conference as the Edinburgh Branch’s delegate and observer respectively. The meeting was chaired by Andrew Short. The full minutes, reports and accounts of the Conference can be found here. A summary of the minutes follows. Obituaries Among the deaths recorded were those of Edgar Hunt and Peter Robertson (former Musical Director of the Edinburgh Branch). Elections All officers were prepared to stand for re-election with the exception of the Treasurer, Brian Fraser-Hook. Andrew Short said that he would be standing down as Chairman at the 2007 Conference. Ursula (Ulli) Burchette (Committee & Kent) was elected Treasurer. Petrina Lodge (Cambridge) and Mary Steele (Wessex) were elected to serve on the Committee for three years replacing David Scruby (Manchester) and Ulli Burchette (Kent). New Branch The Secretary reported that he had received an enquiry about starting a new branch in Swansea. Subscriptions An increase in the central subscription for 2006-2007 was agreed. Full membership would be £17.50, Household membership, £28.00 and student membership, £13.00.
Future Festivals: The following arrangements were noted:
2007 York: The Mount School, 31 March/1April
2008 Glasgow (still provisional offer)
2009 Weald of Kent: (offer uncertain)
2010 Suffolk (confirmed)
Resolutions to Conference. The post of Branch Review Editor was renamed SRP News Editor.
Life Members Honorary Life Membership of the Society was bestowed on Brian Fraser-Hook in recognition of his 13 years’ outstanding service as Treasurer to the Society and Andrew Mayes in recognition of his contribution as Editor of The Recorder Magazine.
On 15 April the Edinburgh Branch was delighted to welcome Zana Clarke from Armidale, Australia, director of Orpheus Music and a recorder specialist, active in the areas of performing, composing, teaching and publishing. Considering it was the Easter Weekend we had a good turn-out of twenty people from Edinburgh and other Scottish Branches.
Several members attended Special Playing Days in Durham on 17 September and Glasgow on 18 March and the Scottish Recorder Festival, organised by the Aberdeen Branch, at Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church in Edinburgh on 10 June.
Our Summer Evening was on 12 June. The collection made a profit of £96 which was sent to Médecins Sans Frontières. Sadly the Summer Evening was the last occasion on which we will be conducted by Henriette Bos as Musical Director. She has conducted the Branch since 1998, first as Assistant Conductor and then as our Musical Director on the retirement of Jim Carey in 2003. She was presented with a Georgian-style wooden music stand as a token of our gratitude for all she has done for the Branch. She has now returned with her family to live in The Netherlands and we wish her well.
We must thank our volunteer conductors Rosemary Byde, Andrew Short and Peter Wraith, who conducted the Branch on alternate Monday’s last season in Henriette’s absence. We must also give a special thank you to those who made donations to the Branch and to those whose fundraising efforts helped to prevent a deficit this year. In particular we must thank June Scott for devising the hugely successful quiz which certainly taxed the brains of all those who took part, Kirstie Hustler for making beautiful calendars for sale in aid of branch funds, Pat Beazley for her generous donation of music, and Karen Mitchell for bringing in some delicious rhubarb to sell in aid of branch funds.
E. Finlayson
September 2006