The Branch had 37 members, 5 more than the previous season (6 new members and 1 non-renewal).
We met on 36 Monday evenings from September to June for combined playing. One-to-a-part groups met in each other’s houses.
At our EGM on 7 October, Michael Graham was unanimously elected Musical Director of the Branch.
Our Christmas Evening was on Monday 16 December, when we played to an audience of family and friends. The conductors from the Branch were Michael Graham and Peter Wraith, and we were joined by members of the Edinburgh Adult Education Evening Class conducted by Marg Hall. The collection raised £98 for the Edinburgh Cyrenians and £98 for Médecins Sans Frontières.
On 20 January we hosted a joint meeting of the Edinburgh Branch and the Edinburgh Adult Education Evening Class conducted by Marg Hall.
On 22 February, the Branch hosted an all-day workshop led by Eileen Silcocks at the Eric Liddell Centre. Eight one-to-a-part groups received individual tuition from Eileen and there were also three massed playing sessions. The day was a great success and thanks are due to the branch chairman, Neil McIntosh for heading the team organizing this event.
The Branch’s annual Playing Day took place on 15 March at St Columba’s by the Castle Church hall. This year’s pastoral visitor was Sheila Richards of Willobie Press. Thirty-five players took part and we welcomed visitors from other SRP branches, the Scottish Recorder Orchestra, U3A groups and the Edinburgh Adult Education Evening Class.
The National Recorder Festival took place on 12/13 April at Truro School, Cornwall.
Emma O’Neill was the Edinburgh Branch delegate at the National Conference on 13 April.
The full minutes, reports and accounts of the Conference can be found at https://www.srp.org.uk/annual-conference/
A summary of Emma’s report on the Festival and Conference follows.
The Festival and Conference took place in a private independent boarding school. It was attended by more than a hundred people and was well organized, although disabled access was poor. On Friday evening there was a Cornish supper and ceilidh dance.
Festival
Shops included Recorder Music Mail, however much of the music played at the festival was not available for sale.
‘Keskan II’, commissioned for the festival by Cornish composer Russell Pascoe, was conducted by Moira Usher and his Suite for Recorders was conducted by Sarah Whomersley, Musical Director of the Cornwall Branch.
Conference
There were vacancies for the post of Treasurer, Gift Aid Secretary and two ordinary committee members. The central committee meets twice a year and the SRP pays committee members’ travel and accommodation expenses.
The web-editor Anthony Hall encouraged branches to send him notices of forthcoming concerts and events to go on the website. He also requested photographs taken at concerts and events for the national Facebook and Twitter pages.
The National Youth Recorder Orchestra (NYRO) is now a completely separate entity but it still needs support from the SRP.
There was a proposal to award long serving branch officers a certificate for long service.
Branches were encouraged to donate to the Walter Bergmann Fund.
Some music and recorders had been left to the Society.
The Committee sent its congratulations to Sophie Westbrooke for reaching the woodwind final of the Young Musician Year.
Links with other organisations were encouraged. For example Durham Branch has strong links with Durham University and Steve Marshall is the National Recorder Adviser for the U3A.
Future Festivals
2015 – organised by the South Staffordshire branch in Wolverhampton.
2016 – vacant.
2017 – Cambridge.
Emma brought back from the Festival the Branch’s complimentary copy of ‘Keskan II’ commissioned for the Festival and the music requested by the branch from the Alex Ayre bequest, both of which are now in the branch library.
On 17 May, we gave a well-received performance in A Day of Mozart: A festival of music by Mozart, a marathon event in support of Christian Aid at St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh. A large group conducted by Michael Graham played an arrangement of Divertimento No. 13 in F major, K. 253 and Allan Jones’ arrangement of the Alleluja from Exsultate, Jubilate with solo sopranino recorder played by Mairi McIntosh and smaller groups played arrangements of Adagio in C, K. 356, Allegretto from Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 and Fugue in G minor, K. 201.
Members attended Playing Days in Durham on 7 December and Glasgow on 3 May and the Scottish Recorder Festival in Glasgow on 14 June.
Our Summer Evening was on Monday 9 June when we played to an audience of family and friends in Augustine United Church. The conductors from the Branch were Michael Graham and Peter Wraith, and we were joined by members of the Edinburgh Adult Education Evening Class conducted by Marg Hall. The collection raised £103 for the Walter Bergmann Fund.
We are grateful to Michael and Peter, for all their hard work, patience and good humour in conducting the Branch during the 2013-2014 Season.
Eileen Finlayson
September 2014