The SRP brings together recorder players of all ages all over the UK and Ireland.
How to join
If you live in the UK, you will probably want to join a local branch. There is a list of branches in the SRP Branches tab, and you can find a branch near you using the branch map. Branches are always happy to welcome new members and you can contact each branch using the email address on its page.
If you live overseas, or a long way from a branch, you can join the Country and Overseas Branch.
There is also one type of Corporate Membership open to any business associated with the Recorder.
The benefits of membership include a subscription to The Recorder Magazine (4 issues a year), being conducted by a Visiting Conductor to each Branch once a year, paid for by the Society, subsidised Training Courses on a variety of relevant subjects, an Address List of members, the possibility to attend meetings of other Branches, often at no charge, and attendance at the annual weekend Festival and Conference (AGM) hosted by a different Branch each year.
Recorder groups in schools, Colleges of Education and other institutions may affiliate themselves to a Branch.
A recorder orchestra may affiliate itself to the Society. Benefits of affiliation to the Society include copies of the Recorder Magazine, the Society’s public liability insurance, web space on this site and an srp email address. If you are interested in affiliation to the Society, please contact the Country and Overseas Branch Secretary () or complete this application form.
Constitution
The principal objective of the Society of Recorder Players is to promote the education of the public in the study, practice and appreciation of the recorder.
The Society is a charity registered in England, Wales and Scotland.The Society, which has around 1500 members, is governed by a National Committee and operates through a number (currently over 50) of Branches spread throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland. Branches typically have 10-40 members and meet monthly to play music, usually at the weekend, although some Branches meet more often and some meet during the week. More information about branches can be found here, and a map of Branch locations can be seen here.
Other activities
The Society may also undertake various activities, many of which are organised by Branches, but some by the National Committee:
- Sponsor or promote concerts, other musical events, broadcasts, and recordings.
- Provide facilities for rehearsals and performances and for the teaching of the recorder.
- Commission musical works employing the recorder.
- Acquire, and make available for study and reference purposes, a library of music for recorder and of recordings of the instrument and its players.
- Print, publish, and distribute, to members and others, literature, music and recordings relating to the recorder and its music.
- Organise and conduct examinations or competitions for recorder players and award certificates and prizes to candidates in any of such examinations or competitions.
As examples, the Committee runs a biennial competition, currently sponsored by Moeck, for young recorder players with professional aspirations, it operates a fund (the Walter Bergmann Fund) that is used to support promising, mainly younger players and, in 2002, it launched the National Youth Recorder Orchestra (NYRO) followed in 2005 by the National Youth Training Recorder Orchestra (NYTRO).
Finances
There are two levels of subscription to the SRP – the national and the branch subscription. The level of the national subscription is set at the annual Conference. It forms the main income of the General Fund. This is the fund that pays for the day-to-day running of the Society: the magazine, the annual Conference, conductors’ visits, committee expenses, insurances, administration and publicity.
Where your subscription goes (Chart designed by April Munday
The level of the branch subscription varies from branch to branch and depends on the local costs of room hire and conductors’ fees, administration and purchase of sheet music where necessary.
About 12 years ago a bequest was made to the Society that is managed as the Arthur Ingram Fund. We use this fund for ‘luxuries’: the cost of running the training workshops, our project of commissioning ensemble music from main stream English composers and, more recently, the cost of supplying a score and parts of the music commissioned by the Festival to every branch. This fund also supports the Moeck/SRP competition, and pays the fee for the NYRO administrator. Income is generated by bank interest and the gift aid from membership subscriptions. In this way we can ensure that the gift aid is used for charitable objectives and not for the day-to-day running of the Society.
The Walter Bergmann Fund helps young recorder players (up to age 30) – grants usually assist with tuition and course fees, the purchase of instruments, or the support of other educational events. Income relies on donations, which can be gift-aided, bank interest and a share of any Festival surplus monies.
The National Youth Recorder Orchestra (NYRO) is financially independent, although the fee for the administrator is paid for out of the Arthur Ingram Fund. Recent attendance at some courses has been rather low, so that incoming fees have not covered expenditure. For this reason, NYRO has received a loan from the Arthur Ingram Fund, which will be repaid in due course.
Any donations to NYRO and Walter Bergmann Fund are always very welcome to help us support the next generation of recorder players.