Cobweb Orchestra News

Dear All,

Another weekend gone, and another successful event. A message from Jonathan Scott . . .

“Thank you very much for a wonderful performance of the Brahms Requiem.
I thought you all did a fantastic job in keeping everything together. All in all
you should be very happy with yourselves I certainly feel very proud to have
spent today working with you and tonight’s performance.”

A quick reminder of what is COMING UP . . . particularly as we could do with a few more enrolments.

Saturday 25th May – Family Teatime Concert,
Rehearse 1.00 – 3.00pm, concert 4.00 – 5.00pm
St. Aidan’s Church Hall
Billingham

Do join us for what will be a fun rehearsal and performance, playing music that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. More information and an enrolment form can be found on the website.

Saturday 1st June – Schumann Symphony No. 2 Study day with Chris Griffiths
11.00am – 4.00pm
Haxby Memorial Hall
York

The busy month of June kicks off with the wonderful opportunity of a study day on Schumann’s lovely 2nd symphony under the baton of Chris Griffiths. And don’t forget there is a delicious fund-raising lunch to be had for just £5.00. Great music and scrumptious food . . . what more could one ask for. More information and an enrolment form can be found on the website.

June – Prom Concerts
Saturday 8th June – Ravenstonedale, rehearse 2.00 – 6.00pm, concert 7.30pm
Sunday 23rd June – Brougham Hall, rehearse 1.30 – 5.30pm, concert 7.00pm
Saturday 29th June – Langdon Beck, rehearse 12.00 – 3.00pm, concert 4.00pm
Sunday 30th June – Bishop Auckland, rehearse 2.00 – 6.00pm, concert 7.00pm

It would be great to see lots of cobwebbers at each of our prom concerts. Remember that some of our venues are small so the size of the orchestra is restricted. To avoid disappointment, do send in your enrolment form asap. The form and more information about each prom can be found on the website.

Other news . . .

Iona Brown

It’s great news that Iona will be leading Cobwebs for this year’s Bishop Auckland Prom as well as playing Vaughan-Williams’ “Lark Ascending” with us.

If you’d like to hear her in concert before then, she’s playing Bruch’s Violin Concerto with the Charnwood Orchestra on Sunday 26th May in Hexham (Main Hall, Queen Elizabeth High School) and Monday 27th May in St. Georges Church, Jesmond. Both concerts start at 7.30pm

Tickets are available from: Charnwood Orchestra Secretary Tel: 07718 153 117 Email: judithrodgers155@gmail.com

A milestone . . .

Remember the ‘Undercover Bolero’ in Eldon Square shopping centre bus station, Newcastle? Well we’ve just gone passed the half a million hits on You Tube – 505,371 to be precise! What a great achievement. And there are some lovely comments too – “A wonderful way to wake and start my Day, God blesses us with good music”, . . . “I’m pleased to see the crowds reacting to the music. That alone is worth it for me.”

Here’s the link if you’ve never seem it or would like to be reminded of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR5UwyK3a7Y

A message about Helen Pyburn

I’m sure that Helen’s many friends in The Cobweb Orchestra would like to know how she is.

Helen has just had a spell in hospital and is now back home under a full palliative care package. Mark, her husband has indefinite compassionate leave so that he can look after Helen and be her ‘social calendar’. Helen would love to read messages etc, but might not be able to reply if she is having a bad day. Visitors are also welcome but please make an appointment through Mark.

Have a great week with lots of music and I hope to see many of you at our next event, the Family Teatime Concert in Billingham on 25th May.

Sue

Dear All,

I hope you have all been able to enjoy some of this lovely sunny weather before it disappears.

We had a super Sunday afternoon at Wylam with the Composers and Arrangers/Guinea Pig Orchestra Group playing some lovely new music. The GPO was small but enthusiastic. We almost had one of everything and Dan, our wonderful percussionist had everything but the kitchen sink.

Coming up . . .

Saturday 11th May – Brahms German Requiem
Rehearsal 1.30 – 5.30pm, Concert 7.00pm
Holy Trinity Church, Jesmond.

We are in need of:

· More violins particularly 1sts
· double basses
· 1 clarinet
· 1 bassoon
· 1 horn
· 1 trumpet
· 3 trombones

Any other instruments are of course still welcome to enrol.

Please do send me an email (events@cobweborchestra.org.uk) if you are able to play. Brahms German Requiem is a wonderful work and the opportunity to take part in a performance really shouldn’t be missed.

The enrolment form with details about the day is available for download from the website.

Saturday 25th May – Family Teatime Concert
Rehearsal 1.00 – 3.30pm, Concert 4.00 – 5.00pm
St. Aidan’s Church Hall, Billingham

Our family concerts are always great fun to take part in so don’t forget to sign up for this one. More details and the enrolment form can be found on the website

Saturday 1st June – Schumann 2 Study Day with Chris Griffiths
11.00am – 4.00pm
Haxby Memorial Hall, York

This will be our 3rd study day on Schumann’s four symphonies with Chris Griffiths (principal horn with Northern Sinfonia). There’ll be a scrumptious lunch available for just £5. Definitely not an event to be missed – fabulous music and yummy food – what more could one want?

More details and the enrolment form can be found on the website.

The Cobweb Orchestra Proms Season – June 8th, 23rd, 29th & 30th

Download the enrolment form for the four prom concerts with a very special offer if you can play at three or all four.

To avoid disappointment, do enrol for the prom concerts as soon as possible as some will be restricted by the size of the space available at the venue and we need a well-balanced orchestra for each performance.

That’s it for now. Don’t forget to fill in those enrolment forms. We’d love to see lots of you at the events coming up.

Sue

Dear All,

Having had a weekend without an event I haven’t anything to report except to say that the Cobweb Baroque Group played brilliantly at Gibside on Sunday, even though the acoustics took some getting used to.

Coming up . . .

Saturday 27th April – Intermediate Orchestra Day, 1.30pm – 7.00pm
The Sage Gateshead

We’ve a super orchestra for this but still plenty of room for more players. If you find yourself with nothing to do tomorrow do come and join us and enjoy an afternoon of playing great music.

Sunday 5th May – Composers & Arrangers/Guinea Pig Orchestra, 2.00pm – 6.00pm
Wylam Village Institute

This is a free event for players! We spend the afternoon playing new compositions/arrangements that our Composers and Arrangers Group have made. It’s always great fun and satisfying to be able to provide the composers/arrangers with an orchestra to play their works live.

The enrolment form is available from the website www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events

Saturday 11th May – Brahms German Requiem, Rehearsal 1.30 – 5.30, Concert 7.00pm
Holy Trinity Church, Jesmond

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in one of the greatest choral works. An enrolment form to play in the orchestra can be downloaded from the website. If anyone would like to sing in the choir, please contact the conductor, Jonathan Scott (jonathan.scott@blueyonder.co.uk)

Saturday 25th May – A Family Concert, Rehearsal 1 – 3pm, Concert 4 – 5pm
St. Aidan’s Church Hall, Billingham

Come and join us at the rehearsal home of our Teesside Cobweb Orchestra for this rather special event. There will be a short performance of music that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike, including Mozart, The Beatles and popular themes from films and musicals.

The enrolment form is available from our website.

That’s all for this week. Watch out for next weeks Cobweb News that will include news of our Proms Season!

Sue

Dear All,

This is an unusual email, as I’ve no event from last weekend to briefly report on. However there are plenty of events coming up which deserve a quick mention.

This weekend . . .
Payne/Jackson Study Day – Sunday 17th March, 11am-4pm
Storey Park Community Centre, Morpeth

We have a wonderful young saxophonist, Steph Legg, coming from London to play Richard Payne’s excellent, tuneful, challenging-but-not-unplayable Saxophone Concerto with us. As the Concerto is not very long, we’ll also be looking at Andy’s symphony “A Dance to the Music of Time”.

This is a great opportunity to play contemporary works that are kind to the ears and mind.

For further details please see the following webpage:
http://www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events/event.php?id=177

The following weekend . . .
A 60th Birthday Celebration – Saturday 23rd March, 1pm – 6pm
Richmond Town Hall

Don’t forget to accept Alexe’s invitation to a rather special and different study day with birthday cake and champagne. These occasions don’t happen very often so don’t let this one slip you by! As well as helping Alexe celebrate her 60th by playing a programme of music she has chosen, we’ll be raising funds for the orchestra as Alexe has very kindly sponsored this event.

For further details please see the following webpage:
http://www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events/event.php?id=167

And the Bank Holiday Monday of the weekend after . . .
THE BIG PLAY – Monday 1st April, 11am – 7pm
Middlesbrough Town Hall

This is our annual event where we hope as many people as possible will congregate at Middlesbrough Town Hall for a magnificent day of playing. We have over 30 soloists to accompany in concertos from just about all eras of music.

And to round off the day we can all take part in Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. The opportunities to play this great work are few and far between, but thanks to Cobfriends who are paying for the hire, an opportunity has come our way. Don’t miss it!

So far, despite knowing that there are over 30 soloists coming to Middlesbrough to take part, I’ve had very few enrolment forms! Please do enroll and pay before the day, it will help enormously in planning the day if you can enroll as soon as possible.

For further details please see the following webpage:
http://www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events/event.php?id=168

Sedbergh Residential Weekend – 5pm Friday 12th April – 4pm Sunday 14th April
Sedbergh School, Cumbria

Yet again we have a smashing orchestra already forming for this “event of the year”. But there is still space for more players either as residents or non-residents. I’m delighted to say that the main work will be Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs and our guest conductor for this work is Chris Griffiths. On Sunday our soloist Mary Coffield will join us.

As always there will be a variety of other music to get our teeth into, along with the Saturday night concert party, which follows cocktails and dinner. Then there are the slightly more unusual sessions created by Andy including the symphony at teatime. What will it be this year?

There is more information about Sedbergh on the website, but please do email (events@cobweborchestra.org.uk) or phone (0788 0346145) me if you have any queries.

The final booking letter and form, which I need everyone, residents and non-residents to complete and return to me (by Monday 8th April at the latest).

Have a great, if somewhat chilly, week.

Sue

Dear All,

As I write this the sun is shining, it’s warm(ish), the snowdrops are out and the daffodils are not too far behind. Has spring sprung?

We had a fantastic day on Sunday at our final (for the moment) Rite of Spring study day in Appleby. For a few it was their first time, for many it was their 2nd or 3rd time and for a small handful of people it was their 4th time of playing this great work. The progression we’ve made through each day has been amazing. Who’d have ever thought The Cobweb Orchestra could tackle this piece! Well done everyone who attended 1, 2, 3 or 4 study days.

Coming up . . .

. . . THE BIG PLAY . . .THE BIG PLAY . . . THE BIG PLAY . . .
Monday 1st April
11am – 7pm
Middlesbrough Town Hall

I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that this is coming up as we’ve 30+ soloists frantically practising and getting a play through at their weekly group rehearsals. There are a wide range of concerti movements and solo instrument with orchestra pieces from the baroque era to the 20th century.

If you’d like to be part of a musical journey from Bach to Bartok then do enrol for this fabulous event and support all our super soloists. More details of the day can be found on the enrolment form, which is available on the website. A flier is also available. Please download, print and display if possible.

Before the BIG PLAY we have 2 other events . . .

Payne/Jackson Study Day – Sunday 17th March, 11am-4pm
Storey Park Community Centre, Morpeth

We’ll be looking at Richard Payne’s Saxophone Concerto with the wonderful Steph Legge, and Andy Jackson’s symphony “A Dance to the Music of Time”.

The enrolment form can be downloaded from the website.

A 60th Birthday Celebration – Saturday 23rd March, 1pm – 6pm
Richmond Town Hall

Don’t forget about Alexe’s invitation to join her in celebrating her 60th birthday with great music, champagne and birthday cake at this study day. We will be playing Beethoven Egmont Overture, Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 and Beethoven Symphony No. 2.

The enrolment form can be downloaded from the website.

The Chamber Orchestra Residential
6pm, Friday 5th – 4pm, Sunday 7th July

We’ve a super chamber orchestra formed for this residential but could still take one or two more string players. If you are interested please do get in touch with Andy (andy.jackson0@talk21.com) asap. Enrolments for this event will close at midnight on Monday 11th March 2013.

That’s all for this week.

Sue

Dear All,

Our concert last Saturday in Carlisle with Iona Brown (soloist) and Chris Griffiths (conductor) was wonderful. We had an orchestra of just over 50 players AND an audience of similar size! Iona was stunning in the Bruch violin concerto and Chris’ conducting was as great as ever. We are so lucky to have friends like Iona and Chris, and others from Northern Sinfonia, who are happy to work with us.

We’ll see Chris again on 1st June for a study day on Schumann’s 2nd symphony, at Haxby, York. Check the events page of the website for more details. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see Iona again too.

Coming Up . . .

Your last chance to play (for a while at least) . . .

The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky
Sunday 3rd March
11am – 4pm
Appleby Public Hall

We’ve still got room for lots more players for this final study day. It would be brilliant to have 5 flutes and 8 horns and 2 contra bassoons and. . . The numbers of players returning for another go at this great work really does demonstrate how good the previous 3 study days have been.

We’re hoping to make this final day the biggest and the best so do sign up and experience a day to remember. An enrolment form can be downloaded from the website.

A 60th Birthday Celebration – Saturday 23rd March, 1pm – 6pm
Richmond Town Hall

This is a rather special and different study day from the norm. Alexe Finlay, who plays 2nd violin with the Teesside Cobweb Orchestra and at lots of events, is celebrating her 60th birthday by sponsoring this event. In doing so, Alexe has created a fantastic fund-raising opportunity for the organisation.

I hope that lots of you will accept Alexe’s invitation to come and help celebrate her 60th birthday and support The Cobweb Orchestra. The enrolment form for this event can be downloaded from the website.

Chamber Orchestra Residential – Friday 5th July (6pm) – Sunday 7th July (4pm)
Blackton Grange, Baldersdale

You may remember that the possibility of this residential was advertised and interested players were asked to email Andy. I’m delighted to say that the response has been so good that we have now booked the venue. The places for wind players have all been snapped up but we still have a very small number of places for string players.

If you are a string player and wish to take part in what will be a fantastic weekend, playing music written for a perfectly formed chamber orchestra please email Andy for more details:

andy.jackson0@talk21.com

Places are available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis so don’t delay in contacting Andy.

LOST PROPERTY

A number of items have been left at events recently:

Glasses – transparent green tinged plastic frame, found in one of Andy’s waistcoat pockets, possibly left there after the Verdi Requiem concert?

Black Music Stand – sturdy stand with brand name ‘On-Stage Stands’ on one leg, left at the Tithe Barn, Carlisle last Saturday (23.2.13)

Black Music Stand Case – with brand name ‘On-Stage Stands’, left at the Tithe Barn, Carlisle last Saturday. This bag may belong to the above stand but it’s a really tight fit so may belong to another stand.

Violin Shoulder Rest – Willi Wolf shoulder rest, left at The Sage Gateshead after the Hall 2 concert (10.2.13)

Please do get in touch if any of these items are yours and I can arrange getting them back to their owners.

That’s all for this week. Don’t forget to sign up for the final RITE OF SPRING study day.

Dear All,

We had a super day in Haxby, York last Saturday, for our 3rd study day on Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. There was a large orchestra with many new faces. It was lovely to see so many players from the new York Cobweb Orchestra attend this event and the whole atmosphere was terrific. The fund-raising lunch that the group provided was totally delicious.

Now, there is just ONE more opportunity to play this great work at our 4th study day on . . .

Sunday 3rd March at Appleby Public Hall, 11am – 4pm

It would be fabulous if this final study day was the biggest and the best, though it will be hard to beat the previous 3 study days which have all been great in their own way. You can download an enrolment form from the website

Full details: http://www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events/event.php?id=166

Fill in the enrolment form and send it back to me . . . you really shouldn’t miss out on a truly memorable musical experience!

Coming up . . .

Bruch/Schumann Concert – Saturday 23rd February
Tithe Barn, Carlisle
Iona Brown – soloist
Chris Griffiths – conductor

It’s not too late to enrol for this event or if you don’t want to play, why not come to the concert (7.00pm). We’re very lucky to have Iona and Chris (both principal players with Northern Sinfonia) working with us and I can guarantee that Saturday will be a rather special and splendid day.

Full details: http://www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events/event.php?id=165

Payne/Jackson Study Day – Sunday 17th March
Storey Park Community Centre, Morpeth
Steph Legg – saxophone soloist

At the Ridley Hall residential last November, we played a couple of contemporary works which proved very popular, so we decided to programme them again and give everyone who wasn’t there a chance to play them too.

The wonderful young Trinity College student Steph Legg will play Richard Payne’s 1999 “Saxophone Concerto”.

The second work for this study day is Andy Jackson’s “A Dance to the Music of Time”. Essentially a 4-movement symphony, this piece was commissioned by Northern Sinfonia in 1996 and conducted several times by Ilan Volkov.

Full details: http://www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events/event.php?id=177

Don’t forget . . .

We’ve got a fantastic fund-raising (for The Cobweb Orchestra) event on

Saturday 23rd March at Richmond Town Hall

Come and celebrate Alexe Finlay’s 60th birthday by playing wonderful music, drinking sparkling champagne and eating scrumptious birthday cake while helping to raise funds for the organization.

More details are on the website and the enrolment form will be out shortly.

Have a great week and, if it is your half term, remember that Tebay (Tues), Spennymoor and York (Wed) groups are rehearsing and would all give you a warm welcome, should you wish to play with them.

Sue

Dear All,

Well what a tremendous achievement our concert in Hall 2 of The Sage Gateshead was on Sunday evening. Could we have performed such a challenging programme with such finesse a few years ago . . . no, I don’t think so. A very big well done to all who played. I hope you went home with big smiles in between the happy yawns!

Coming up . . .

The 3rd Rite of Spring Study Day – Saturday, 16th February
Haxby Memorial Hall, York

The orchestra for Saturday is growing rapidly but there is still room for more players in all sections – another bassoon or two would be great, and more horns and brass are needed. Do enrol for what will be another amazing day.

Bruch/Schumann with Iona Brown and Chris Griffiths – Saturday 23rd February
Tithe Barn, Carlisle

Don’t forget to enrol for this great opportunity to accompany Iona in Bruch’s 1st violin concerto, under the baton of Chris. For those of you who haven’t met Iona and Chris – they both play in Northern Sinfonia and have over the years worked with, and given tremendous support to The Cobweb Orchestra. It would be lovely if we can put together a good-size orchestra for this event. There is plenty of space in all sections but especially in the cello and brass section.

Sedbergh Residential – 12th – 14th April
Sedbergh School, Cumbria

Preliminary booking forms for what is arguably the best Cobweb Orchestra residential are slowly coming in. Please do send in your form (with a deposit if you want to stay at Sedbergh School)

The York Cobweb Orchestra has scheduled two further rehearsals, so instead of finishing this term on Wednesday 13 March, the group will continue until 27 March. The group rehearses at the Steiner School in Fulford every Wednesday evening (including half-term) from 7.30 – 9.30pm, and new members are always welcome.

That’s all for this week. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of old and new faces at York on Saturday.

Sue

Dear All,

We had the most amazing day at The Sage Gateshead on Saturday, working on Kurt Weill’s 2nd Symphony with Anthony Sargeant. The strings enjoyed 3 hours of sectionals with Tristan Gurney (ex Northern Sinfonia 1st violinist, now principal violin of the Edinburgh Quartet) while Anthony tutored the winds. All the hard work put in during the day was very apparent in the excellent play through at the end. Well done and thanks to everyone who attended.

Mistake on the enrolment form for the Bruch/Schumann concert in Carlisle

Many apologies for the error made on the form. The date of this event is 23rd February as stated on the information sheet and not 10th February, which is at the top of the form. A correct version of the enrolment form is available on the website www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/events for those of you who haven’t got around to signing up yet.

Coming up . . .

Mozart/Chopin/Dvorak Concert, Sunday 10th February
Hall 2, The Sage Gateshead

We have a large orchestra for this event and may not be allowed, for safety reasons, to take any more players. If you were hoping to take part please get in touch with me before sending any enrolment forms and cheques or paying by BACs.

The 3rd Rite of Spring Study Day – Saturday 16th February, 11am – 4pm
Haxby Memorial Hall, York

We’ve a good-sized orchestra for this event but there is plenty of room for lots more players in all sections. This is the 2nd to last study day so don’t miss out . . . come and have a go at a great work. And don’t forget that you can have a deliciously filling fund-raising lunch for just £5 too.

Half term happenings . . .

This year the February half term is staggered over two weeks but some of our groups are meeting during the holiday. If you’re orchestra isn’t meeting, why not go and play with a different one for a change. It would be lovely for our new York orchestra to meet some of our regular players from other groups. And you’d get to play in their super new venue, The Steiner School.

Cobweb Orchestras meeting during Cumbria’s half term:

Monday 11th Feb Teesside

Monday 11th Feb Dalston (rehearsing Schumann 3 for Carlisle concert, 23/2)

Tuesday 12th Feb Morpeth

Wednesday 13th Feb The Sage Gateshead

Wednesday 13th Feb Spennymoor

Wednesday 13th Feb York

Thursday 14th Feb Consett (rehearsing Bruch with Iona for Carlisle concert)

Cobweb Orchestras meeting during York, Durham and Northumberland’s half term:

Tuesday 19th Feb Tebay (rehearsing Schumann 3 for Carlisle concert)

Wednesday 20th Feb Spennymoor

Wednesday 20th Feb York

A New Event . . .

. . . has been added to the calendar. On Sunday 17th March there will be a study day at Storey Park Community Centre, Morpeth, 11am – 4pm. We will be working on Richard Payne’s Saxophone Concerto and Andy Jackson’s symphony “The Dance to the Music of Time”. The super saxophonist Steph Legge will be joining us to play the concerto, with Andy conducting that and his own piece.

More information and an enrolment form will be available shortly.

Happy music-ing everyone.

Sue