Chair’s Report 20/10/09

A lot has happened this year – if I’ve started my report this way in previous years then forgive me, but a lot really has happened this year! I believe that we have continued to play to a high standard and our audiences are slowly but surely getting larger and ever more loyal and enthusiastic. Someone mentioned a real “buzz” at our last concert. (I’m sure it wasn’t just the bees.) We had a wonderful programme, and it included the first performance of the winning piece in our new Young Composer Award. The young composer himself was there and so were his friends – of course we were buzzing!

But that concert came at the end of a year of major developments. It was this time last year that we had just announced that we had been awarded a grant from Making Music – now Lindsay is “part of the furniture”. Out of umpteen applicants for the post of assistant conductor the committee chose three to audition and be interviewed. Lindsay Ryan was the clear winner and has become part of us; not just with her confident conducting, but also with her horn playing, and she even got us playing “off-site” in our first outreach project. In fact everything we were hoping for for this new role we have been fortunate enough to find first time round.

So it’s certainly been a year of growth for the DSO. We’ve gone being from being a fairly regular amateur orchestra, rehearsing in a run down church hall to one with an assistant conductor, with an annual young composer competition, an outreach programme and a brand new rehearsal venue. We’re not just looking outside the box - we’re climbing out of it.

Very sadly we lost one of our longer serving members, Philip McKenna, who died in March. He was one of the most reliable members of the viola section, a past member of the committee, who never let things come between him and the DSO concerts in over 24 years. Now we thank his partner Michael for a large donation that will ensure the continuation of the Young Composer Award for many years to come, and will also fund our outreach in local schools.

We can also celebrate our brilliant website which not only advertises our concerts but also attracts new members, has bowed string parts, rehearsal schedules and is also a place for members to publicise their other musical activities. Its Amazon link raises income of over £100 per year.

Our move here to the Elmgreen school came about because a member of our orchestra heard a school was being built behind his house, didn’t object to this - like some of his neighbours - but took an interest and became a community governor. The rest, as they say, is history, but it’s a reminder that this is a members orchestra.

The committee, to which you give tact agreement, is here to sustain this thriving and enthusiastic organisation. But don’t be silent; please make your views and suggestions known to those of us on the committee. However, being a committee member doesn’t mean that we’ve signed up for all the jobs - so please, let’s all look out for those small tasks that we could help with. 

This coming year we have adventurous programming, great soloists and are looking forward to our 60^th anniversary November 2010.