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August 2018 www.iomso.co.uk

A Message from Maurice.

Concert Dates for your Diaries.

SymphonyISLE OF MAN

ORCHESTRA

NEWSLETTER

Happy Holidays!!Greetings to all Members and Friends. I’m sure you’re all enjoying a well-deserved summer break. The weather has been kind to us this year! But don’t get too relaxed – before you know it, September will be upon us, bringing our first rehearsal of the new season on the 5th. Read on for more details.

Saturday 10th November : Royal British Legion Concert : Villa Marina : 7:30 Sunday 2nd December : Gala Concert : Villa Marina : 2:30 Saturday 26th January 2019 : Ramsey Choral Concert : St.Pauls, Ramsey : 7:30 Saturday 23rd March : Spring Concert : Venue t.b.a. Sunday 7th April : Concert with IOMCS : Villa Marina : 2:30 (See page 2 for rehearsal dates) !

A very few words this time, as I have just returned from the umpteenth performance of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (crudely re-named by some wags in the band) at the Gaiety Theatre and its hot, stuffy, dusty and incredibly cramped orchestral pit, with my ears assaulted by the pumped-up, artificial sound of the miked-up cast and band. The good news is that baffles placed in front of the drums and percussion do make a difference, but that headphones and occasional ear-plugs so distort one’s own sound in one’s own head, as it were, that such refinements as tuning and pitching become a game of chance. Never mind. Full houses thus far, and the audiences loved it! As shows go, musically it’s so-so. Lots of cheery ensembles and a few creepy moments. I’ve no idea what’s going on on stage, as I can’t actually see so much as a steam punk’s pointy-toed boot from where I’m sitting, but it sounds like a riot most of the time! Soon we shall be returning to the comparatively sane world of Dvořák and Schumann as we begin to rehearse for our Villa Marina concert in December. There will be challenges-a-plenty, but no impossible technical demands, and huge rewards for us all. Regretfully, we have to postpone the Britten Serenade for a future concert, as the tenor will be indisposed following a deferred operation. We wish him well, and look forward to collaborating in the not too distant future. I am toying with the idea of substituting the

prelude to Tristan and Isolde, which will make a fine concert opening, and uses all of our forces. Charles Guard’s whimsical take on the life and adventures of St. Maughold is now ready for us to start rehearsing, and the Schumann Konzertstück for four horns will complete the first half of the programme. The main work is of course Dvořák’s symphony From the New World, a wonderful piece which we probably all think we know well, but which reveals its secrets and glories reluctantly.

Maurice

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Look out for updates in future Newsletters, on our website and facebook page!!

Gala Concert 2018

This year’s Gala Concert takes place in the Villa Marina on Sunday, 2nd December at 2.30. Wagner’s Prelude to Tristan and Isolde should provide an emotionally-charged concert opener, and will be followed by the world première of The Legend of St. Maughold composed by Charles Guard, our Patron, who will also be narrator in the piece. Schumann’s Konzertstück for 4 Horns and orchestra demands not one soloist, but 4 very accomplished horn-players. No doubt this will be unfamiliar to most people, but I’m sure it will prove a most rewarding discovery. The final work in the programme is Dvořák’s Symphony no. 9 : ‘From the New World’. A firm favourite the world over, this will surely be met with enthusiasm by orchestra and audience alike! Watch out for further details about tickets, and put the date in your diary immediately - it’s not one to miss!

Remembrance Day 2018

Programme Adverts!If you know of anyone who would be interested in taking advertising space in the programme for our Gala Concert in December, please let me know. (jw-iomso@wm.im) The programme will be A4 size and full colour throughout. Costs are : full page £200, half page £100, quarter page £50. I will need advertising copy by end of October.

To commemorate the centenary of the end of World War 1, a special concert is being held in the Villa Marina on Saturday,10th November at 7.30. IOMSO will provide the first half of the concert with pieces such as Butterworth’s ‘Banks of Green Willow’ , It’s a Long Way to Tipperary (with soloist Mandy Griffin) and Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’.

Rehearsal Schedule 2018 Sept 5th,12th,9th,26th : St.Johns : 7:30 Oct 3rd,10th,17th,24th : St.Johns : 7:30 * Oct 31st : NO REHEARSAL : Half Term * Nov 7th,14th,21st,28th : St.Johns : 7:30 Saturday Dec 1st : St.Johns : 2pm (t.b.c.) Sunday Dec 2nd: Villa Marina : 10:00 (Concert :2:30 ) Dec 5th : St.Johns : 7:30 : with AGM at 9 !

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!!I used to find that the seasons ebbed and flowed in terms of their level of busy-ness. Perhaps, like me, you find these days that there is little respite, but that a change really is as good as a rest? I do hope that everyone is finding opportunity for both variety and rest during the unusual summer that we are experiencing here and abroad. For me and for Maurice, this includes playing for two weeks in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Taylorian. Great fun, very good for the stamina and ensemble playing; and certainly a change! !As we reflect on an enjoyable and successful season, with many highlights, we can look forward with confidence to the season ahead. We are privileged to be able to support the Royal British Legion concert at the Villa on November 10th marking the centenary of the end of the First World War and to follow that with our usual season of concerts. Two particular highlights for me will be the opportunity to perform Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 and in the same concert the premier of Charles Guard’s ‘Legend of St. Maughold’, narrated by the composer. !You may be interested to look at the ‘Making Music’ website again. We became members in October 2015, benefitting from their comprehensive insurance policy for orchestra equipment, public liability etc; and from free access to all the shared resources that Making Music curate. You can find the site at https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/. The website has developed to include a much wider range of articles and resources, and you can request email updates if you wish. !Our much appreciated committee members continue to work behind the scenes in the summer, amongst other things writing newsletters, updating resources, checking catalogues and library stock, preparing scores, booking guest players, booking rehearsal and performance spaces and keeping our accounts in order. A special thank you to Libby McIntosh, who continues to maintain and develop our website so well; and to Chris Sullivan for doing the same with our social media outreach. !Enjoy the rest of the summer break and we all look forward to making more good music together starting on Wednesday 5th September at St John’s School. Our AGM will be on 5th December.

Chairman’s Column

Subscription Reminder! It’s that time of year again, when you will shortly be asked for money. Members of IOMSO will be asked for their annual membership subscription in September, so please be prepared to pay Paula at rehearsal or direct into IOMSO’s bank account. Friends of IOMSO (to whom we are extremely grateful) should very soon receive a reminder from Paula about renewal of annual subscriptions.

Andrew

Produced on Apple Macbook Pro by Janet Warburton PAGE 3