Committee minutes Sept 2008

No.

Item

Action

1

Apologies for absence:

Christine Drury (CD) – Friends Secretary
Jeremy Finlay (JF) – Sponsorship Officer
Frances Rotchell (FR) – Ticket Secretary
Chris Ludwig (CL) - Concert Manager
 

2

Committee Membership:

KM and DS clarified the distinctions between being a member of the Committee and being a trustee. 

KM stated that KaM had volunteered to take on the post of Publicity Officer and Chris Ludwig to take on Concert Manager. Both would attend committee meetings when possible but do not necessarily need to be formally appointed to the Committee.
 

3

Minutes of previous meeting:

The minutes were signed as a true record.
 

4

Matters arising:

There were no matters arising.
 

5

Finances – Treasurer’s report:  

DS presented a summary budget for 2008/09.

The summary budget assumed that box office income would revert to that of previous years.  It also assumed sponsorship of the piano at the New Year’s Day concert and a grant for the Children’s Concert.
 

7

Grants - status:

JR stated that he had not heard anything from the Arts Council but he would provide further information when he had it.  He would enquire whether SASO could obtain the final £1,000 that was due from the Arts Council.

DS reported that SASO had received a grant from St Albans District Council in relation to the Children’s Concert.  TD agreed to enquire whether St Albans District Council would prefer to have the grant application earlier in the year.

JR

TD

8

Arrangements for the 18 October 2008 concert:

KM confirmed that staging would be obtained from Homewood Road and there would be two extra timpani from Welwyn. 

It was agreed that JR would prepare programme notes for the concert.  RP agreed to ask Chris Crawley to provide programme notes in relation to his piece.

DU agreed to contact Classical Music Magazine.  This was because they printed details of premieres for free.  DU confirmed that Classic FM were informed of SASO concerts as a matter of course.

The second violins would organise the after-concert party, as they did not do so for the last concert.  TD agreed to let them know.  It was further agreed that the after-concert party would take place in the Church rather than in the Church Hall.  This was to encourage interaction between the audience and the Orchestra.

JR

RP

DU

TD

9

Arrangements for the 2009 New Year’s Day concert:

JW stated that she was still enquiring about a pianist for the concert.  She confirmed that she would have an answer by the end of September.

KM confirmed that posters and flyers for the New Year’s Day concert should be available at the 18 October 2008 concert.

DU agreed to contact Brooklands Pianos in relation to possible sponsorship of the Grand Piano for the New Year’s Day concert.  JW stated that she would contact Britannia Music in relation to sponsorship.

JR

RP

DU

10

Sponsorship, publicity and press relations: 

KM reported  JF was continuing his efforts with St Albans Chamber of Commerce. 

KM stated that he would email the SASO members in relation to arrangements relating to the distribution of posters and flyers.  It was agreed that KM would suggest specific poster locations to individual SASO members.

 DU stated that he would continue to consider publicity opportunities.

 RP agreed to consider opportunities relating to Sibelius.  RP also agreed to contact Chris Crawley in relation to his website.

 KaM agreed to investigate the possibility of promotional pencils for SASO.

SASO poster design would be refreshed and KaM would sound-out designers. It was further agreed that updating the SASO website would be considered at a later date.
 

KM

DU

RP

 KaM

11

Increasing our audiences:

The Committee considered proposals in relation to increasing audiences.  It was agreed that: 

• Members of the audience at the New Year’s Day concert would be asked to fill in a Survey Form explaining where they had heard of SASO and the concert.  This would be used to consider further publicity opportunities.
• Ticket prices for concerts subsequent to the New Year’s Day concert would be discounted for a period following the New Year’s Day concert for those applying via the Survey Form..
• Letters would be written to the Heads of Music at local schools.  KM, TD and KaM would draft a letter, which JW would review.
• A similar approach would be made to the University of Hertfordshire.
• SASO may hold an open rehearsal for local schools.
• If SASO members did not take up all of the soloist places for the Concerto evening by February, then the places could be offered to local pupils/students.

KM/TD/

12

Any other business:  

The Committee agreed that the approved minutes of Committee meetings (with appropriate provision for confidential information) would be put onto the SASO website, available to all members. 

JW reported that Alan Millard was retiring from SASO.  It was agreed that SASO invite Alan and Marianne Millard to become Life Friends of SASO.  KM agreed to write to Mr Millard in this regard.   

The Committee considered points raised by Mike Brien.  The Committee thanked Mr Brien for his suggestions.  In light of the discussion arising out of the points, it was agreed that: 

• There would be no change to the date of the financial year end and AGM. Moving the financial year end would mean the financial year no longer coincided with the concert season, causing additional difficulties for budgeting, in that part of the programme for any financial year would be confirmed and announced to the public before the full financial impact of the plans for any given financial year could be evaluated. Decisions in relation to the following season began to be made early in the previous season.  As such, moving the AGM to earlier in the summer would have only marginal impact on the planning for the following season’s programme.  The programme would, however, be discussed with SASO members once proposals were in place (see Item 12).  
• DS would continue to update the Committee in relation to SASO’s finances.  DS also stated that the trustees had the flexibility to transfer the designated reserves back to the general reserves should they choose to do so. As two of the events for which the reserve was originally set aside had either taken place without recourse to use of the reserves or was now unlikely to happen, this was not necessarily an imprudent course of action.
• The New Music Day would be discussed with SASO members as part of consideration of the following season’s programme (see item 12). Funding from the Arts Council was specifically in relation to the New Music Day and it was not possible to reallocate that funding.  
• Additional rehearsal time (eg full day sectionals) would be considered.  However, it was believed that SASO members would have difficulties with additional time commitments.
• RP would consider possible options for a celeste.
• Departing members are informally interviewed by KM for feedback on SASO, this will continue.

KM

 DS

RP

KM

13

Date and venue of next meeting:

It was agreed that the next Committee meeting would take place at 7.30pm on 23 November 2008 at 13 The Park, St Albans.