## **Community Music Whickham and Swalwell CIO Registered Charity Number 1162027** ## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the year 31st March 2024** The trustees are pleased to present this report of Community Music Whickham and Swalwell (referenced hereafter as CMWS) which was registered as a charity on 05/06/2015. The registered office is 3 Washingwell Park, Whickham, Tyne & Wear NE16 4QW. CMWS was formed by a group of people from the local community who wanted to promote and inspire standards of excellence in music, aid fulfilment of personal aspirations and enjoyment in making music and promote performances so that the local population could benefit from these activities. ## **Trustees** Lynne Bloxham. Chair Daniel Binns. IT adviser Jennifer Boynton. Safeguarding and Vice Chair Alan McBurnie. Treasurer. Anne Lindsley. Secretary. David Megginson. Membership lead. Brian Stoneman. Policy Advisor Amy Tate. Coordinator of volunteers John Treherne. Artistic Director ## **Governance and Management** The governing document is the Community Music Whickham and Swalwell CIO Constitution which was adopted by the Trustees on 17/05/2015 and which became recognised by the Charity Commission when the CIO was registered on 05/06/2015. All Trustees were briefed on the role of Trustees of CMWS, given copies of the governing documents of the organisation and referred to the detail on the Charity Commission website related to becoming a trustee and to the guidance on public benefit. The Trustees hold regular, usually monthly meetings throughout the year. Some operational/ planning details were delegated to sub committees made up of Trustees. All meetings are minuted. The Trustees work entirely on a voluntary basis. There is one service provider who is tutor/conductor of the Community Orchestra. Their work is covered by a Service Level Agreement which includes clauses about quality and assessment. The other tutors are Trustees who work on a voluntary basis. CMWS has an honorary partnership with our two local churches, St Mary The Virgin Whickham and Holy Trinity Church Swalwell. ## **Objectives** The objective of the CIO CMWS: _making, by the provision of tuition, materials, performance opportunities, public concerts, lectures and recitals._ CMWS aims to encourage performance opportunities for musicians of all ages and capabilities. Our diary of events has increased in number and variety. This is thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of the Trustees. ## **Over the twelve months since the last report, CMWS has supported the following activities.** Continuation of theory classes remotely. Performance assessments - similar to examinations to assess the progress of individual students online or in person depending on the preference of the candidate. These assessments provide markers of quality and progress. Weekly rehearsals of handbell group Bells Up during term time. Weekly rehearsals during term time for the Community Orchestra in preparation for concerts and other events. For each of these ensembles CMWS provides rehearsal space, tuition and sheet music. Everyone is welcome to join one or all of these groups without discrimination and no audition is required. We have continued to maintain an emphasis on providing performance experience and materials i.e. instruments in good repair for the participants to play We lend instruments to students and make no charge for this but ask the user of the instrument or parent or guardian to insure any instrument so loaned. ## **CMWS has arranged and supported the following events /performances during the period of this report** To celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III an event was arranged for the community. A talk by our Artistic Director about local composer William Shield was followed by afternoon tea. This event on 8/5/23 was a great success. On 27/5/23, several of our Trustees attended a local heritage event to support the Land of Oak and Iron. A display with information about the Charity and local composer William Shield was set up for the public to view. The Community Orchestra performed a Summer Concert on Monday 17th July. This was enjoyed by a large and supportive audience. The music was mostly Music from the Movies. Bells Up played at St Mary’s Whickham Church Fayre and 3 other coffee morning events during the year. The Community Orchestra and Bells up played at 2 local Church Carol Services. The William Shield Festival took place between October 10th and November 18th 2023. All tickets were £10 or less and under 21’s were admitted free of charge. ## 10/10/23 Great Hall, Sutherland Building, Ellison Place Northumbria University NE1 8ST Nearest Metro: Haymarket. John Treherne MBE, an early keyboard specialist, introduced a wide range of keyboard music with some links to William Shield. He was joined by violinist Iona Brown in a varied programme which included music by J. S. Bach and Louis Couperin. 13/10/23 Lit and Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1SE Nearest Metro: Central Station Adam Johnson, piano and Corneliuys Lewenberg, baritone performed Schubert’s song cycle ‘Winterreise Schubert and William Shield both died in 1828. Though they never met, both composers had a great gift for melody and pathos. Winterreise is one of Schubert's masterpieces. ## 13/10/23 Lit and Phil. Vox Populi made a welcome return. This outstanding young professional choir has developed a reputation for performing with skill and sensitivity. Vox Populi's programme for the Festival was for small consort. It explored the relationship between music, text and the ethereal. The choir combined poetry readings and choral works spanning from the Renaissance to the contemporary, contemplating the spiritual and otherworldly themes of sleep and dreams, the night, and the galaxies. ## 14/10/23 Lit and Phil ## From Shield to Cole Porter Had William Shield lived in the 20 th Century he would very likely have created songs suitable for cabaret! Some of his best loved songs, such as The Wolf and Arethusa contrasted here with cabaret numbers by Cole Porter and other 20 th century song writers. The artists were soprano Colette Boushell, Charles Luxford, baritone, and John Treherne MBE piano. ## 14/10/23 Lit and Phil Gordon Dixon, cellist with Laura Oldfield, contralto and John Treherne MBE, harpsichord performed music by Vivaldi and other great baroque composers. Gordon, virtuoso cellist and artistic director of the Avison Ensemble, has performed in all William Shield Festivals, and Laura made her first appearance. A graduate from Newcastle University, Laura was awarded the degree of MMus last year. Her programme included compositions by Vivaldi and Frescobaldi as well as alto solos from some of the greatest works by J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel. ## 14/10/23 Lit and Phil Dr Amelie Addison. Talk: Shield as learner and teacher. Amelie was born in Swalwell, near the birthplace of William Shield, and she had just been awarded the degree of PhD for her research into the music of Shield by Leeds University. We were delighted to welcome her back to the Festival. 14/10/23 Lit and Phil. ## Schlusskonzert Singers and instrumentalists of any experience were invited to contribute to this concert. Music of any genre and period was welcome. 17/11/23 Jesmond United Reform Church. Jesmond Newcastle. 18/11/23 Swalwell Community Centre. Swalwell. William Shield: Comic Opera The Woodman This was the first modern performance in the UK of Shield's operatic masterpiece of 1791. Composed in the same year as Mozart's Magic Flute, this work had been specially arranged by John Treherne. Rocket Opera, directed by Austin Gunn provided the soloists and the William Shield Chamber Orchestra was led by Bradley Creswick. The Festival took part in various venues in Newcastle upon Tyne, with easy access for all. There were more than 260 beneficiaries. The concert ticket prices were very reasonable and all events were free to those under 21 The events which CMWS supported over the year have fulfilled the objectives of the charity. They enabled performance opportunities for young professionals and amateur music makers alike. Also the variety of events served to educate the public. Our artistic director is a Trustee and all his performances were done on an entirely voluntary basis. ## **Financial Review** During the year CMWS has continued to support the ensembles and purchased sheet music and repaired instruments for anyone who wishes to borrow one without charge thus supporting the objectives of the charity We have a fixed set of charges for membership of the ensembles which are publicised on our website. These charges are reviewed annually. In September 2019 we introduced a new set of charges to allow for discounts for family members. These have not been increased. Ideally we would like to attract enough funding to provide all our services without charge. ## **Plans for next year** We aim to continue to attract more participants to all our ensembles. This would enable growth of CMWS and will also enhance the health and well-being of our local community by taking part in music making. We will continue to participate in local events and support other charities in the area with our concerts, talks and recitals. In addition, we plan to deliver another William Shield Festival to a public which now has high expectations of performances. We plan to resurrect more of Shields's work, another opera which has not been performed for many years. This will take place in October 2024 subject to funding. These plans are to ensure that we continue to provide ease of participation in events and concerts and a high quality of experience and performance for all those taking part and their audience, the public, thus fulfilling our charitable aims. Lynne Bloxham ( Chair) cornm￿ Idu$lc Ilhkkh*m & SW41*￿1 Ymr to D•t• 4 ￿.[<1 Athnin Cc•iol811•• 141.20 M•tk 1.250.5CI T¢ial Exwr• Not Prnfft