Where do I find amateur classical musicians?

[Globaltruth]

Our village fete/festival has just finished - it's my first year on the committee, so it has been a learning experience.

One of the conclusions that has been reached is that we definitely need to broaden the music that is played. We have a marquee which was
empty and silent for much of the day, then, once the electric rock n roll people got in there, absolutely mind-shatteringly loud.

We also have use of a rather nice Methodist chapel, which has good acoustics.

So, the idea is a simple one...we would like to fill the gaps with classical music - a string quartet would be ideal, or anything that needs no
amplification or piano; and played by people of at least moderate proficiency.
Although if the Portico or Kronos Quarter want to offer their services for free we will accept.

But where do I find such people? We're are in the Derbyshire Peak district, and, as you may expect, have very little money. We pay most of the
groups travel expenses only, so it makes sense if they don't have to come far.

But can anyone tell me please how I can track some down? Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

This will be for next years festival which will be in June. Not sure of dates yet....




(we're also looking for some local dub bands but that's another story for another thread)

[french frank]

A possible place to start your search: Derby Chamber Music Society. Contact.

[Globaltruth]

A possible place to start your search: Derby Chamber Music Society. Contact.

Thanks FF - you've made that look easy. I'll post back with an update in a while...now where do the local kora players hang out...

[french frank]

Another thought, GT, is to contact one/some of the local secondary schools whose senior orchestras often have very good standards. Nottingham University has a very good music department, and I'm sure there would be some excellent instrumentalists who play in small ensembles.

[gradus]

If Derby has a county music festival - here in Suffolk we have the Suffolk festival - there may well be amateur musicians of some accomplishment competing, who may be very willing to perform for you, to gain ferforming experience. As ff says your area schools with good music reputations may be able to network for you and don't forget the Salvation Army whose bands often include astonishingly gifted and multi-instrunment musicians who may well play as a brass or other instrument group. Similarly, there may be brass bands, or amateur jazz or folk groups. Pubs sometimes host amateur nights - one of our local pubs hosts a blue grass night with a motley selection of players and they make a pretty good sound.
There are plenty of amateur players out there, perhaps lacking the polish of pros but more than capable of entertaining a casual audience or even a paying one, but one sometimes has to ferret them out.
Best of luck with future events.

[David Underdown]

Probably also worth looking at http://www.makingmusic.org.uk to see if there any local affiliated groups

[beakon]

Depending on where you are in the Peak District, you might try the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University's music department. Also the Junior department of the RNCM - soloists and ensembles from this department perform in all sorts of places as it's valuable experience for the gifted youngsters. It has the added bonus that audiences often love to see young people doing something really well. There's Chetham's School of Music too...

[french frank]

Depending on where you are in the Peak District, you might try the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University's music department. Also the Junior department of the RNCM - soloists and ensembles from this department perform in all sorts of places as it's valuable experience for the gifted youngsters. It has the added bonus that audiences often love to see young people doing something really well. There's Chetham's School of Music too...

Oops, yes, sorry - my grasp of the geography of the far north is a bit vague. Manchester, of course, is the obvious place to look, as beakon suggests.

[Globaltruth]

Thanks to everyone for some really useful suggestions and thoughts which I shall explore over the coming months.

It is precisely the festival's aim to provide an opportunity for amateurs to perform.

Just for info, our village has their own brass band and they do perform in various venues at the festival. I know their leader has tried to garner enthusiasm
elsewhere with little success. So I will definitely suggest the Salvation Army, what an excellent idea. Perhaps they could walk and play at the same time, which the current band are unable to do, thus meaning they couldn't take part in the village procession.

Without naming names (quite handy this anonymity at time) the local secondary school, despite having a burgeoning performing arts department has singularly
failed to promote this idea internally in any shape or form despite several contacts with their Head of Music. So we will look further afield.

We are also already quite well served in terms of local folk musicians.

Thanks once again to everyone, I was confident I would receive constructive posts here...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

FF suggested contacting local schools. This can be hit-and-miss. When I taught music in Derbyshire in the 70s & 80s, there was a good county music service that was later shut down. It has since been revived, albeit on a self-employed basis. So it may be rather unpredictable; I no longer have the local knowledge.

[french frank]

FF suggested contacting local schools. This can be hit-and-miss. When I taught music in Derbyshire in the 70s & 80s, there was a good county music service that was later shut down. It has since been revived, albeit on a self-employed basis. So it may be rather unpredictable; I no longer have the local knowledge.

As beakon said, people do enjoy seeing young people play, but GT would need to be clear that he couldn't cope with an 120-piece (all standards) orchestra. I would have thought that only the best players would have developed, say, a string quartet repertoire. And I'm sure school standards (and enthusiasm) vary enormously.

[Andrew Slater]

It would be worth contacting the Stockport Symphony Orchestra, which is largely composed of amateurs and includes some music teachers. They are due to give their final concert of the season this coming Saturday (25th June) at Stockport town hall at 7:30pm. There's usually someone on hand at the back of the hall to answer enquiries during the interval, and the orchestra members stay in the hall. They are due to be conducted on this occasion by one of the principals of the BBC Philharmonic, who I believe also has connections with the Royal Northern College. It could be well worth a visit. Their website is here.

There's also the High Peak Orchestra, again composed of amateurs here.

Also the Buxton Musical Society here.

For strings only, there's the Amaretti Chamber Orchestra, based in Cheadle Hulme, here.

[Globaltruth]

To be clear, our venues available for this are a marquee which can comfortably hold about a dozen people, and an even smaller Methodist Chapel, which has great light and acoustics. We have a pretty good PA system, but I was hoping to avoid the complication of using that, as well as providing a more natural sound and exposing a wide variety of people to music which they never hear - which is why I thought of a string quartet.

Our available funds are also tiny usually running to travel expenses, although we are in a constant state of fundraising.
And, as you know, finding funding for this kind of event is an absolute doddle at the moment.

Thank you Andrew, I will make a note of your suggestions and follow up...

Think I'd better nip back to the World Music board as I feel I am leading myself astray into the world of classical music, you're all so polite and helpful...

And, apropos of nothing, and in case there is anyone out there with any thoughts or suggestions we are also planning to do the same sort of thing with dance - but are more on the ball there, already having contacts into some local dance groups