Dear All
Many thanks to all those BS members who have already completed the survey. If you haven’t received it, please email me so I can make sure you do. It will stay open until midnight on Sunday 8th February to give everyone a chance to have their say.
It was great to hear the BSO rehearsal start so well last week - I know the next concert is going to be fantastic!
As you may know, after leading BSO for 22 years, Caroline Waters will be stepping down in May so that she can pursue other hobbies and musical activities and to spend time with her family. Caroline has been a fabulous leader and has given BSO a year’s notice, which has enabled the committee to start a thorough process to appoint a new leader. Members of the orchestra from each section have been involved in that process, along with Bjorn, and two candidates will be moving to the next stage.
Each of them will lead a rehearsal, one on 18th and one on 25th March, with Caroline co-leading. The following week (1st April), each of them will lead a string sectional for half the rehearsal. After that, feedback will be sought from all members of the orchestra and the committee will make a decision on who to appoint as a leader for 12 months.
If you have any comments or questions on this, please email me. In the meantime, I know all of you will wish Caroline a long and happy retirement from leading BSO!
Karen x
Karen Mason
Chair
To reply: [email protected]
BSO Information:
Rehearsals: Wednesday 4th Feb, 7.30-9.30pm at BGI
Message from Bjorn: Thank you for last week’s rehearsal! Next week we will rehearse the Overture, last Mvt. Brahms and the Sibelius.
Sinfonia Information:
Click to read a fabulous review of the recent Sinfonia concert written by Elias Demetrius-Louisy, one of our BOS Youth Ambassadors: https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/review-bedford-sinfonia-stuns-with-all-female-programme/
Huge congratulations and thanks to Elias who took copious notes during the concert and interviewed members of the audience before writing up a fabulous article.
How lucky we are to have not only talented but also generous youngsters who support BOS! Our musical future is in safe hands!
Message from Ann for Publicity:
Congratulations and thanks to you all for your continued efforts to publicise and sell tickets for our concerts. You're doing a great job!
Our success is not going unnoticed with other local music organisations now coming to us and asking how we are filling out our venues. I tell them that we have learn that there seem to be three keys to success at the moment:
- YOU who are our secret weapon: our incredible sales team consisting of all our BOS members!
- People come to see YOU play. They can click on YouTube and hear almost any orchestra in the world, but they choose to come (and pay!) to see you play, because live music played by our friends and families. A member of the audience on Saturday last week told me as I made her coffee that, “I love this community!” The longer I do this job, the more I learn that making music is so much more than playing the right notes (although I’d like to manage that too!!).
- We’re not in competition. The more high quality concerts there are in the town and region, the better for us all. Bedford is already a centre of great classical music - we all benefit from promoting each others’ concerts, events and opportunities and so build the reputation of being a hub of excellence. Targeting people who are already going to concerts is the best way to fill seats.
Young Composers Competition: the deadline for entries is coming up on Feb 16th!
Open Rehearsal for GCSE students Wednesday Feb 11th: OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - only 30 places available
For more info and bookings or give me a call: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/nlbalbgzayxj
This event is FREE to teachers with their GCSE Music students. Please note that teachers are responsible for their students at ALL times. BOS is unable to take any responsibility for them. All students must be accompanied by their teacher at all times.
BSO concert: ticket sales update
Tickets are selling pretty well. We still have 320 to sell, but we can do it!
4 weeks to go: our target is to sell 80 each week
Get your Terry's Chocolate Orange with every 10 tickets sold!
Flyers and posters will be available for you to take on Wednesday at the rehearsal. Our best strategy seems to be to flyer drop at other local classical concerts. Please take flyers and hand them out and invite people personally.
The personal touch makes all the difference!
Best wishes
Ann
PS to reply to me: [email protected]
From our Friends:
Bedford Charity Concert: this Saturday in aid of Emmaus Village, Carlton
There are less than 30 tickets left, so hurry! Fabulous programme including a Concerto for Birds and a piece for choir about being in a Sauna!
London Mozart Players performing in Woburn Bedfordshire.
All proceeds to local homeless charity: Unity MK
Join us this Valentine’s evening and experience the world class London Mozart Players live in concert.
Renowned as one of the UK’s finest chamber orchestras, they will be joined by violinists Cristian de Sá and Emily Sun in the stunning setting of St Mary’s Church in Woburn.
All proceeds from this concert will be given to local homeless charity UnityMK.
The programme promises to delight all classical music lovers with a diverse selection of pieces.
Enjoy baroque favourites including Bach’s Violin Concertos all for a very meaningful cause.
Ticket price Adults £15 ( including a glass of wine) Children £5 ( including a soft drink)
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