Dear All
It was "back to BSO" this week and it was just wonderful to see 60+ musicians playing together with new members, returning members and regulars getting stuck into Mussorgsky and Dvorak!
Congratulations to everyone who made it happen, especially our Section Leaders who have worked really hard to field full sections!
Thanks too to Bjorn, who we officially welcomed as the BSO Conductor - plus it was his birthday!
Our new members told me they had enjoyed it - and that they are returning next week! Hurrah!! There was time to play, chat, meet new people and start new pieces. Looking forward to what this season brings for BSO!
At the beginning of the season, there is quite a lot to tell you about, so please be patient with the length of this newsletter! Come the end of September, it will be much quieter, as we get Membership forms processed and everyone knows the ropes.
In this newsletter you have:
- Information about social media and how you can help
- The AGM coming up in October - the online night out/in!!
- Membership subscriptions info from Jo
- BSO rehearsal information, including the repertoire list
- Sinfonia message from Ian about the Choral Society concert
- Young Composers’ Competition info for teachers
- From our friends… what’s on
Here goes…
Social Media and how you can help:
After a little bit of a summer break, I’m back on social media. We now need to warm up the Facebook and Instagram platforms, which takes about 3 weeks, before starting to sell tickets online!
I’m so appreciative of our group of social media followers who consistently interact with me. I would appreciate your continued help this season - please!
A quick reminder on you can help our social media campaigns:
Subscribe to our accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BedfordshireOrchestralSociety/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/beds_orchestral_society/
Then please do the following:
- COMMENT on the posts
- LOVE (not just like!)
- SHARE (onto your page) ideally with a comment
- TALK TO ME - which posts do you/your friends like? Do you have ideas for content?
Everytime somebody shares a post, Facebook thinks that it is something really interesting, and shows it to more people!
Worried about what other people think? Don’t - they’ll have forgotten it within 10 seconds, but the algorithm doesn’t forget and more people will see our concert advertising that will be at full tilt come mid-October.
If you would like to create content for our accounts and get more involved, please do get in touch with me. I would love to have a couple of people on a social media content creating team by half term!
Many thanks!
Ann Collins
Publicity Officer
AGM invitation:
Dear Member,
On behalf of the trustees of BOS, I am pleased to invite you to our Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will be held on:
Date: Thursday 2nd October 2025
Time: 7pm-8pm
Venue/Link: Online on Zoom - click on the link to join https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7044421352?omn=86296418740
At the AGM we will review our activities over the past year, present the annual accounts, and hold elections for trustees/board members. This is also an opportunity for you, as a valued member, to ask questions, share feedback, and help shape the future direction of the charity.
The formal agenda is included below.
AGM minutes from previous year, October 2024, available here: Oct 16 2024 Minutes AGM.docx
The AGM Report is available here for you to read in advance: Bedfordshire Orchestral Society (BOS) – 2025 AGM Report (8).pdf
Similarly, the Treasurer’s Report will be available for you next Monday.
Elections will be held for most Trustee positions.
Currently the following people are standing:
Chair: vacant
Hon. Secretary: Julia Lence
Hon. Treasurer: Jo Ploszajski
BS Rep: Dominic Mills
BS Orchestra Manager: Jane Seiling
BSO Rep/Orchestra Manager: Rachel Wainwright
BSO Rep/Membership Secretary: Vicky Owen
Leaders: (not for election!) Alex Collins, Caroline Waters
Conductors: (not for election!) Ian Smith, Bjorn Bantock
Publicity Officer: Ann Collins
There are other volunteer posts, but these are not up for election. However, if you would like to be involved as a volunteer, do let me know.
If you wish to stand for any of the elected positions, please put your name forward by emailing me by replying to this email. I will also ask at the AGM if there are any further nominations. We are very keen in particular to receive nominations for the Chair position! If you're interested in standing and would like to chat about it, contact me for more details.
If you wish to raise an item under Any Other Business, please submit this in writing to the Hon. Secretary, Julia Lence, by September 21st: [email protected]
Please find the Order of Business below.
We look forward to welcoming you at the meeting.
With best wishes,
Ann Collins
Interim Chair
Bedfordshire Orchestral Society
Order of Business
- Welcome & Introductions – Chair welcomes everyone, confirms quorum.
- Apologies – Secretary notes who couldn’t attend.
- Approval of Minutes of Last AGM – Members approve.
- Chair’s Report – Review of the year.
- Treasurer’s Report & Presentation of Accounts – Questions & approval.
- Appointment of the President of the BOS: Baroness Young of Old Scone
- Appointment of Auditors/Examiners
- Election/Re-election of Trustees/Officers – As per constitution.
- 5 Year Plan Preparation: Idea-gathering Exercise for all Members
Discussion groups: (this may change depending on numbers)
- Sinfonia in 5 years’ time: “the dream” (hopes/expectations)
- BSO in 5 years’ time: “the dream”
- What does “music education” look like for us in 2030 and beyond? (Our key objective in the Constitution)
- Audience and Membership Outreach: how to sell 3000 tickets every season and increase and diversify the profile of our members
- Financial sustainability: what does it look like in 2030 and beyond?
(Members choose one working group to join. Group discussion for 15 minutes and one person from each group feeds back the discussion points.)
- Any Other Business (AOB) – Pre-submitted or approved items.
- Closing Remarks & Thanks – Chair ends the meeting.
Point of information:
You may be interested to know what the Charity Commission defines as “education”, in preparation for our discussion.
Charity law gives a wide meaning to education and does not limit it to education in a classroom environment.
To be a charitable aim for the public benefit, education must be capable of being ‘advanced’. This means to promote, sustain and increase individual and collective knowledge and understanding of specific areas of study, skills and expertise.
Today, education includes:
· formal education
· community education
· physical education and development of young people
· training (including vocational training) and life-long learning
· research and adding to collective knowledge and understanding of specific areas of study and expertise
· the development of individual capabilities, competences, skills and understanding
Bedfordshire Orchestral Society Membership Subscription
Hello again everyone from the accounts department!
Thank you so much to BSO players who have paid their subscriptions already and a heartfelt thank you to those people who only play in Sinfonia who have generously made a contribution to the Society.
For BSO players, thank you too to those who have already returned their membership forms and to those who haven’t yet, please complete and return the membership forms to me or Vicky during the Wednesday rehearsals.
For Sinfonia only string players who have made a contribution to the Society, forms will be available at the Arnold rehearsals and for other instrument players please email me and I will send a form via email. [email protected]
Lastly, for those who haven’t yet paid, just another reminder about how to pay your subscription:
For the 25-26 season, the membership subscription to the Society is £165 or £55 for under 19’s. Please pay subscriptions by bank transfer if possible, otherwise by cheque (BOS bank details below and on the Membership form).
Please consider adding an optional extra donation of £10 to your subscription if you can, to help us to rebuild our reserves to the amount required by the BOS constitution.
The Committee would be most grateful if all membership subscriptions could be paid by the end of September 2025. If you would like a receipt, please email me. Thank you in advance.
For the 25-26 season, players who only play in Sinfonia are invited to make a voluntary contribution to the Society. Please complete a membership form when you do so, so that we can collect Gift Aid on your contribution.
If you have any difficulties regarding payments, please contact me at [email protected] or have a word with me or another Committee member at rehearsals.
Thank you all very much once again.
Jo Ploszajski (BOS Hon Treasurer)
Please make payments to:-
Bedfordshire Orchestral Society
CAF Bank
Sort Code 40-52-40
Acc.No. 00000814
Payment reference: [Surname]Subs25-26
BSO Information:
Rehearsal: Wednesday 17th September
Time: 7.30pm - be seated by 7.25pm
Finish: 9.30pm
Venue: Bedford Greenacre Independent School, Manton Lane
Officially, our booking at BGI starts at 7.15pm, and whilst it’s great to have people getting set up in time, please do not come too early! School events may still be in progress in the Hall and we’re not covered by our booking contract, should anything happen, and we may be charged extra. Thank you!
Similarly, the security guard has warned me that if we’re not a bit quicker to leave, we will be charged extra! I know I’m the worst offender for chatting at the end!! So please put your own chair away at the end of the rehearsal and then move outside for any further chats, so that we can all leave the building before 9.45pm - and push me out too! Thanks!
Please note that a register will be available for everyone to sign as they arrive at Reception. Rachel Wainwright, our BSO Orchestra Manager, has the register during rehearsals, should you/we need it.
Please remember to bring your own stands and a cup for your tea/coffee.
Bjorn is not available this week and has asked Chris Ridley to stand in for him.
Repertoire for this week:
Dvorak 1 and 2
Break (trombones can leave, if they wish)
Dvorak 3
Orchestra Layout in the Hall: after discussion with Bjorn, we have decided to turn the orchestra by 180 degrees so that double basses and cellos have more space to get set up and for their cases to be placed in front of the mirrors on the far wall. (This is how we rehearsed in the summer term when the sunset was too bright!)
Now that we are a much bigger group, using much more space, it is really important that instrument cases do not cause a hazard. Please do whatever you can to put them out of the way.
Please pay special attention to the floor area from the main stairs into the hall, the lift into the hall and past the kitchen and through the fire escape onto the terrace. These areas must be kept clear at all times.
The tiered area is a great place to leave smaller instrument cases and coats.
With many thanks for your cooperation, especially those who have large instruments. It’s much appreciated. Let us know if you can see ways of making it easier!
Message from Rachel, BSO Orchestra Manager
I would love to hear from any orchestra member, old or new, who would be happy to give me a hand with our weekly half-time refreshments. If so, please come and say hello on Wednesday or reply to me: [email protected]
Many thanks.
Rachel
Refreshments: thanks in advance to Jane Thomas who is setting up the refreshments for us this week.
Sinfonia Information:
Message from Ian:
Choral Society concert in November: please note there has been a small change in programme. The following will be included Mendelssohn, Hebrides Overture uses no extra players. The scoring is :
2, 2, 2, 2: 2, 2, 0, 0: T: Strings
It just means the clarinets play in 2 pieces not just 1. This replaces the Vaughan Williams Folk Song Suite.
A reminder about the Young Composers’ Competition May 2026: entries can now be submitted!
FB link to the post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AgSCmff8i/?mibextid=wwXIfr
If you’re a teacher or a music student, take a look and share!
Have a wonderful week!
Hit reply to reply to me or email: [email protected]
With best wishes
Ann Collins
Interim Chair
From our friends:
A wonderful opportunity to hear Gramophone Award nominated star Charlie Lovell-Jones playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Bedford players and audiences will remember him from his stunning performance of the Britten Concerto earlier this year.
The concert is in aid of the Milton Keynes Cancer Centre, where conductor Catherine Rose was treated during 2022. It includes Rossini’s Overture the Italian Girl in Algiers and Haydn’s Symphony No 92 (The Oxford).
Date: Saturday 4th October at 7.20 pm
Venue: Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes
Tickets: £15 from www.stantonburytheatre.co.uk
0 comments