What a busy few months it’s been. We’ve given 13 awards for 2019, run two chamber music coaching weekends and held our AGM and concert. I have filed our annual return with the Charities Services and applied to TG Macarthy Trust for coaching funds in 2020. Next we have our July concert coming up. Phew!
The Sound of Wellington Youth Music will take place on Sunday 28 July at 3 pm at St Andrew’s on The Terrace. Please share the downloadable flyer and do come with a friend/s. Click HERE to download the PDF file.
We have another fantastic programme lined up featuring Wellington College Chorale (finalists in the Big Sing), Stringendo Orchestra and four terrific ensembles (all participated in our coaching weekends during May). They are Sixteen Strings, Rerekē, The Evensong Trio and Schickele. Sixteen Strings and Rerekē are semi-finalists in the National Chamber Music Contest, Sixteen Strings having won the regional contest. The Evensong Trio and Schickele are from Kapiti College.
St Andrew’s on the Terrace offers us the venue pro bono for this concert and we are grateful for their support, as we are for the grant from the Mokoia Masonic Perpetual Trust which goes towards this concert.
The year so far In April we gave awards to two groups and 11 students to a total value of $3,500. We worked hard at redesigning the application form and the panel felt they had better information available for their decision-making. Details are on our website: http://www.musicfutures.org.nz/
Our two coaching chamber music weekends in Wellington and Kapiti were a great success again this year, with a record 73 students registering (in a total of 21 groups). Thanks to Donald Maurice and Chris van de Zee for curating those weekends and also to Charlie Strivens and Juliet Kennedy for helping me with catering. Our tutors were drawn from the New Zealand School of Music, NZSO, Orchestra Wellington and New Zealand String Quartet. It was rewarding to watch the students blossom under their tutelage.
A huge thanks to those members who attended our AGM and concert at Kelburn School in May. The student performances were an absolute delight, with items from the school choir, Lyrica, the school orchestra, the xylophone orchestra and some stunning recorder ensembles. What a fantastic programme of music Kelburn School offers its students. Congratulations to Charles Bisley for his leadership in this area. Thanks are due to Donald Maurice, Jane Curry and Inbal Megiddo for their performance too.
The AGM elected the committee for another 12 months with two changes: we farewelled Chris van der Zee, who will stay involved as one of our Consultants, and welcomed Larry Reese. Larry will be known to many of you Section Principal, Timpani for NZSO. Members are as follows:
Lynne Dovey, Chair Juliet Kennedy, Secretary Annette Lendrum, Treasurer Donald Maurice Brigid O’Meeghan Simon Brew Larry Reese
The committee was delighted to acknowledge the contribution of Valerie Rhodes as Founding Chairperson of Music Futures, by making her a life member and presenting her with a certificate.
We also recorded a heartfelt vote of thanks at the AGM to Rex Benson, our former Treasurer, who sadly passed away on 7 June. I visited Rex before he died and presented him with a rhododendron for the garden, about which he was delighted. His wife Judith is a keen gardener and Rex greatly enjoyed the garden. We will miss him greatly.
Membership renewal If you are on our mailing list you have probably renewed your membership for 2019 or made a donation. Thank you. But if you haven’t, it is not too late. We really rely on your membership fees and your donations to help fund our activities. If you make a donation over and above your membership fee, you can claim a third back on donations from IRD as we are a registered charitable organisation.
You can pay your subscription of $20 per person direct into our bank account by internet transfer or send a cheque to Annette Lendrum, our Treasurer, at P O Box 11364, Wellington 6142. Don’t forget to provide us with your name if making an internet payment. Our account name is Music Futures Inc. Our account number is: 38 9012 0747102 00.
Next event The annual Young Musicians Programme hosted by NZSM is planned for Saturday 21 September starting at 1:30 pm at St Andrew’s on The Terrace. Music Futures will again pay for the venue hire. Meanwhile, see you on 28 July, 3 pm and thanks again for your support.
