2009 Annual Report

BEENHAM BAND Report of the Committee for the year ended 31 July 2009
Registered Charity – number 1087848

Committee
Simon Witcomb - Chairman, Ian Hulin – Secretary, Fiona Benjamin - Treasurer, Eleanor Brooks, Lynne Ellis, Jean Rollinson

Librarian - Ann Moore Publicity team - Alyse Ashton, Anne Laney and Trevor Holloway

Conductor
We are very fortunate to have Robert Roscoe as our conductor.

Constitution and object
The band is a registered charity, and its constitution is available to all members. The object of the band is to advance the education of the public by raising the aesthetic taste through the performance of music.

Membership and rehearsals
We have had 42 paying members during the year. We rehearsed every Friday during term time from 7.30pm to 9.45pm in Beenham School Hall.

Sadly, two of our members, Jose Marshall and Jannette MacPherson, died from cancer during the year. They were both enthusiastic long term members of the band, and we miss them.

Finances
A copy of the accounts for the year to 31 July 2009 is attached. The band made a loss of £988. This was partly due to the higher than usual expenditure on new music and higher expenses from concerts. The balance to carry forward to 2009/10 is £1,103. Subscriptions were £85 for the year or £30 per term. Being a charity, we are able to recover income tax on subscriptions.

Music
We are building a library of music pieces written specifically for wind band together with arrangements of popular tunes and marches, music from shows and films, and light classical music. We have now commissioned and performed three pieces composed for us.

Performances and events
21 September 2008 Cold Ash Play Day
23 November 2008 Concert in the Falklands Chapel, Pangbourne College
14 December 2008 Christmas concert
6 December 2008 Christmas Dinner in the Six Bells
17 December 2008 Carols round the village
19 December 2008 Christmas concert
23 December 2008 Carols in Woolhampton
6 June 2009 Beenham Church
20 June 2009 Corn Exchange concert
3 July 2009 Concert on the Rec
5 July 2009 Forbury Gardens, Reading
25 July 2009 Englefield Flower Show

Main concerts
The November concert in the Falklands Chapel was in conjunction with Engelfield Primary School, who joined us in Oliver! and also sang to us. This was a wonderful occasion and one we hope to repeat.

Our Corn Exchange concert in June, celebrated our first 10 years as a wind band. The programme included Carmina Burana, Carnival of Venice (with Torbjörn Hultmark on cornet) and the world premiere of “Jubilation”, which the band commissioned from Lloyd Coleman, a student at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.

Thankfully, we picked a dry evening for our July concert on the Rec in Beenham, after two wet years. Several hundred villagers sat out in their deckchairs with picnics, and enjoyed a wide selection of music, as well as a BBQ and beer.

Marketing and publicity
Our marketing and publicity have improved considerably during the year. The website is a great success, and all members of the band have been mobilised to put up posters, and promote concerts.

Future
Our main aim is to ensure that members enjoy making good music, whilst meeting our charitable objective.

Simon Witcomb – Chairman 25 August 2009