ACTIVITIES

March was a very busy month for WWYM. I would like to congratulate all the young musicians for some outstanding performances and my colleagues for all their hard work and commitment in making these concerts happen. The WWJS & NWJS performance for the National Festival was a very emotional experience, lets all keep our fingers crossed that we will be invited to play at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham in July. The result will be announced in May. There are many events at the end of this term. Please keep your conductor informed well in advance if you are unable to attend. If you are taking public exams please try to keep coming to rehearsals particularly if you have not got an exam the following day. If you have left school try not to organise a holiday that clashes with what might be your final WWYM concert. Minety Strings are to give demonstration concerts to three primary schools as part of the WMS series of concerts called Primary Live. I am pleased to report that the WWPE started in January, they rehearse on Monday and have a membership of seven. We would like to double that number.

STAFF CHANGES

It is with very great sadness that I have to announce the retirement of Ros Pendry from the Wiltshire Music Service. Ros has conducted the WWWB for seventeen years and she will be leaving us at the end of this term. I will say more about this at a later date.  

FUND RAISING

the financial support you give us we were able to purchase the instrument which is now used

regularly in the percussion ensemble. We have also had mirrors installed in the percussion studio which will improve the teaching of technique on the timps and other pitched percussion instruments.

You will all be aware of the stunning programmes produced by Noreen and Tom Schonfeld for the Christmas and Summer Festivals. We would like to enhance these by giving you the opportunity to purchase advertising space which will raise money for WWYM and hopefully give you information about local music shops if they are prepared to advertise. If you are interested and have any ideas about this suggestion please contact Lesley Meredith on 01225 860116/860115.

Tickets for all WWYM concerts at the WMC apart from the Christmas Festival have been sold on a first come first served basis all being reserved. At the Christmas Festival, tickets have been unreserved and allocated on a basis of two tickets per family for each concert. In recent years we have not been selling all the tickets for each concert. For the Christmas Festival 2007 tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis and will be reserved. There will be no ticket allocation. Tickets for the Christmas Festival will be on sale at the end of August from the Box Office at the WMC. Conductors will also remind young musicians every week to buy their tickets in advance. We will review this change in January.

May I thank you for your co-operation.

 James Monckton