Musical Director/Conductor

Application deadline: 
Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Description of vacancy: 

The Orchestra Aims and Objectives for rehearsals are documented as:

Introduction

Harmony Adult All Ability Orchestra is a rather unique group.

It was primarily created in 2012 to provide a safe environment for players of orchestral instruments of all abilities to play together to create a good quality sound.

To achieve this it has to operate in an environment which is friendly, caring, supportive and non-threatening.

As stated in the name, players of all abilities are made welcome, with parts being arranged around music grades (e.g. grades 1 to 3, grades 4 and 5, and
grades 6 to 8). Individual parts can be further simplified if needed to include players who are still developing their competence with their instrument. There
are no auditions, but players are expected to have a basic understanding of their instrument. The orchestra is not a teaching organisation.

The material used for performances is limited to arrangements of music scores in the public domain (i.e. no copyright restrictions), or where the orchestra has
written permission from the composer/arranger to perform the pieces.  Rehearsals may sometimes play copyrighted material for fun only providing the
scores are appropriately purchased. These will not be performed in a concert.

When a player joins the orchestra they will be provided with a folder, on loan, containing all of the graded parts for the instrument(s) they play. The player will
be encouraged to learn all of the parts within their individual capability, but also use any more complicated parts to “stretch” themselves and develop their skills.

No-one will be forced to play a part they are not comfortable playing. If players learn to play all of the parts within their capabilities the orchestra will
be more flexible when performing.

Requirements for leading rehearsals

The whole orchestra must be rehearsed together, although there will, at times, be a need to coach specific instrument sections. No individual will be forced to
play alone while learning their part, unless they have agreed to play a solo part.  The rest of the group will support those who are less certain of their part.

When rehearsing the players will be required to play whole pieces or complete sections from the pieces being rehearsed. This will reinforce the understanding
of each piece and not leave the player confused due to a lack of context.  In order to reinforce the achievements of the group pieces will be played a number of times to reinforce player confidence and enjoyment in their achievement.

Written dynamics must be applied appropriately until the whole piece has been mastered by all players. It must be recognised that there are difficulties with
some instruments regarding dynamics, and the required skills to achieve the correct sound have to be practised and learned.  Understand that some players may be unfamiliar with compound time signatures and/or more complex rhythms. These will need to be explained by the conductor before playing commences in order to achieve a group musical understanding.  When learning some instruments the required fingering can be complex. There will be times when the pitch of a note may not be correct, or the player will intentionally miss out a note (or notes) during the rehearsal to practice achieving the correct technique at home.

The conductor must become aware of the skill levels of individual players and explain instructions clearly, but in a supportive manner. Player understanding
must be reinforced before continuing with a rehearsal.  Overall, the involvement/co-operation of the whole orchestra must be closely monitored to make the rehearsals enjoyable to all.
 

Location: 
Exeter
United Kingdom