Making Music is delighted to announce that member group Bristol Choral Society and its Musical Director Hilary Campbell have been named winners of the Inspiration Award at the 2021 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.
Also shortlisted in the same category were Making Music members Aberdeenshire and Phoenix Saxophone Orchestras, Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra, South Wales Gay Men’s Chorus, and Themba Mvula and Lichfield Gospel Choir.
Since lockdown measures have eased, identifying poorly ventilated areas has become a priority area of risk assessment, and monitoring CO2 levels is a vital part of this. Our newest corporate member, test-meter, are experts in the field and are offering our member groups advice and a discount on a CO2 monitor to help.
As society opens up after lockdown, the government has recommended that anyone organising activities should identify poorly ventilated spaces when risk assessing a space, to try and prevent further outbreaks of Covid.
It’s not often that the government budget and spending review creates headlines for leisure-time music groups, but this time it does: the Chancellor has just doubled Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) to 50%.
This exciting opportunity — originally scheduled for 2021 — has re-emerged for Making Music's member orchestras, thanks to our membership of the European Orchestra Federation. And you don't have to travel with your orchestra to take part — all individuals welcome too!
Final info (including schedule, list of workshops and participation conditions) can be found on their new website.
Communications and Marketing Manager Fi Simpson outlines the work of new corporate member Music Mark, and how they can support group activity with resources and networking events.
Marketing & Communications Officer Alex McGeever takes a look at documentary film Men Who Sing and what makes its characters tick ahead of our screening + director Q&A on 20 October.
Men Who Sing is a film that starts as it means to go on, easing us into the seaside town of Rhyl, North Wales, with calming establishing shots accompanied by the local choir’s delicate tones.
The group in question, Trelawnyd Male Voice Choir, has a proud history dating back to 1933. With an average age of 74, however, it faces a battle to survive.
Miriam Iorwerth updates us on Helensburgh Orchestral Society's musical activity during the pandemic, including award success for their MD and an exciting performance on the horizon.
Sheila Biegala fills us in on a long-awaited return to in-person activity for Ugie Voices, who can now look forward to more joint rehearsals with Aberdeenshire Saxophone Orchestra.
Ugie Voices are finally back to rehearsing in person! It is so wonderful to see everyone in person after so long with only Zoom rehearsals.
Since HMRC launched the Creative Industries Tax reliefs in 2017, our OTR service has been a great success earning our instrumental groups over £250,000 of additional income.
On average, each group claimed back around 15% of their annual production costs which in some cases, amounted to over £10,000.
WellRehearsed is gathering vital data to help policy makers and music groups understand ongoing Covid risks
Initial data from the WellRehearsed app for leisure-time music groups created by abcd (Association of British Choral Directors) and Making Music show that since its launch in the summer, over 2,571 reports have been submitted from 2,209 rehearsals by choirs, wind or brass groups, and other instrumental groups with or without singers, wind and brass.
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