Red: East Anglia/South East England.

Yellow: South West England

Green: The Midlands

Orange: North West England

Purple: Yorkshire and North East England

Blue: Scotland

Brown: Wales

Turquoise: Northern Ireland

-----------------------------------------

JANUARY

Saturday 3: Leeds, West Yorkshire : 1st Players for Pleasure concert, organised by skylark. All standards of musician welcome, choral/ensemble opportunities are available, as well as opportunities to perform solos. website forum thread

Sunday 4: Reigate, Surrey : Repeat recital from the Carousel Clarinet Quartet (Deborah, jo.clarinet, Carl, barry-clari). St Mark's Church, Alma Road, Reigate. Recital starts at 3:30pm. Thread with details in this sub-forum.

Wednesday 21: Eccles, Greater Manchester : Wurlitzer organ recital of light music given by diapason. Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust Heritage Centre, Peel Green, Eccles. 1pm. All welcome - PM diapason for more details.

Saturday 31: Central London : Woodwind playday, Regent Hall, Oxford Street, London W1. 10am-5pm. Minimum standard grade 5. Flutes, clarinets, oboes, saxophones, bassoons all welcome. Organised by the East London Clarinet Choir website
--------------


FEBRUARY

Sunday 1: Leeds, West Yorkshire: Come and Play Schubert's 8th Symphony 'Unfinished' : The Alcuin School, Bramhope, Leeds. 10am-4pm. Orchestral instruments from grade 5 upwards welcome. website (PDF file)

Saturday 7: Teddington, SW London: Adult Learner's concert, organised by katyjay and AmandaL, Bushy House, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington. 11am - 5pm. Open to all adult learners of musical instruments/voice. Closing date for applications is 5th January 2009 website

Sunday 8: Manchester (central) : Piano day at Chetham's School of Music, in conjunction with the EPTA, for pianists of all ages and standards, tutors are staff from Chetham's. Admission £8 website

Sunday 8 : Leeds, West Yorkshire: Beginners' Orchestra day, for all orchestral instruments. Suitable for approx. just shy of grade 1- grade 2. Bramhope Primary School, Bramhope, Leeds, 1:45pm-4:30pm website (PDF file)

Saturday 21: York, North Yorkshire : Orchestral playday, organised by phantasmagoriana. 12noon-4:45pm, The Friends' Meeting House, Friargate, York, North Yorkshire. Minimum standard grade 2, all music will be provided. A chance to play in an orchestral setting. Open to all string/woodwind/brass players.

Sunday 22: Cardiff, South Wales : 'Come and Sing Elijah' - a chance to sing Mendelssohn's 'Elijah' with the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, St. David's Hall, Cardiff. Petrat will be present, a-singing! Closing date 1st February 2009 website

Saturday 28: Fleet, Hampshire : Flute day. Playing/buying opportunities abound! An all day event, with a final concert at 6:30pm. Andante_in_c heavily involved in the organisation, contact her for full details. forum thread

----------------


MARCH

Sunday 1: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire : Saxophone day, to include playing opportunities and the chance to buy saxophone goodies! 10:30am-7:45pm, Djanogly Arts Centre, Nottingham University. Director of music : Alistair Parnell website

Saturday 7: Exeter, Devon : Aeolienne in concert with the Exeter Recorder Orchestra, St. James' Church, Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter. Start time 7:30pm.

Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 : Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey : Music, Drama and Dance event at the Riverside Arts Centre, PM Suepea for more details.

Saturday 21: Benllech, Anglesey, North Wales : Forum concert, organised by petrat. Solo/ensemble opportunities, including choir/instrumental ensembles and a recorder ensemble. All standards of musicians welcome. website

Saturday 21: Guildford, Surrey : Guest conductor willobie directs the Guildford Society of Recorder Players meeting - PM Suepea for more details.

Saturday 28: Leicester, Leicestershire : Flute choir playday, up to grade 5 standard, Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester University. PM nickjones8 for more details.


-------------------

APRIL

Sunday 5: Belfast, Northern Ireland : Come and play day with the Ulster Orchestra. Any orchestral instrumentalist of grade 4 standard or higher welcome to perform for a day with the Ulster Orchestra. Ulster Hall, Belfast, rehearsing 2:30-5:30pm, with a performance at 6pm, finishing at 6:30pm. Applications close on 5th January, be aware places for violin and flute in particular book up quickly. Thanks to Andy-piano-flute for the information. website

Saturday 18: Leeds, West Yorkshire : Come and sing Handel's Messiah! 3:30pm-9:30pm forum link

Wednesday 22: Eccles, Greater Manchester : Wurlitzer organ recital of light music given by diapason. Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust Heritage Centre, Peel Green, Eccles. 1pm. All welcome - PM diapason for more details.

Friday 24: Gloucestershire : First meeting of the Gloucestershire Piano Teacher's Group, 10am. Discussions will include tutor books and repertoire for beginners, including adults, and some duet playing. These meetings are organised by SueHM, send her a PM for more details, and/or read this forum thread.

Sunday 26: Kingston Vale, SW London : Thameside Clarinet Choir clarinet playday, Coombelands Centre, Kingston University, Kingston Vale. A day playing in a clarinet choir- all types of clarinet, from grade 5 standard upwards, welcome. website

------------------------

MAY

Sunday 3 : Barbican, London : Flutewise Live, at the Barbican and the Guildhall School of Music. Flute ensemble opportunites, masterclasses, stalls, plus a concert from Ian Anderson (he of Jethro Tull). website

Saturday 9: Eccles, Greater Manchester : 2nd Eccles orchestral playday, organised by notmusimum, barry-clari and rachi. 10:30am-4:30pm. The Quaker Meeting House, Wellington Road, Eccles. Minimum standard grade 2-3, strings/woodwind/brass/percussion all welcome. Come and play in an orchestral setting! Musical directors : rachi and barry-clari. website

Saturday 16 : Effingham, near Leatherhead, Surrey: Guildford Society of Recorder Players annual playday, St. Teresa's Prep School, Effingham, Surrey. Conductors are Helen Hooker and Anne Martin, PM Suepea for more details.

Sunday 17: Colchester, Essex : Colchester Single Reed Day, Colchester Institute, Sheepen Road, Colchester, Essex. Musical director Charles Hine, other musicians there include Gerard McChrystal (saxophone) and Tim Lines (clarinet). Chances to play in single reed and clarinet/sax choirs, also in smaller groups and in masterclasses. forum thread

Friday 22-Sunday 24 :Scarborough, North Yorkshire : Yorkshire Late Starters Strings residential weekend, Cober Hill, Cloughton, Scarborough. Rooms open from 3pm on the Friday. website

Monday 25: Scarborough, North Yorkshire : Yorkshire Late Starters Strings playday, Cober Hill, Cloughton, Scarborough. 10am-5pm. A single work will be studied, under the directorship of George Kennaway, with the aim of getting the piece to a good standard by the end of the day. All stringed instruments of any standard are welcome website

Saturday 30: Leeds, West Yorkshire: 2nd Players for Pleasure concert, organised by skylark. As in January, there'll be solo and ensemble opportunities of varying descriptions. forum link

-----------------

JUNE

Saturday 6: Aberdeen, North East Scotland : Scottish Recorder Festival, Queen's Cross Church, Aberdeen, featuring a performance by the Scottish Recorder Orchestra. PM neil.clarinet for more details. website

Sunday 7 : Central London : Recital, featuring bohemian (violin), Schott and Co. , Great Marlborough Street, London W1. Featuring music by J. S. Bach and Ben Haim forum thread

Sunday 21 : City of London : The Leviathan Project : 800 sax players will wend their way through the City of London to London Bridge. If you want to get involved, click here.

Sunday 21 : Kensington, London : Exhibition Road Music Day, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, featuring free events covering all manner of instruments, and many different styles of music : from classical to popular to African to Latin American. website
-----------------

JULY

Saturday 4/Sunday 5: Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire : Forest of Dean Music Festival , PM KixMusic for further details.

Saturday 11: Fleet, Hampshire : Andante_in_c (flute), katyjay (soprano) and barry-clari (clarinet) in a charity recital at Christ Church, Gally Hill Road, Church Crookham, Fleet. Theme : 'Dogs, Birds, Sheep and All that Jazz', and includes music by Catherine McMichael, Delibes, John Dankworth, Roussel, Schubert, Doppler and Rutter, amongst others.

Saturday 18 : Stalybridge, Greater Manchester : Adult Learner's concert, organised by sbhoa. An opportunity for adult learners of instruments/voice to play in a welcoming, relaxed setting. Solos and small groups all welcome. Closing date June 20th website

-----------------

AUGUST

Monday 17 - Thursday 20 : Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland : Barry-clari in Northern Ireland (again) - am now contacting people in NI : PM or email me if you're interested in a forumite gathering!

w/c Saturday 15 or w/c Saturday 22 : Manchester (central) : Chetham's Summer School for Pianists - a major event for pianists! Masterclasses, individual lessons with top tutors and much more! Website with full details is here.

Saturday 29 : West Byfleet, near Woking, Surrey : Handbell playday, organised by sarah123, St. John's Church, West Byfleet, Surrey. 11am-4pm. A chance to play handbells. Even if you've never played handbells before, come and have a go! website

Sunday 30 : Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London : Forum visit to the Proms, featuring pianist Martha Argerich playing Ravel and Prokofiev, plus the RPO playing Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky. PM or email me (barry-clari) for details : let me know if you wish to come by 5th May forum link
-----------------


SEPTEMBER

Saturday 19 : Chester, Cheshire: Forum concert, organised by pianocrazy. Solo/ensemble opportunities available, including a choir, a performance of 'In A Persian Market', a recorder group and much more!

Saturday 26 : Tadcaster, North Yorkshire: York Concert Band, featuring the forum's own DawnF, in a charity concert at the Riley Smith Hall, Tadcaster.

-------------------
OCTOBER

Saturday 3: Milverton, near Taunton, Somerset : Orchestral playday, organised by Flute diva, directed by barry-clari, timings approximately 12 noon - 5:30pm. There will be large group and small group rehearsals, and the small groups will play informally to the rest of the participants at the end of the day.

Saturday 3: Woodford, East London : Tony Woollard ('cello) in a charity concert, also featuring various locally based musicians. All Saints Church, Woodford Green, 7pm. Thanks to bohemian and organiser Tess for the information.

Saturday 24 : Central London (W1): Piano playday, Schott and Co, Great Marlborough Street, W1. Intended for up to grade 5-ish. PM Solari for more details : this event is probably up to capacity.
-------------------

NOVEMBER

Friday 13-Sunday 15 Greenwich, SE London : Greenwich International Early Music Festival, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Open 10:30am-6:00pm Friday, 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday, 10:00am-5:30pm Sunday. The definitive event for early music enthusiasts, with trade stalls offering the chance to try early musical instruments, plus many recitals from eminent early music players. website

Saturday 14: York, North Yorkshire : Violin/Clarinet/Piano/Vocal recital featuring bohemian, mwl1, Miss Ross and barry-clari, The Friends' Meeting House, Friargate, York, North Yorkshire. 1pm-3pm. More details to follow.

Sunday 15: Kingston Vale, SW London : Thameside Clarinet Choir clarinet playday, Coombelands Centre, Kingston University, Kingston Vale. A day playing in a clarinet choir- all types of clarinet, from grade 5 standard upwards, welcome. website

Sunday 15: Manchester : Royal Northern College of Music Saxophone Day, featuring opportunities to play and listen to saxophone music. Plenty of trade stands will be there. This is arguably the event to visit for the discerning sax player. More details to come.

Saturday 28: Greenwich, South London : All instruments playday organised by barry-clari - West Greenwich Arts Centre, Greenwich (2 mins from Greenwich DLR/mainline station.)

DECEMBER

Saturday 5: Waterloo, London : Piano playday, organised by Solari. The 1901 Club, Waterloo, London SE1. Thread with details in Viva Piano.

Saturday 12/Sunday 13 : Leeds, West Yorkshire Opportunity to play at a Vintage Fair at St Gemma's Hospice in Leeds. The fair attracts around 800 people over the two days and they raised nearly ?7000 last year. If you're interested in performing or accompanying there, please see the thread in Adult Learners. Opportunity co-ordinated by skylark as part of Players for Pleasure.

Hi Barry, this is the Players for Pleasure info that you said you'd put into the calendar:


Saturday 3rd January: Leeds, West Yorkshire - Players for Pleasure concert, www.forumforum.org.uk/playersforpleasure


Saturday 30th May: Leeds, West Yorkshire - Players for Pleasure concert, www.forumforum.org.uk/playersforpleasure


Thank you!

Thanks for the list Barry - great to see that there are going to be some more events in the southern half of the country, especially orchestral playdays. I'm looking forward to 2009.

Should be two playdays in Greenwich, one in spring, one in autumn Suepea, avoiding South London SRP dates.

Having added a couple of other bits (it's still a work in progress, I'm gradually remembering things as I go along), it strikes me that the North West has also got a very good deal in forum events next year!

Great - keeping fingers crossed that they also avoid Guildford SRP dates (3rd Saturdays mostly)

I'll bear that in mind Suepea, I do keep an eye on the SRP site.

Thanks for letting me know!

I think I've put everything I know of on the calendar now.

If anyone wants me to add anything, either a new event, or further details on existing events, do drop me an email or a PM.

Phantasmagoriana, LooneyTunes, Malone, expect emails/PMs in the very near future. Notmusimum, you already have mail.

Have just had a very productive conversation with notmusimum about the various playdays we're doing in Salford from November '08, and the other events in Greater Manchester.

Very pleased to let you all know that the bandstand gig looks like a goer , and I'll hopefully have a date for you all by the end of this year.

I plan to come to anything in essex, hampshire, london or surrey.

especially looking forward to teddington and greenwich.

Teddington is an adult learner concert, and will be in late January or February. Katyjay and/or AmandaL will confirm the date when they've booked the venue.

There will, all being well, be two small scale orchestral playdays in Greenwich, one I'm looking to do in the spring, the other will hopefully be towards the tail end of 2009.

Barry, there is a hall in Euston, North London that can be hired. Would you like me to investigate?

We could have a play day there. The hall seats about 70 people and has a kitchen for serving refreshments.
There is also an upright piano in the hall.
The hall is 2 minutes from the tube and overground station.

Don't know if this would work. Tell me if it is worth investigating.

I'll PM you when my brain is in gear again, I'm a little tired at the moment... (should be sometime tomorrow)

If I said 'shall we have a playday in Northern Ireland in summer 2009', how many people would be up for it?

(you're prob'ly getting one anyway... )

1. Get hall. (probably for an evening in w/c 17th August, I'll fly from Aberdeen)

2. Get friends (including me with the music)

3. Play

4. Eat food.

A couple of small changes made to the calendar, relating to NI, and Salford.

I'm thinking of the Harborough model, rather than the Eccles one (which is a big model!!!)

Harborough has always been a half-day (3-4 hours or so)-ish set-up, and that's what I'm thinking of for NI 2009.

Continuing the Northern Ireland theme, both of Andy-piano-flute and noodle's proposed informal musical get-togethers (31/1 and 30/5) are now on the calendar, together with the slightly larger scale playday.

Handbell event added to calendar (no date or location (will be in the south) set yet).

Chester forum concert confirmed for Saturday 19th September 2009. Well done Pianocrazy!

A quick update on the various events we have lined up for 2009...

Teddington : this Adult Learner concert has yet to have a date attached, once it's booked, it will go onto the forum. Will be hopefully January/February.

Cardiff : this Adult learner concert has no recent news to report. LooneyTunes hasn't been online since 1st August...

Handbell day : should be in Surrey, in high summer 2009

Northern Ireland events : will be on 31st January, 30th May and also August 2009. Plenty in store for all of you there, and I'm hoping to attend both the May and the August events.

York playdays : the first is looking like it'll be late February 2009, but phantasmagoriana and I will be waiting for the date of Teddington before going ahead with a booking.

Chester forum concert: confirmed for Saturday 19th September 2009

Anglesey forum concert: confirmed for Saturday 21st March 2009

Northern Scotland forum concert: Some of you may have realised that Malone has left the forum . Bobsie has very kindly stepped into the breach, and we're still looking at 15th August, though the venue will almost certainly now alter.

Greenwich playdays : will book one playday for this summer

Eccles playdays/Salford bandstand gigs: Two Eccles playdays for next year (summer, November), one bandstand gig in late summer, all being well, and maybe one other event, to be confirmed.

Stalybridge : This adult learner concert is hopefully going to be on Saturday 18th July, though the date at the moment is to be confirmed.

That's it for now.

If any of you have other ideas for forum get togethers, do feel free to post on this thread!

Add to the above post:

Market Harborough playdays : will be restarting in 2009, hopefully towards the start of the year. Again, am keeping one eye on Teddington's date.

You may have read in the cafe that I'm going to see if I can do a forum event map, via something like Google Maps. It will hopefully help you see at a glance if anything is on near you.

Can't promise, as I may comprehensively mess it up, but I will try...

June 2009 London forum gig added to list.

I'd have come to this one, but looking in my diary it looks like all my June 2009 Saturdays are already booked with various recorder events!

You sound like me Jo - booked up way, way in advance!

I won't clash this event with either South London SRP or the LRO (London Recorder Orchestra, for those not in the know) annual concert.

any date for Teddington yet?

We're hoping it will be either 31 Jan or 7 February, but are waiting for the site to confirm.

Perhaps, in 2009, I might finally make a katyjay adult learner event ...

Have added above info to calendar

The 7th February would be very convenient - but either would do at the moment...

W

thank you KJ
I can make tentative notes in my diary.

One change to the calendar : the proposed date (21/2) for the 1st York playday has been added.

Working at the moment on four things : nailing dates/location for the recitals and the London forum concert, negotiating with the venue for the handbell event (expect Surrey for this), and working on plans for Northern Ireland for 2009, and possibly beyond.

Have added a repeat performance of the Carousel Clarinet Quartet's recent recital at Reigate, Surrey on Saturday 4th January.

Carousel consists of myself, Deborah, jo.clarinet and Carl, and I'll publish more details soon.

Have also confirmed the date of the first York playday (21/2).

Do you know the venue for York? Want to see how easy it is to get there

That's within 2 weeks of Teddington, and yet when I suggested having a Leeds event within 6 weeks of Teddington, I got flamed on and off forum, and you yourself Barry was against it. Barry, how come you can fix an event within a short time of another one and yet you tried to strongly dissuade me from doing so, even when it was at the other end of the country?

Will PM you.

post deleted

It's difficult to see the organiser as anyone other than Barry when he is the originator of two York threads and the person to whom he has attributed the organisation has not yet contributed to them. But irrespective of who the organiser actually is, the York event two weeks after Teddington clearly has Barry's support, which is the exact opposite of his attitude to the Leeds event I wanted to have within 6 weeks of Teddington. I'm curious to know why I had so much hassle/abuse about my suggestion, and yet this event is supported and promoted

Perhaps because there's a difference between a play day and a concert day, in terms of its impact on other planned events? Though in truth I'm not sure I've ever seen Barry be abusive to anyone - not sure he has it in him!


(Just a thought, followed by me hastily backing out of the thread... Just came to see what's going on in the new year, as I hope to be round a bit more!)

Maybe you're right meerkat, although that didn't come across at the time I certainly don't see the Northern Ireland playday which has been fixed for the same day as my Leeds concert as having any impact on Leeds, other than the fact that anybody who goes to Northern Ireland obviously won't be able to come to Leeds, but I presume Barry must have thought of that when the NI date was fixed

Yes, there is a difference between a playday and a concert event in terms of participants. Playdays tend to be smaller and particularly with a half day event aimed at people from a smaller geographical area.

I didn't see the NI playday as having much relevance to your Leeds event as I thought that this was now largely a more 'off forum' event?

One of the reasons I started Players for Pleasure rather than leave it as a "forum event" was so that I didn't have to "ask permission" from some of the other organisers, as I was told I should do, (and then have permission denied), in order to have an event in Leeds at a time when it suited local people. But many forum members attend the Players for Pleasure events, as you know

Anyway, I'm glad that Barry has now decided that lots of local events are good and that having events close to each other time-wise but at opposite ends of the country is not detrimental - I just don't see why I was attacked when I advocated the same thing and why Barry is now doing something which I wanted to do and he told me I shouldn't

I hope all the events go well and that lots of people get the opportunity to attend and enjoy them

Re. Teddington

I would prefer 7 Feb if possible as it's my son's 20th birthday and my niece's 30th birthday on the weekend of the 31st Jan (so I wouldn't be able to make that one).



Ambs x

Your wish is my command, oh Amber.....


Well, actually, the 7th is the date they've agreed to give us anyway.

Website online once I've got this wretched theory exam out of the way.....

I've just had a thought,
I have a feeling that the Aberdeen concert clashes with the first week of the Chet's piano summer school!
I could be wrong though - I'll have to check.
What day is the 15th?
X

It's a Saturday.

Yay, great!

And best of luck in your wretched theory exam too!

Shock news.

Barry-clari can actually make a katyjay adult learner event!

Only the fourth time of asking.

Hang the flags out.

And I can book a place at the singing masterclass I want to do the previous weekend.

...and now it's just the teeny weeny point of finding something to sing. I think you'll be able to help me there kj