Societies’ Annual Report Framework
Name of
Society
Number of
Members
University of Surrey Concert Band
41 (officially signed up on the union page, according to
http://www.ussu.co.uk/ClubsSocieties/societies/Lists/Members/KPIListViewPage.aspx).
In your opinion, based on your experiences over the past year, what is the best thing about getting
involved in your society?
We get to play some amazing pieces from all different genres, allowing incredible people from all
around the university the chance to meet and share their love of the concert band style of music.
We are a free society and have no audition process meaning that anyone from anywhere and with
any level of experience can join. This means that the band is made up of a wonderfully dynamic
bunch of people and it makes our rehearsals a relaxed - yet productive - and friendly place to be.
Members come back term after term, year after year, and it's great to see each other develop and
grow through their time in the band.
We've loved being involved in this society as committee members as well as players, being able to
think up and put into action new ideas and plans for the band and their concerts. We have been able
to gradually build up the band's repertoire and recognition across the university and host a concert
after the Easter break that is bigger and required more organisation than previous concerts, showing
the band's success and how we judged it to be a feasible and exciting new direction to take the band
in.
As committee members as well as players, one of the main highlights from our perspective is the
sense of pride we receive. As with any arts society, the first rehearsals of new music are always
slightly rocky. However, seeing what we can achieve as a band in the final concert after months of
practise not only makes us as players incredibly proud of what we have achieved, but proud that, as
committee members, some of the organisation we have put in has made for a fantastic concert.
List 3 key achievements over the year (you can list more than 3 by extending this grid).
Achievement
Why did the society do this?
What did you learn?
Bigger end of year concert
We wanted to increase the
There was a lot more
audience and recognition the
preparation needed than for
band received and to celebrate other concerts, and this was a
all the hard work the band's
demanding challenge; however,
done by putting on a concert
we feel quite positive that the
with more music and in a bigger end result will be good. Next
venue, with special guest
time, we would encourage the
performers to gain a wider
committee to order in music (to
audience.
allow for more rehearsal time)
and book the venue and
technicians before or
immediately after January
exams to ensure their foot is in
the door before any other
opportunities across the
university come up, and to
ensure we have the entire team
we need.
Recruiting enough players
As with any band, trying to find This year there was a slight mixduring Fresher’s Fayre/
the right instruments to create up over booking a stall for
throughout the year to cover
the correct balance within a
Refreshers' Fayre, and by the
most parts.
band can be hard, for example
time this was cleared up we
often a musical group is quite
hadn't enough time to organise
top heavy (with a lot of high
the stall itself. I would
instruments present). However, recommend next year’s
through our Fresher’s Fayre
committee to do Refreshers'
stall and advertising throughout and to have preparations for it
the year we have managed to
ready just in case a stall
cover the majority of the parts
becomes available, as I believe
needed, allowing for a better
we could have signed up more
balance within the music.
members here, adding to our
variety of instrumentalists.
Greater integration of players
During previous years, it has
We believe that this greater
within the band.
been noted that there has been integration of players has made
a divide within the band
the band a friendlier society to
between Music students and
be part of. However, although
non-Music students. This year
we have arranged more socials
we believe that this has been
this year, there is still the
less evident, through:
potential for even more next
- New players within
year, allowing more chances for
each section, mixing up the band to socialise outside of
the dynamics of the
rehearsals.
previous year.
- More socials.
In your experience, what does the year in the life of your society look like?
Time of year
What is the society
How do you make this
Which committee
doing?
happen?
members (positions)
lead?
July/August
Holiday:
We kept members up-to- All the committee.
- Keeping in touch date with plans via
with members
Facebook and email so
about plans for
they were aware of any
Freshers' Fayre.
progress made and could
- Committee are
have their own input and
planning the
ideas considered as well.
Freshers' Fayre
The committee had
stall.
meetings over the
- Ordering
holiday to set things up
necessary new
and discuss plans etc.
music and
equipment.
- Sorting music and
ensuring
everything is in
order (rooms
booked etc.) for
the new term.
September/Oct Freshers' Fayre.
At Fresher’s Fayre, we
All the committee taking it in turns to man
ober
had flyers and
the Freshers' Fayre stall
First rehearsal.
bookmarks to hand out
to people, signup sheets, and to set up and
free nut-free chocolates, introduce ourselves to
the band during the first
and a computer playing
rehearsal.
recordings of the band's
concert from the
previous year.
Committee members
were on hand to meet
and greet prospective
members and to
welcome back old ones
as well as being prepared
to give advice and
information about the
band.
During the first rehearsal,
the committee arrived
early to set the room up
and hand out music. We
were then ready for
meeting members and
showing new members
where to sit and
introducing people.
November/Dec
ember
Christmas meal.
Christmas Concert.
Christmas Meal: booking
a restaurant for band
members, having
ascertained as to how
many are able to attend used Facebook and email to
gain an idea as to people's
general preferences for
dates and venues.
January/Februa Reduced rehearsals for
ry
exam period.
Selection of new music
and new programme.
March/April
Preparation for summer
concert.
Planning another social.
Advertising and preparing
for the AGM.
Booking a venue for the
concert, checking lighting
and sound techs are
available. Arranging an
appropriate programme
for the concert and
checking the conductors
have a say in what they
wish to conduct. Having
the bucket for donations
prepared and flyers and
posters up around the
university for publicity,
including a Facebook
events page.
Drawing up a new
timetable of scheduled
rehearsals to keep
membership going
during and after the
exam period.
Asking the band what
music they wanted to
play more of and liaising
with conductors on the
matter as well.
Encouraging strong
attendance leading up to
the final concert from
the band via email,
Facebook and direct
speeches in rehearsals.
Informing them of plans
for the concert to get
them enthused and
committed. Taking on
any suggestions they
have.
All committee
members.
Social Secretary: (for
meal): organising and
carrying out the
preparations for the
meal.
President: comperes
concert and opens and
closes concert with
appropriate, informative
speech.
Vice-President: keeping
an eye on the email in
case of last minute illness
affecting a member,
general organisation of
the concert and venue
etc.
Treasurer: Collecting
donations at concert's
finish, counting and
handing in money to the
Union.
All committee:
President: liaising with
conductors.
VP: room-bookings and
rehearsal schedule
checking.
Treasurer: sorting out
payment for new music
from allocated budget
and own funds where
necessary.
All committee:
President: contacting
Stagecrew for concert
prep. Drawing up
conductor schedules.
VP: room-bookings,
checking updates and
AGM prep.
Treasurer: ensuring any
other items needed are
ordered and paid for.
Completing inventory.
Social Sec: researching
ideas for another social
and putting them in
place.
All: talking to anyone
interested in becoming a
committee member for
the following year, giving
advice and support.
May/June
AGM.
Hand-over.
Summer concert.
Advertising the roles and
having the AGM during a
rehearsal so that the
band can all have a say in
their new committee.
Meeting the newly
elected committee and
passing on admin and
details relevant to their
roles, offering further
advice and support the
following year should
they need it.
Advertising the concert
around campus and in
The Stag, The Surrey
Scholar etc. Inviting
people to attend the
concert via networking
sites such as Facebook.
Running a successful
concert and celebrating
the wonderful talents in
the band and some great
music.
All committee:
President: compering
concert; discussing the
role with the new
President; ensuring all
final details for the
concert are in place.
VP: any last
administration tasks;
discussing the role with
the new VP; any other
tasks needed for the
concert.
Treasurer: collecting
donations from the
concert and ensuring the
money is sent off
correctly via RAG to the
charity; discussing the
role with the new
Treasurer.
Social Sec: arranging a
celebration after the
concert; discussing the
role with the new Social
Sec.
Please propose some key activities/aims for your society in the future:
Aim or activity
Why would it be good?
Who should be involved?
Encouraging even more
Would give extra support in
All committee, but also band
members to join, particularly
sound and numbers to the
members as well should be
lower brass.
band and enable them to tackle further encouraged to invite
a wider variety of pieces.
friends along.
Community concert
Although we already advertise
All committee. President:
liaising with the contact for the
our concerts to the wider
bandstand (which will be passed
community, our President
on to them by this year's
started work on plans for a
concert on the Godalming Band President); advertising.
VP: organising transport of people,
Stand, which unfortunately
instruments and equipment;
could not take place this year,
general advertising.
but could now be more easily
put in place for next year. It
would get the band engaging
with the local areas, and might
encourage more guest
performances both for the
band outside of the university,
and for people to come and
play with us.
Look at changing rehearsal
date
The performance of student
works.
Membership list:
Beckie Greenwood
Also, a member of staff
approached us with a
suggestion for the odd
lunchtime gig in the open-arena
space next to LT building.
Apparently such things used to
happen, and was nice for staff
and students to pass by or stop
and listen to over lunch. We
didn't have time to plan this
before our term was up, but
this could be a nice idea for the
new committee to follow up.
Some issues we faced this year
in terms of player was due to
other music rehearsals
changing dates without our
prior knowledge so that some
of our players could only
commit to half-rehearsals or
every other week. This isn't
ideal, so maybe liaising with
other music groups to find out
who is rehearsing when would
be beneficial and might ensure
that more players can attend
full rehearsals. This may also
help the band to prepare for
concerts quicker.
During the year, we were
approached by a music student,
querying whether we would be
able to perform a musical we
had written. Unfortunately due
to tight timing we were unable
to do this, but performance of
student works could be a good
way to introduce variety into
the repertoire for next year’s
committee.
Treasurer: working out and
budgeting for the financial costs of
getting to and from the bandstand
and ensuring the payments are
covered by own funds preferably
over band members.
President: talking to other
Presidents throughout the music
societies and groups and coming
up with suggestions and
arrangements to ensure everyone
is happy and with the most
feasible and practical rehearsal
schedule possible.
VP: checking out rehearsal venues
and their availability to ensure that
rehearsals can be conducted on
the required days.
P+VP: conducting an audit for
band members to find the
majority's favoured day and time.
The composer.
The Committee (organisation of
parts and fitting this into
rehearsal schedules).
The band (ultimately, it is their
choice as to what we rehearse).
Sarah Joyner
Lewis Bridgeman
Hannah Moore
Rebecca Hammond
Owen Ralph
Jack Morris
Timothy Grasse
Jessica Cowper
Jo Kilford
Sujan Malla
Mofoluwaso Adeyemi
Emily Bickerton
Sally Chee
Melissa Dee
Leah Franks
Karen Taylor
Clare Newell
Robert Craven
Thomas Pinnegar
Abigail Munson
Isabel Lich
Emma Tracey
Kerry Boyd
Robert Gilmour
Elizabeth Hales
Bethan Lewis
Irene Chan
Dan Partridge
Elizabeth Ward
Gary Hargreaves
James Whitcher
Lucy Taylor
Samantha Wilcox
Amy Le Rossignol
Mark Price
Yue Yu
Izzy Stocchetti
Thank you for completing this annual report form.
Please email the report as an attachment to socreports@ussu.co.uk with your society name as the
subject line 2 weeks before your AGM takes place.
AGM season runs from Monday 22nd April to Wednesday 8th May 2013.
If you need to book your AGM please click on this:
http://www.ussu.co.uk/ClubsSocieties/societies/Lists/AGM%20Dates/Default.aspx?&&View={7951D
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