Parliament Choir APPG
Minutes for the General Meeting on Monday 13th June 7.45pm in the CPA Room
Present: Mark Prisk MP, Lord Aberdare, Viscount Bridgeman, Baroness Corston, Lord German, Sue Hayman MP, Sir Oliver Heald MP, The Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP.
Sally Banks, Sally Cantello, Anthony Cary, Susan Craig, John Dawson, Maggy Dean, Victoria Desmond, Jean Guise, Rowan Ferguson, Paul Goss, Janet Hall, Harriet Harvey, Libby Herbert, Judith Horam, Chris Judd, Anne Langley, David McBride, Mike Meur, E Morgan, Helen Nattrass, David Orton, Gillian Perry, Robert Price, Cecilia Scott, Jane Slowey, Jenny Sturt, Diana Thompson, Andrew Tuggey, Aileen Walker, Alan Walker, Edward Webb, Vivian Widgery, Roger Woodward,
Apologies: Baroness McIntosh, Lord Thomas, Baroness Walmsley, Bishop of Rochester.
Katherine Bennett, Tony Burch, Judith Butler, Alan Chance, David Caron, Claire Foster-Gilbert, Ann Marsh, Caroline Thomson, Sir Robert Worcester.
1. The Chair welcomed all and said that this was a General Meeting of the Parliament Choir APPG. He thanked Andrew Tuggey for the use of the CPA Room and congratulated him on his CBE. There were three items of business: a photograph of each member of the Choir would be taken; there was the launch of the Friends’ Scheme; and he would update the Choir on the Future Programme.
Friends’ Scheme
2. There were three tiers of membership, Bronze, Silver and Gold. If everyone could identify one person in this financial year it would make a tremendous difference to the Choir’s finances. The aim was to sign up one hundred by next year, Christine Heald would co-ordinate the scheme, six had joined already so there was ninety-four to go. Baroness Corston noted that some Choir members might like to be a Friend.
Future Programme
3. In Simon Over’s absence, the Chair gave an overview of the Programme for the coming year. On 8th November at Cadogan Hall there would be a seasonal mix ranging through Vivaldi, Durante, Monterverdi and a new commission from Nicholas O’Neill. There would be a four week gap to A Westminster Christmas on 7th December at St John’s Smith Square so in addition to the usual well known carols some less familiar music would be performed. There was a possibility that some members of the Choir might go to Berlin on 15th December to sing in conjunction with the Bundestagchor and perform some German Carols though this was not yet certain.
4. On 17th May 2017 the Choir would be performing Belshazzar’s Feast at the Royal Festival Hall at the invitation of the Southbank Sinfonia in celebration of the orchestra’s 15th Anniversary. This was a world class venue though the financial risk did not rest with the Choir but with the SBS on this occasion.
5. Planning was at a very early stage on Gallilopi to the Somme with Creative New Zealand for the premier of a piece in Autumn 2017, this would be at a different venue.
6. The Chair asked if there were any questions and the meeting closed at 8pm.