Details of Spring 2025 Outing.
SPRING CHAMBER MUSIC OUTING
at Epsom College, Sunday 6 April 2025
Organisers: Ian Landsborough and David Gaster
The next Spring Chamber Music Outing has been booked for Sunday 6 April 2025. It will be at Epsom College, College Road, Epsom KT17 4JQ. The registration fee payable is £30, and will include refreshments in the tea and coffee breaks and will be returnable in full if the event is cancelled.
If you would like to take part, please complete the online application form on the Members’ Area of our website (www.kdcms.org.uk/members-area). No password required. When you have completed the form please pay, preferably by Bank transfer (details on the form), and email the organizers at [email protected] to confirm you have registered and paid online.
If you need to make changes to your application later, please submit a new form with just your name, which will identify your application, and the changes you wish to make.
If you cannot use the online form, please request a paper form from the Secretary and return it to Ian Landsborough, Abbots Cottage, Abbots Way, Guildford GU1 2XP, or hand it in at either the December 9th Christmas party and concert at St Mary’s Parish Hall, Teddington or the January 20th concert, at the Methodist Church in New Malden. If you can, please pay by bank transfer, or otherwise send a cheque with your application form.
The closing date is Monday 20th January, but it will be helpful if you can apply before then. All applications will be accepted up to the closing date except we have to limit the number of pianists based on the availability of serviceable pianos. You can withdraw your application at any time before the closing date and your payment will be returned. If you are forced to withdraw after the closing date, please inform the organizer immediately, preferably having found a deputy to take your place. The task of organising is complex and even one missing person causes a major re-shuffling of the schedule. Deputies do not have to pay a fee, which should help if you need to find one, but this does mean that we cannot generally refund you if you pull out after the closing date. Late applications may be considered if there is a place available and the schedule has not been prepared, or up to the day of the Outing as a ‘reserve’ list.
The day starts at 9:45am with a welcome and meeting. As usual there will be five sessions between 10:00am and 6:00pm. Sessions 1 to 4 last an hour and a quarter, with 45 minutes for lunch and half an hour between the morning sessions and the first 2 afternoon sessions, to give everyone time to have a drink and a chat before their next session. Session 5 is 1 hour and runs on from the one before, with a short break to enable room changes. You can play in any number of sessions from 1 to 5, but please indicate clearly which sessions you want to play in. You should bring a picnic lunch including a drink, as no refreshments are provided at lunch time. Tea and coffee will be available in the morning and afternoon breaks. Details of the venue can be found on their website www.epsomcollege.org.uk.
Requests or suggestions for particular pieces, although optional, are extremely helpful to the organizer and you may make up to three; the organizer will try to grant at least one request but please bear in mind this is not always possible depending on the balance of instruments available. Given the availability of rooms at Epsom College, works for larger groups are particularly encouraged. It is a great help if you can provide the music for any request and please confirm this in the appropriate box. Useful resources are the Surrey Performing Arts Library, currently located at Ewell Library in Bourne Hall; the Central Music Library at Westminster and downloads from the IMSLP-Petrucci website. If any chosen piece is very short you should try to find some extra music for that session. You may also indicate if you have a particular preference for ensemble size / mix, styles or periods (but not named individual players!).
All players of any playing standard are welcome, but you should have some experience of ensemble playing. It is also helpful if you can give the organizer some information on your playing standard and chamber music experience (especially if you are a new member) as this will help us to plan the day’s schedule (e.g. if you are a violinist, do you prefer to play 1st or 2nd?). If one of your instruments is unusual in chamber music (e.g. trumpet, bass clarinet, cor anglais, piccolo) and you would particularly like to play it, you will have more chance of doing so if you specifically request music containing it and can provide the parts.
The Singing Group will only take place if we receive enough applications from all voices, particularly sopranos and tenors. Please consider whether you would like to play instead in Session 3 if the Singing Group does not take place.
Your schedule with all information and directions will be e-mailed (or posted) to you in early to mid February, so you can expect to have about 6 weeks to make any preparations for your sessions.
Ian Landsborough David Gaster
07915 645147 020 8390 3451
[email protected]