Author: markelawrence1

Dear early music enthusiast

Time for another NORVIS update! The committee had a meeting earlier this month and we thought we should let you know about developments. As you will seen, we have been considering some big issues.

Firstly, we have co-opted, subject to ratification at the next AGM, two new committee members to replace Gill Humphrys and Stephen Bowman-Jones. We welcomed Mark Lawrence and Ailie Kerrane to their first meeting. They are now trustees and we are very grateful to them for taking on this role.

Secondly, following Ralph Woodward’s announcement that the next NORVIS will be his last, we have been considering the future, including how best to distribute the several roles he has been undertaking. He is a hard act to follow! As Ralph has been only the second Musical Director and Chair in forty five years of NORVIS, this has been challenging, and we have looked for a healthy balance of keeping up good traditions and allowing for new developments. So many people owe so much to the vision and encouragement of our founder, Layton Ring, who passed on his mantle to Ralph; to Christine Ring and her successors, Marlene Austin and Jane Beeson; to the wonderful team of tutors that Layton gathered and which has evolved over the years.

After much thought and discussion, we decided to separate the roles of Musical Director (a paid post) and Chair (an honorary position) to prevent any conflict of interests between these roles in the future. We are delighted to announce that Andrew Fowler has accepted our invitation to be the next Musical Director and that Mark Lawrence is willing to stand for Chair at the next AGM. These are exciting times!

We are also delighted to announce that all the tutors who were at NORVIS this year will be returning next year. It will be the last year not only for Ralph but also for Duncan Druce, who will be retiring after many years working with Baroque string players and the orchestra. We have been privileged to benefit from their knowledge and skills and both of them will be greatly missed.

Lastly (and definitely least) Jane still has one or two bits of lost property, so do ask her if you are missing something.

That’s it for now. Thank you to all those who replied to my last email – the response rate was most encouraging. I’ll let you know when the website has been updated and the new brochure comes out.

Hoping to see you on 30th July 2016, if not before.

Best wishes

Harriet

NORVIS is a registered charity, no 1014801

Dear early music enthusiast

It was good to see you at NORVIS XLV earlier this month and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It’s always a very special week in my diary.

Talking of diaries, have you put the next NORVIS in yours yet? It starts on Saturday 30th July 2016, with arrival from 4pm to give time to settle in before dinner, and ends after breakfast on Saturday 6th August 2016.

You may wonder why it is me (Harriet) writing to you. Well, the reason is that for that though I’ve been on the committee for a couple of years, it has been ‘without portfolio’ but now I’ve taken on the newly created role of Applications Secretary. This means I’ll be responding to enquiries and taking applications. I’ll also let you know when the new brochure comes out, in the hope that soon afterwards you will overwhelm me with early applications!

In the meantime, I’ll do my best to answer any queries you may have and would welcome a reply to this email (just ‘received’ would be fine) so that I know lines of communication are open. Alternatively, feel free to phone me.

Thank you to everyone who has given feedback, either on forms or by email. Some of the comments were very detailed and we appreciate the time and thought that has gone into them. Everything is read by all the committee and will be discussed when we meet at the beginning of September.

Hope you are having a good summer and enjoying putting the fruits of NORVIS 2015 into practice.

Best wishes

Harriet