Unit 3 Holt Court Holt Street

Birmingham Science Park Aston Birmingham B7 4AX

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10th September 2017

Birmingham Schools` Recorder Sinfonia 2017 - 2018

Dear BSRS members and parents,

A very warm welcome to all members of the Birmingham Schools’ Recorder Sinfonia. I hope you have all had a fantastic summer and are looking forward to our year together.

In addition to the important information on this letter, please find enclosed a schedule of the rehearsals and concerts for this academic year and please ensure that these dates are immediately entered into the appropriate diaries. Any changes or additional concerts will be issues as necessary. Please try to avoid booking holidays and trips away around these dates.

Attendance/Absence Procedure: Please remember that as a member of a Music Service Central Ensemble, you are expected to attend ALL rehearsals and take part in ALL the concerts throughout the year (including any pre-concert rehearsals). This is part of your agreement in holding a place in B.S.R.S. Any exceptions may be made at my discretion, should you need to be excused due to extenuating circumstances, but it is essential that absences are requested in advance with as much notice as possible. Please do not ask to be excused from rehearsals in the fortnight before a concert.

1.) Absences must be requested in writing and well in advance of the relevant date - I will try and be as flexible as possible about granting any requests, but please try and keep these to a minimum.

2.) In case of an emergency absences on the day (e.g. illness or transport difficulties), please contact me as soon as possible on the day, as a matter of safety. My contact number is 07969 137354.

3.) Any unplanned absence must be followed up in writing as soon as possible.

4.) All communication must come directly from parents/guardians and not from individual members.

5.) Members of B.S.R.S must not rely on other players to inform me of an absence or lateness.

I plan the music with you in mind, and each piece is carefully chosen to fit both the combination of players and the individuals themselves. As always, I will try to be as flexible as possible when granting absences, but it is essential for them to be requested when you know about them rather than only a week before the absence. (Even if it is an absence in the summer term, I would love to know now…!) I trust that you always do your best to arrange things outside of the B.S.R.S rehearsal schedule and I do appreciate your continued support on this.

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Mobile Phones: Mobile phones must be switched off during rehearsals.

Punctuality: Rehearsals are at Birmingham University School unless otherwise stated.

Saturday morning: 9.30am - 12pm. Please ensure that you arrive by 9.20am to give us time to set up before starting promptly.

It is also essential that you each take responsibility for warming up your hands and instruments before starting to play. Please see myself or a tutor for any support on this.

Every member is expected to participate in both the setting up and packing down of the rehearsal room.

B.S.R.S Concert Dress: It is essential that we look as brilliant as we sound when we give a concert. Please take note of the required concert dress. 1.) Black trousers (not jeans or combats) - it would be helpful if girls also wore trousers, but if completely necessary, girls may wear a black skirt no shorter than knee length and with opaque black tights. 2.) Black shirt/long sleeved top (no short sleeved t-shirts or strap tops).

Additionally: B.S.R.S concert dress includes a ‘splash’ of yellow: i.e. Girls (hair accessory/belt/bracelet etc) Boys (tie/handkerchief for shirt pocket)

Medical Information: If you suffer from a medical condition that you feel I should be aware of (i.e. asthma, allergies, diabetes etc) please let me know in writing. This will be kept confidential and will only be shared with our tutors for your own safety and protection.

Due to nut allergies, please do not bring/eat nuts or products containing nuts (snickers bar, mixed nuts etc) to B.S.R.S rehearsals and concerts. This is especially important as our recorders are shared instruments and are passed between players. Thank you for your cooperation.

Finally, please bring water and a pencil with you to each rehearsal. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me on 07969 137354 / michelle.holloway@servicesforeducation.co.uk or before/after rehearsals.

Michelle Holloway (Conductor of B.S.R.S)

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