Wed Feb 19 05:27:02 2025
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Information for Players

Main Stage view of Truck Festival

Last updated 27th January 2025: added future concert dates; change of soloist

CONTENTS

Forthcoming Concerts & Programmes
Rehearsals
Subscriptions
Rehearsal venues
Concert venues
Selling concert tickets
Concert dress
Noticeboard
Management of the Orchestra
Players privacy statement

Forthcoming Concerts & Programmes

Saturday 15th March 2025 - Oxford Town Hall

Johann Strauss - Overture to die Fledermaus
2*222 4230 timp perc×2 strings

Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor
2*222 4230 timp strings
Soloist: Petr Limonov

Dohnányi - Symphony no.2
4*3*3*3* 8441 timp perc×4 harp×2 strings

Saturday 14th June 2025 - Sheldonian

Schumann - Genoveva Overture
2222 4230 timp strings

Bartók - Violin Concerto no.2
2*2*2*2* 4230 timp perc×2 harp celeste strings
Soloist: Ştefan Şimonca-Opriţa

Brahms - Symphony no.4
2*223* 4230 timp perc×1 strings

Sunday 23rd November 2025 - Oxford Town Hall

Saturday 14th March 2026

Saturday 20th June 2026

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Rehearsals


Early 2025

Saturday 15th March 2025 - Oxford Town Hall

Johann Strauss - Overture to die Fledermaus
2*222 4230 timp perc×2 strings

Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor
2*222 4230 timp strings
Soloist: Petr Limonov

Dohnányi - Symphony no.2
4*3*3*3* 8441 timp perc×4 harp×2 strings
3rd flute doubles 2nd piccolo. 4th player is piccolo (tacet in 2nd mvt).
3rd oboe doubles cor anglais.
3rd clarinet doubles E♭ clarinet in 3rd mvt.
Bass clarinet part is in A but there's a transposed part in B♭; tacet in 3rd mvt.
Horns 5,6,7,8 tacet in 2nd mvt but are otherwise busy.
Trumpets, trombones and tuba play little in 2nd mvt.
Percussion: 2 SD, TTm Tri, cymb, extra timp player, XYL, BD, rattle. Tacet in 2nd mvt

Rehearsal schedule (or download a pdf)

This is provisional - some details are yet to be confirmed, but it is not expected to change much and should be confirmed by early January.

Rehearsals are 7.15-9.45pm on Tuesdays at Greyfriars School, except where indicated. Strings are required at all rehearsals; other players, as indicated (see below).

If you are unable to attend any rehearsal, be sure to inform your section leader, and if for any reason you anticipate being absent more than two rehearsals for any concert please notify your section leader as far in advance as possible.

14thJanuary Dohnányi 1
Dohnányi 3
4344 8000 harp
4334 8000 harp
21stJanuary Dohnányi 4
9pm Dohnányi 2
4344 8000 harp
3344 4000 harp
28thJanuary 7.15pm Fledermaus
8.45pm Grieg
2222 4000
2222 4000
4thFebruary Sectionals:
Dohnányi 4 then 1, 3, 2
(Fledermaus at the end)
Violins & violas: MR
Cellos: RM
Woodwinds: MA - 4344
Horns: TA (6th Feb) - 8
11thFebruary Dohnányi 4, 1
Grieg
4344 8000 harp
2222 4000
18thFebruary No rehearsal

25thFebruary Grieg plus soloist,
at the Manor Prep School
2222 4000
4thMarch Dohnányi 4, 1, 3, 2
9.30pm Fledermaus
4344 8441 timp 4×perc 2×harp
2222 4230 timp 2×perc
11thMarch Dohnányi 4, 1, 3, 2 (mvts tbc)
9.30pm Fledermaus
4344 8441 timp 4×perc 2×harp
2222 4230 timp 2×perc
15thMarch 3.30pm Dohnányi
4.30pm Fledermaus
5pm Grieg
Tutti as required
18thMarch No rehearsal
25thMarch Brahms Symphony no.4 mvts 1 & 2
9.25pm Schumann
2222 4000
2222 4000


Summer 2025

Saturday 14th June 2025 - Sheldonian

Schumann - Genoveva Overture
2222 4230 timp strings

Bartók - Violin Concerto no.2
2*2*2*2* 4230 timp perc×2 harp celeste strings
Soloist: Ştefan Şimonca-Opriţa
2nd flute doubles piccolo; 2nd oboe doubles cor anglais;
2nd clarinet doubles bass clarinet (see IMSLP for a bass clarinet part in B♭);
2nd bassoon doubles contrabassoon; trumpets and trombones tacet in 2nd movement.

Brahms - Symphony no.4
2*223* 4230 timp perc×1 strings
2nd flute doubles piccolo; contrabassoon is in 3rd and 4th movements;
trumpets tacet in 2nd movement; trombones play in 4th movement only
percussion (triangle) in 3rd movement only

Outline of rehearsals:

  • 25 March - first rehearsal
  • 22 April - first rehearsal after Easter
  • 6 May - sectionals
  • 27 May - half term (no rehearsal)
  • 11 March - last rehearsal
  • 14 June - concert
  • 20, 22 July - Truck rehearsals
  • 27 July - Truck

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Subscriptions

One of the contributions that players make to the running of the orchestra is the payment of an annual or termly subscription. The 2024/25 rates remain the same as last year, at:

Annual fee: £192, or three payments of £64 per term
Students and unwaged: £22 per term.

Players who feel able to do so are invited to pay at a higher rate or make additional contributions, by topping up their payments or by sponsoring a particular activity.

Subscription payments, due at first rehearsal of term, may be made by bank transfer, cheque or cash. Rates are reviewed annually. If you are able to pay your subscription for the year all in one go, then please do so, as it really helps to cut down the time committee members have to spend processing them.

If you are UK tax payer, the orchestra (being a registered charity) can claim back tax you have paid on your subscription payments. This generates significant extra income for the orchestra. So, if you pay tax, please ensure that you complete a declaration form. Further details about payments and tax declaration forms are available from the Membership Secretary, Catherine Hartley.

Exceptionally, where a player has circumstances of particular personal hardship, a case for temporary reduction of fees can be considered by the Chair of the orchestra.

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Rehearsal venues

Greyfriars School:

Main Hall, Cricket Road, Oxford, OX4 3DR
Google map
School site plan (pdf)
Please note that new LTN's (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods) have appeared around the Cowley/Florence Park area and access to the school can now only be made from the Cowley Rd side. Cornwallis Rd, Rymer's Lane & Little Hay Rd are now blocked and are no through roads. Access to the School is via a one-way loop road off Cricket Road. By car from Cowley Road, turn into Shelley Road. Take the second left turn into Cricket Road and then the first right into the School. There is ample parking but only vehicles carrying very heavy instruments (i.e. harps, timpani and other large percussion instruments) may be brought along the pedestrian walkway to the Main Hall (c.150 metres) for unloading and loading. During rehearsals vehicles must be returned to car park spaces. Please depart promptly after rehearsals as the external gates are locked at 10:15pm. Also note that the whole school site is a 'no smoking' area and that the contract to use the premises is immediately cancelled for a hiring organisation if anyone associated with it is found smoking on site.

We have received a firm reminder from Greyfriar's about which area of the car park the Orchestra is expected to occupy on Tuesday evenings; please could you kindly look at the map (below), and be sure to park within the designated area (the L-shaped area outlined in yellow), & not in the reserved area (the rectangle outlined in red) which belongs to a different school:

parking areas

Manor School, Abingdon

The Manor Preparatory School, Faringdon Road, Abingdon, OX13 6LN
Google maps
There is parking just inside the school gates.

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Concert venues

Oxford Town Hall: St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1BX Directions, Map, Travel and Parking information

Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford: Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3AZ Map and directions

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Noticeboard

The committee runs a OSO noticeboard where adverts may be placed with regards to further musical opportunities.

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Selling concert tickets

Players are expected to take an active part in promoting concerts and selling tickets to friends and family. Tickets sold in advance by players are available at discounted rates from the standard ticket price of £18.

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Concert dress

Women: long black; Men: Dinner Jacket, white shirt, black tie

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Management of the Orchestra

A committee of orchestra members meets three times a year to discuss and agree plans. Speak to any one of us on the committee if there is something you feel we should consider or if you'd like to help in some way with running the orchestra. If you've got thoughts about repertoire or music you feel would be good to play, do talk to Robert Max.

Orchestra members have an annual general meeting in November or December when new committee members are elected and ideas can be discussed by everyone. The present committee members are:

David Patrick - Chair (chair@oxfordsymphonyorchestra.org.uk)
Lorna Softley - Secretary
Andrew Rendell - Treasurer
Dominic Knight - Concert Manager
Dani McNeil - Librarian
Helen Kidd - Marketing and Publicity
Catherine Hartley - Membership Secretary (membership@oxfordsymphonyorchestra.org.uk)
Matthias Winkel - Production Company
Karen Bendall - Social Media
Jill Bailey
Sally Prime
Robert Max - Musical Director (in attendance)
Mariette Richter - Leader (in attendance)

Other roles include:

Sharon Curtis - Website (website@oxfordsymphonyorchestra.org.uk)
Paul Johnson - Programmes
Grace Lane - Truck

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Players' Privacy Statement

Why do we need your data ? We need to collect and store some details about you so that we can inform you about orchestra matters and organise and promote our activities. We will not use your data for any other purpose without your consent. We will never give it to third parties and if another player asks for your contact details we will only ever share them with your consent.

We only collect the data we need This may include, your name, email address, payment and Gift Aid information, phone number, postal address, bank details, photographic/video images. We review what data we have on members every two years and remove it if we no longer need it. If you leave the group, we’ll make sure we stop using and/or delete any data we don’t need to keep (e.g. for financial reporting).

Queries and updating/removal of data At any time you can ask to view, update or correct any data we hold on you. You can also ask that we stop using your data or that we erase it. To request any of these, please contact the Chair of the orchestra.

By playing in Oxford Symphony Orchestra you acknowledge and agree to use of your data in accordance with this Privacy Statement.

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