Members Info

Contact Details for Coffs Harbour City Orchestra Committee

President:              Brian Holden                (02)6691 4917
Vice President       Rosemary Lloyd          (02)6655 1341
Secretary               Pamela Fayle               (02)6654 7700
Treasurer               David Fayle                 (02)6654 7700
Librarian                Judie Bartley                (02)6655 1015
Publicity Officer    Wilma Romero             (02)6653 4202
Director                  Betty Bailey                 (02)6652 3642
Conductor              (see below)

Current Members of the Orchestra

Conductor       Tim Egan from 7 February 2013
Assistant
Conductor       Aditya van der Meulen, 

Violins              Doug Lindsay, Carolyn Ryan, Ruth Egan, Joy Griffin, Una Lynch, 
                          Sonia Ellem, Nerida Lee (on leave), Robyn Coulton, Pamela Fayle, Margaret Spark,  
                          Michaela Murphy,  Claudia WIlson, Grace Ryan
Violas                Ruth Egan, David Fayle,(occasional guest violist Blake Cutler)    
Cellos                Betty Bailey, Michela Friolo, Jenny Demkin (occasional guest cellist Catherine Davis)
Double Bass     currently vacant
Flute                  Melanie Stead, Anna Fry, Leanne Ellem, Deb Meredith, Melinda Boyse, Lydia Sowa
                           Georgia Tuminello, Aleisha King, Pat Harwood
Clarinet             Gay Manolidis, Mart Meulenbroeks, Lesley Fitzgerald , Annika Faber, 
                           Aisling Haughey, Brigitte Boyse, Varelle Bennett, (guest clarinetist Patrina Lee)
Bass Clarinet    Mary Brabrook (on leave), Jacinta Clarke 
Saxophone        Tony Morales (alto), Jen Bedford (soprano), Rowan Butler (tenor),  
Oboe                  Natasha Corbett (occasional guest oboist Blake Cutler)
Bassoon             Rosemary Lloyd, Aditya van der Meulen
Trumpet             Rudi Strating, Robert Greenfield, Laysge McKell, Cath McIntyre 
Trombone          Nathan Wendt (on leave), Ryan Cole 
French Horn      (currently vacant)
Percussion         Judy Bartley, Mason Levey 
Piano                  Wilma Romero
Keyboard/Bass  Brian Holden
 

What we Expect of You
You will need to have your own instrument and music stand. Orchestra chairs are provided for practices and performances.  Otherwise, all we expect is that you play to the best of your ability and let us know when you can’t be at rehearsals or performances. Don’t feel guilty about this. If your life commitments mean you can’t be there, good – you’ll return refreshed and happy. If you feel the part you have been given to play is beyond your current ability, let a committee member know and we will arrange one that will suit you as we have the capacity to transpose and to write simpler parts where required.    

Orchestra members pay an annual fee to cover costs such as insurance, performers association memberships and the cost of hiring, buying and copying music (this can be paid up front or in flexible installments or acquitted by means of fund raising). Since March 2012 full time students are not charged any fee.  There is a family discount when more than one member of a family plays in the orchestra. New players are not charged membership fees for the first 6 months while they check out whether they wish to continue.  In the past two years we have been able to reduce the annual membership fee each year due to sound concert income and it is now set at only $60 for the full year which is less than $1.50 per rehearsal and covers your sheet music, insurance and performers association membership as well as a contribution to paying a small fee to our conductors.

What you can Expect of Us
Mixing with a group of talented musicians who have a passion for great music - getting to play music that has shaped our civilization is also a big plus! Getting the buzz of playing Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and other greats is also a good feel. These guys really knew what music was all about. Bringing real music to people in the Coffs area – when they hear it, they love it. Plus, you will actually learn a lot about music through all of this. 

Orchestra members are not paid for their performances, this is a Community Orchestra.  We often perform for the community at little or no fee but where we charge entrance, the takings are used to pay for venue hire and  advertising, buy necessary equipment, supplement costs of buying or renting musical scores (expensive), to pay guest soloists or co-performers where appropriate and to pay conductors for rehearsals and concerts.  Council and other grants are applied for annually and often provide funding for particular concert projects or for equipment such as photocopiers.

Rehearsals
Rehearsals are held from 7-9pm every Thursday (except over the Christmas/January holiday break) at the O Block Lecture Theatre at the CHEC Campus in Hogbin Drive Coffs Harbour.  Check reminder notices on this site for notices about any other cancellations (eg in school holidays we often take a week or two break if many members are away and we sometimes practise at another venue if the CHEC facilities are being used for exams etc).  Please try to be there and set up  by 7 pm for tuning. If you’re late don’t worry – just fit in as best you can, not all of us are time-freaks.

Practising
Pleeeeeeeease practise your parts if you find them difficult. Your part, however unimportant you may think it is, is actually very important.

Performances
We play for performances as the opportunities occur. We try to do at least one nursing home or retirement village each year as a community service and we volunteer our time for a workshop and concert with primary school students once a year.  Most concerts are in school and church or community halls or club venues, but we also occasionally play outdoors where there is appropriate shelter for instruments (eg at the Botanic Gardens and some school covered areas). Advance notice of performances are notified on this website.  If you can’t be there, it is absolutely essential that you tell the orchestra president or secretary in advance so that we are not left without key instruments for certain pieces...it may affect the choice of repertoire or involve another instrument doubling your part. Dress for performances is all black and music should be in a black folder as well, although in the back row our percussionists have adopted the practice of adding a colourful bow tie for performances - we call them the bowtie brigade!