NONSUCH DULCIMER CLUB

ANNUAL REVIEW 2004

 Back in the Same Box. Jenny Coxon           

This will have been my last year as Chairman of Nonsuch since I took on the job at the Club’s re-launch at Cromford in Derbyshire on 22 November 1992.  During this time, I have been delighted to get to know so many people with an enthusiasm for dulcimers of all kinds.  The club has tapped into this enthusiasm, and, in its own way, helped it to develop.  Our Annual Weekend is the highlight of the dulcimer year for many of our members, and we are very happy to be able to hold it once again, for the eighth year running, at Launde Abbey in Leicestershire, where they have decided they don’t want us to move!

Thanks once again to the committee (and others who have given generously of their time) for their hard work, dedication and individual expertise on the club’s behalf.  At this year’s AGM, I will not be the only committee member stepping down.  Denise Rudd, who has done so much administration behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the club’s business, has come to the end of her present term.  She has set up such a clear system to record the club’s meetings that it will be very straightforward for her successor to slot in and take over.  I have learned a great deal from her professionalism and would like to thank her for all her support, particularly for her tact, level-headedness and attention to detail.  I would also like to thank Jill Nicholas, who has shared the planning for the Annual Weekend  with Alyn Iorwerth by organising the tutors for all the workshops.  Taking the initiative,  Jill, in consultation with Alyn, set up a clear system for payments to tutors, which has been a great help to other club members when organising workshop events.  Jill has preferred to work as a non-committee volunteer and has indicated that she would like to step down after the event this autumn. 

Last year we particularly thanked Alyn Iorwerth for being Event Co-ordinator and for other committee responsibilities.  During this year we have welcomed a new face, and also some familiar ‘old’ faces back to key roles on the committee.  We are very happy that Dorothy Leddy has agreed to replace Alyn and has now been co-opted as Event Co-ordinator.   Dave Clifford and Kathy Corbett offered to step in on a temporary basis, as Membership Secretary and Newsletter Editor respectively,  but have since been willing to be co-opted for a three year term.  Dave is still doing a great job with our club web site, which Peter Collinson continues to host - thanks once again to Dave, and to Peter.  The web site brings us new members and gives us a world profile as an organisation enabling people to contact us before visiting the UK.           

This year has been a difficult one for Jim and Karen Couza.  Many of you will have read about Jim’s heart operation, and will have visited him or sent letters of encouragement and support;  we are all happy that his health continues to improve. 

As in previous years, overseas visitors have appeared at festivals, informal gatherings, workshops and concerts, usually centred around regional groups of the club; and members of Nonsuch have attended dulcimer events overseas and are continuing to develop individual friendships through dulcimers world-wide.  Those who met Gillian Alcock from Australia who came to one of the annual weekends at Hope will be interested to hear that she and Tim Shopen, an American 5 string banjo player, were married this July - our congratulations and very best wishes to them both.  However Tim is having treatment for cancer and so our thoughts are with him and Gillian as they cope with it together. 

I’ve taken the title of this piece from a saying that I found in a Chinese Fortune Cookie at my daughter’s wedding in 2002 - “Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box” - so I’m looking forward to being a pawn for a change! 

Jenny Coxon.  Chairman.

Committee Vacancies

We invite members to consider volunteering to help to run the club.  The committee has vacancies for up to four people who are willing to get involved.  We particularly need someone to take minutes of meetings and someone to keep the library records up to date. 

 Regional Groups

Eastern - Although there isn’t an eastern group run by the club at present, the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust has been looking at setting up a group of people who would be interested in playing the East Anglian style dulcimer with cane beaters.  Anyone interested should contact Katie and John Howson at the Trust on 01449 771090. 

Midlands - The Midlands region has centred on the Make and Play dulcimers group to which all are welcome.  Things have just pottered quietly along this year, although rumour has it that Dave Clifford and Jenny Smith will no doubt be having a ‘do’ at their place before too long.  Fred ‘Fingers’ Woodley and his instrument spent many long hours on the sea front at Sidmouth’s 50th and last festival - where will he go next summer?

Northern - An e-mail from Singaporean Stan Ang led to a New Year meet at Jenny Coxon's house on 4 January.  All enjoyed seeing Stan’s yangqin and having a go - maybe it will tempt a few northern members to go to China in 2005!  Then it was on to the York Winter Warmer in February, soon followed by the Boat Club Bash in March. We are now looking forward to this year's Dulcimer Drop-in Day at Fylde folk festival.  Thanks to northern member Dick Siddall for liaising with the Fylde committee and continuing to make it possible. 

South Western -  Kerensa Newman has been busy organising ‘Dulcimer Magic’- a three day event attached to the Cornwall Folk Festival in Wadebridge.  The packed programme features four workshops each day led by Dan Evans, John Shaw, Maclaine Colston and Kerensa herself.  There will be a concert performed by workshop leaders, and dulcimers will also feature in some of the concerts during the main festival.  Eleanor James will be performing in the Youth concert and also helping to run some of the workshops.  A live review of this event will appear in Nonsuch News.  There was also a sighting of John Shaw in the pages of the English Folk Dance and Song Society’s magazine EDS - disguised as an early 20th century singer from the Mendips and complete with granddad shirt, weskit and sawn-off churchwarden pipe................and not a dulcimer to be seen!

Southern - Members in this region have been enjoying a new lease of life with meetings in both Winchester and Bracknell, and visitors from as far away as the USA, Bristol and Cheltenham!  Neil Corbett nicely sums up the whole idea of regional meets - “Do try to get along to a local meet sometime, it’s a great way to get more out of your membership.  Maybe you’d like to host one.  Committee members will be glad to help out with networking to rustle up attendees.  All you need is a room and a kettle!”

Jenny Coxon.

Financial Review     

Our assets in the bank account to date stand at £6108.  After the balance has been paid for the Launde weekend we would expect to have about £2100.  A more comprehensive statement will be available later in the year.

Dave Clifford. Treasurer.

Membership Review 

Number of members  193

Number of members not rejoined from last year  11

Hammered dulcimer only players   123

Mountain dulcimer only players  35

Pluckers  12

Number playing both HD and MD  23

Number of non players  4

Number of members opting to pay by Standing Order next year  58

Number of Life members  7

New members for current year  45

Members paying in Euros  6

Dave Clifford.  Membership Secretary.

Events

Appenzell October 2003 - Attended by Sally, Jenny and Christie,  who delighted the audience with their unexpected three-on-one performance at the Grand Finale Concert.  See articles in Nonsuch News 4/03 and 2/04.

Launde October 2003 - After months of searching for a venue to replace Launde Abbey we were delighted with a generous offer from the administrator at Launde which enables us to continue holding our Annual Weekend at this tranquil retreat.  See Nonsuch News 4/03.

York February 2004 - The highlight for most people was our short performance in York Minster.  Workshops led by Christie Burns paved the way for her invititation to tutor at Launde later this year.  See articles in Nonsuch News 2/04

Cork Dulcimer Festival June 2004 - A truly international event this year, but unfortunately it might well be the last one, as organiser Christie Burns has relocated to West Kentucky to study for a Masters degree.  See article in Nonsuch News 2/04

Future Developments

Application for Charitable Status - at an on-line committee meeting held in May 2004, there was general agreement that, as an earlier vote by the whole membership was in favour of seeking Charitable Status, this action should be revived.  Next steps would be discussed and agreed at the Launde meeting.

Services to Members 

Newsletter - edited by Kathy Corbett.

Members Directory - generated by Sally Whytehead and Dave Clifford.

Instrument Loan Scheme - managed by John Shaw.

Small Library - managed by Denise Rudd.

Web site - managed by Dave Clifford and hosted by Peter Collinson.

This is our third annual review.  Thanks to Dave Clifford and Sally Whytehead for their help.

J.M.Coxon. NDC Annual Review.  23/08/04.