General Information for New MCO Members
The Overall Picture
The Marlborough Civic Orchestra (MCO) is a community orchestra functioning as an Incorporated Society based in Blenheim and we aim to enjoy ourselves playing a variety of music from the orchestral repertoire with as wide a range of instruments as we can assemble.
The MCO is run on a day-to-day basis by its elected Officers – Chairperson, Manager, Treasurer & Secretary – and colleague Committee members. These are all MCO members and are volunteers. Committee meetings are usually held on a monthly basis and members are kept informed of what’s taken place and what’s planned.
If you have a query about anything related to the MCO you can contact one of the Committee. We like to think of the MCO as a friendly and welcoming organisation but if you don’t find that’s the case, please let us know!
The Orchestra Year
The MCO season starts towards the end of the summer and has several major musical events in its year. There is usually a concert prior to Easter and then an annual training weekend in June which has usually been with members of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra supervising the training. A day’s concert-making for local schools is a regular annual fixture with the MCO major annual concert in winter with the finale to the season being a pre-Christmas concert. Throughout the season, soloists feature in some concerts, sometimes soloists from within the MCO or from further afield; some concerts include invited players and/or guests from around the region.
The Orchestra Function
The orchestra is split into 4 conventional sections of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. For each instrument there is a designated Instrument Organiser who acts as liaison with the Section Leader. The latter acts in a supervisory capacity over the section as a whole, organising sectional rehearsals and, in conjunction with the Instrument Organisers, allocating parts to individual players for concert programmes.
Some of our MCO members are experienced orchestral musicians while many others are comparative or total newcomers to the orchestral world. Regardless of experience, all musicians know that while there are many common factors shared by orchestras, each has its own distinct characteristics, traditions and etiquette, creating its own unique atmosphere.
Orchestral Rehearsals
We usually rehearse on Saturdays, later afternoon just before dinner. At rehearsals, we aim to be in our places in time to tune and start playing by no later than the scheduled rehearsal time. If the stated time is, say, 4pm, then that’s the time our conductor expects to have the players seated ready to play on his downbeat. If it takes you 10 minutes to “warm up and tune” then you’d need to be in place by 3.50pm. This means we don’t waste each other’s’ time and maximise available rehearsal time.
Rehearsals are the only valuable time that the whole orchestra or ensemble is together so it shouldn’t be viewed as “personal practice-time”. That’s to be done personally in our own time, away from the MCO.
Orchestra Etiquette
At all times, please remember that you are seen and heard even though you may not be able to see and hear beyond the players around you! Tapping your foot or humming or counting bars rests might seem quiet to you but can be off-putting to those around you. (This is particularly the case on a concert platform with no floor-covering and where sounds are magnified.)
Because we cover a great deal of music, interpretation and technical directions in the course of a rehearsal, each person should have a soft pencil and a pencil eraser at each rehearsal to make a note of directions.
Concert Dress and Etiquette
At concerts, the MCO prides itself on a smart turnout and the dress-code is advised in good time beforehand. For ladies, long black formal, and for men, black pants & white shirts with black bow ties is the usual style. Black bow ties are available for purchase cheaper than in the shops from the orchestra.
At a MCO concert, only music stands and music are upon the concert platform. All instrument cases, etc, are left backstage.
When on the concert platform, the MCO leader takes their seat after the orchestra is in place and the seated orchestra claps or taps their music stand in acknowledgement of the leader’s entrance. (This also has the effect of advising the audience to quieten.) The leader then requests and is given an ‘A’ for tuning – first the woodwind, then the brass and percussion and finally the strings. Following this, when the conductor appears on the rostrum at the beginning of the concert, the orchestra stands in acknowledgement.
When a soloist is performing the orchestra generally acknowledges their entrance with applause and likewise when they exit.
For the second half of a concert, when the leader returns to the podium the MCO adopts the same leader acknowledgement and tuning but does not rise for the return of the conductor unless directed to do so by the leader. After a soloist has ended their appearance, and leaves the podium, it is best practice to watch the leader in case a re-tuning is necessary.
Ways to support and assist the MCO
Player-members are the mainstay of the MCO’s continued well-being. Members’ subscriptions enable the orchestra to hire or purchase music parts, secure concert venues and fund the major, often unseen, costs of performances and running an orchestra. The annual subscription rate is reviewed and set at the AGM held annually no later than end-June and becomes payable immediately, for new members, or 1st January for renewals. The subscription year runs in line with the MCO music season and the calendar year.
MCO members can provide valuable support in many ways, perhaps by helping promote concerts: selling tickets, displaying posters, etc or by assisting on one or more of the Committee sub-groups: e.g. music programme selection, funding, publicity, etc. If you have a skill or speciality interest or simply want to help, please let one (or more) or the Committee know.
The MCO is also keen to encourage those non-players who want to support it as Friends of the MCO. The package of incentives to this valued group of people is constantly under review and currently includes copies of the MCO newsletters, invitation to attend post-concert celebration, priority booking for concert tickets. If you know of anyone who would like to support the MCO, please let the designated Committee member know.
For those people or businesses who would like to support the MCO in a larger way financially or materially, whether it be by donation or specific assistance, we have Sponsors and Patrons. For more details, contact the designated Committee Member or Hon Treasurer.
Instrument Organisers 2022
1st violin & keyboards – Linda Lloyd
2nd violin – Ana Panoho
Viola – Jo Kydd
‘Cello – Jenni Stubbs
Flute – Camilla Nilsson
Clarinet – Iona Panoho
Trumpet – Philip Gibbison
Membership Rates 2022
Adult player - $50
Student player - $25
Family (2 adults + students) - $100
Friend of the MCO - $50
The Marlborough Civic Orchestra (MCO) is a community orchestra functioning as an Incorporated Society based in Blenheim and we aim to enjoy ourselves playing a variety of music from the orchestral repertoire with as wide a range of instruments as we can assemble.
The MCO is run on a day-to-day basis by its elected Officers – Chairperson, Manager, Treasurer & Secretary – and colleague Committee members. These are all MCO members and are volunteers. Committee meetings are usually held on a monthly basis and members are kept informed of what’s taken place and what’s planned.
If you have a query about anything related to the MCO you can contact one of the Committee. We like to think of the MCO as a friendly and welcoming organisation but if you don’t find that’s the case, please let us know!
The Orchestra Year
The MCO season starts towards the end of the summer and has several major musical events in its year. There is usually a concert prior to Easter and then an annual training weekend in June which has usually been with members of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra supervising the training. A day’s concert-making for local schools is a regular annual fixture with the MCO major annual concert in winter with the finale to the season being a pre-Christmas concert. Throughout the season, soloists feature in some concerts, sometimes soloists from within the MCO or from further afield; some concerts include invited players and/or guests from around the region.
The Orchestra Function
The orchestra is split into 4 conventional sections of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. For each instrument there is a designated Instrument Organiser who acts as liaison with the Section Leader. The latter acts in a supervisory capacity over the section as a whole, organising sectional rehearsals and, in conjunction with the Instrument Organisers, allocating parts to individual players for concert programmes.
Some of our MCO members are experienced orchestral musicians while many others are comparative or total newcomers to the orchestral world. Regardless of experience, all musicians know that while there are many common factors shared by orchestras, each has its own distinct characteristics, traditions and etiquette, creating its own unique atmosphere.
Orchestral Rehearsals
We usually rehearse on Saturdays, later afternoon just before dinner. At rehearsals, we aim to be in our places in time to tune and start playing by no later than the scheduled rehearsal time. If the stated time is, say, 4pm, then that’s the time our conductor expects to have the players seated ready to play on his downbeat. If it takes you 10 minutes to “warm up and tune” then you’d need to be in place by 3.50pm. This means we don’t waste each other’s’ time and maximise available rehearsal time.
Rehearsals are the only valuable time that the whole orchestra or ensemble is together so it shouldn’t be viewed as “personal practice-time”. That’s to be done personally in our own time, away from the MCO.
Orchestra Etiquette
At all times, please remember that you are seen and heard even though you may not be able to see and hear beyond the players around you! Tapping your foot or humming or counting bars rests might seem quiet to you but can be off-putting to those around you. (This is particularly the case on a concert platform with no floor-covering and where sounds are magnified.)
Because we cover a great deal of music, interpretation and technical directions in the course of a rehearsal, each person should have a soft pencil and a pencil eraser at each rehearsal to make a note of directions.
Concert Dress and Etiquette
At concerts, the MCO prides itself on a smart turnout and the dress-code is advised in good time beforehand. For ladies, long black formal, and for men, black pants & white shirts with black bow ties is the usual style. Black bow ties are available for purchase cheaper than in the shops from the orchestra.
At a MCO concert, only music stands and music are upon the concert platform. All instrument cases, etc, are left backstage.
When on the concert platform, the MCO leader takes their seat after the orchestra is in place and the seated orchestra claps or taps their music stand in acknowledgement of the leader’s entrance. (This also has the effect of advising the audience to quieten.) The leader then requests and is given an ‘A’ for tuning – first the woodwind, then the brass and percussion and finally the strings. Following this, when the conductor appears on the rostrum at the beginning of the concert, the orchestra stands in acknowledgement.
When a soloist is performing the orchestra generally acknowledges their entrance with applause and likewise when they exit.
For the second half of a concert, when the leader returns to the podium the MCO adopts the same leader acknowledgement and tuning but does not rise for the return of the conductor unless directed to do so by the leader. After a soloist has ended their appearance, and leaves the podium, it is best practice to watch the leader in case a re-tuning is necessary.
Ways to support and assist the MCO
Player-members are the mainstay of the MCO’s continued well-being. Members’ subscriptions enable the orchestra to hire or purchase music parts, secure concert venues and fund the major, often unseen, costs of performances and running an orchestra. The annual subscription rate is reviewed and set at the AGM held annually no later than end-June and becomes payable immediately, for new members, or 1st January for renewals. The subscription year runs in line with the MCO music season and the calendar year.
MCO members can provide valuable support in many ways, perhaps by helping promote concerts: selling tickets, displaying posters, etc or by assisting on one or more of the Committee sub-groups: e.g. music programme selection, funding, publicity, etc. If you have a skill or speciality interest or simply want to help, please let one (or more) or the Committee know.
The MCO is also keen to encourage those non-players who want to support it as Friends of the MCO. The package of incentives to this valued group of people is constantly under review and currently includes copies of the MCO newsletters, invitation to attend post-concert celebration, priority booking for concert tickets. If you know of anyone who would like to support the MCO, please let the designated Committee member know.
For those people or businesses who would like to support the MCO in a larger way financially or materially, whether it be by donation or specific assistance, we have Sponsors and Patrons. For more details, contact the designated Committee Member or Hon Treasurer.
Instrument Organisers 2022
1st violin & keyboards – Linda Lloyd
2nd violin – Ana Panoho
Viola – Jo Kydd
‘Cello – Jenni Stubbs
Flute – Camilla Nilsson
Clarinet – Iona Panoho
Trumpet – Philip Gibbison
Membership Rates 2022
Adult player - $50
Student player - $25
Family (2 adults + students) - $100
Friend of the MCO - $50