Many members will already know that we have to say goodbye to our current SWEMF Chairman, Peter Leech. He has reluctantly decided to stand down as he has so many commitments now, and especially since the birth of Henry on the 18th November 2011. Peter has been a very supportive and efficient Chairman and we are very grateful for the time he has devoted to SWEMF in the past few years. We look forward to maintaining contact through his very popular SWEMF workshops which have always been well attended and appreciated.
A new Chairman has been selected by the SWEMF Committee to take over from Peter following the AGM on 19th May. We are very pleased to announce that Clare Griffel has been appointed to the position and we look forward to working with her in the future.
Margaret Somerset, a longstanding and very active member of SWEMF, was killed in a road accident on 25th November, 2011. Her life was celebrated by her family and huge circle of friends at the Parish Church in Shepton Mallet with a service full of music. Margaret had organised regular SWEMF workshops in Glastonbury under the direction of Tony Bevan, and Tony brought members of his choir Cantilena to sing the Agnus Dei from a Victoria Mass at the service and several SWEMF members played a recorder consort piece. Margaret leaves a husband Brian, daughters Anne and Jenny and son Peter, all fine musicians, and her loss to the early music world is considerable.
The South West Early Music Forum (SWEMF) is an organisation promoting all aspects of early music in the South West of England. It is one of ten regional Fora, which cover most areas of the UK, and are affiliated to the National Early Music Association, NEMA, who have recently produced a report on the future of Early Music in Britain.
The South West Early Music Forum region includes Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire and brings together amateur and professional musicians, musicologists, teachers and pupils, instrument makers, and early music enthusiasts.
Throughout the year a series of workshops and playing and singing days are organised within the region where members have the opportunity to study works under the guidance of early music specialist tutors. These activities include Baroque Chamber Music Playing Days, Singing Days focusing on particular composers or periods, and Workshops preparing larger scale works for both voices and instruments etc.
SWEMF also organises a number of social events including the Annual General Meeting in May which is sometimes combined with a residential weekend providing ample opportunity for music making and the opportunity for members to voice their views and suggestions on the future operations of the Forum
Members receive a quarterly Diary of Events announcing future activities of SWEMF, and other EM Fora, and also concerts and other events both within the region and elsewhere. Application forms for forthcoming SWEMF events are included in the Diary of Events mailing and are also available on the website.
Membership forms can be printed from the website. The next subscriptions are due on 1st April 2012 for for 2012/2013. For details click here.
A Membership List (last issued with the March 2012 Diary) gives information concerning members' particular interests, instruments played, voices sung etc. so that they may arrange joint activities outside those organised directly by SWEMF.
This site is maintained and Dick Little. Please send any comments or suggestions for improvements to webeditor@swemf.org.uk. Suggestions for additional links are particularly welcome.