Dear FMCA Members and Supporters,

Thank you to all those who have returned to FMC after our long Covid break and a warm welcome to our new members! Please encourage anyone who plays an instrument or has played in the past to join our community music group – the more, the merrier!

Covid restrictions – a reminder that a mask should still be worn to move around St Peter’s Church to protect members from contracting Covid. Please bring a mask to sessions, use the hand sanitiser and continue to socially distance. If you have any concerns, please speak to Nyree, Harriet, Maxine, Beth or Ceri.

Diary Dates

Social Media – Thank you to Matthew Pennell for keeping our website up-to-date. Please check the website regularly for updates to information on FMC, policies and engagements. Thanks also to Theo Letts for agreeing to manage our Twitter feed, Instagram and Facebook accounts – please remember to subscribe, follow and spread FMC news through social media:

• Facebook: @fenland.musiccentre
• Twitter: @Fenlandmusic
• Instagram: @fenland_music

Photographs – If you take any photographs at FMC events, please could you email copies to us at fenlandmusiccentreassociation@gmail.com to possibly use for our social media accounts, website and publicity? This will also help us to add to FMC’s photo archive. We will check with our permissions on the registration forms before posting or publishing any photos.

Tuck shop – a reminder that this is currently available between orchestra and concert band and profits from drinks and snacks helps FMC with running costs – thanks to Sophie and Adrian Megicks, who stock and run the tuckshop. We can hopefully to return to a break where we can socialise properly together
sometime in the future.

Can you help FMC?

Please speak to Nyree, Maxine or Harriet if you have ideas for or can help organise fundraising to cover FMC running costs. We particularly need help with finding grant funding and donors/sponsorship and with organising a fundraising social event. If we raise more money, we may be able to extend our hire space on Fridays and run more groups again at a higher level (such as a wind ensemble, intermediate strings or intermediate orchestra).

(Some members of concert band playing at the St Peter’s Xmas Fair last week, the Rotary Concert on 3rd February and the March Xmas light switch-on.)

FMC sessions finish after the concert on 4th December although we still have three Xmas engagements after that date for those involved.

FMC starts back again at St Peter’s Church on 7th January 2022.

Have a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear FMCA Members and Supporters,

We hope you are all looking forward to returning to FMCA sessions on Friday 17th September and it will be great to see you all again! The Covid-19 rules inside St Peter’s Church have changed slightly – we can sit slightly closer together and masks need only be worn when not playing. You can still continue to use your specialist music masks while playing. Please continue to use the hand sanitiser, the track and trace app and sign in as usual. All rubbish needs to be taken home with you as there are no bins in use. If you have any concerns about playing again in groups, please contact FMCA via email or talk to Nyree or Maxine on 17th September at St Peter’s.

Please arrive to set up your music stand and collect your music at least 5 minutes before your first session – you may also wish to bring a stand light.

Autumn term music groups

The tuck shop and hot drinks are available for an hour from 7.10 to 8.10pm. Many thanks to Sophie and Adrian Megicks for again organising and running the tuck shop.

Autumn term dates

FMC has a reduced membership since we stopped playing due to the Covid pandemic in 2019, due to members moving to new schools or changes of circumstance. We also lost donations, grants and payments for engagements last year and this summer. This means that we need to again gradually build our membership and try to gain funding again to break even on costs.

As you know, our aim is to provide reasonably priced group playing, a learning together environment and enjoyment in playing with all ages and abilities, with more experienced players helping and encouraging those that need help. FMCA would like to develop musical outreach opportunities that promotes community music-making and encourages young children, students having formal lessons and adult players returning to playing to make music together. If you know of any musician of any age that might like to play with us, please encourage them to join FMC!

Membership fee: The termly cost of membership has increased to £20 for students under 18 and £30 for adults with a discounted family price of £60 for 2 students and an adult. We have increased it to cover rental costs, etc. but it is still excellent value for 10 sessions.

We would prefer that you pay by bank transfer (please remember to include the players name for reference) and please email FMCA to show that you have paid at fenlandmusiccentreassociation@gmail.com, otherwise please put money in a named, sealed envelope in the basket in church.

And finally: goodbye, good luck and a massive thank you Kevin Wang, who moved onto further study in September and attended and supported FMC for many years. We will miss you!