Patron: Anna Markland’ BBC Yog Musician of the Year 1982
Registered Charity Number 1087220.
The club has some orchestral instruments available for loan with no hiring fee, merely a nominal payment for insurance cover, and there is support for promising young players of orchestral instruments living in and around Sedbergh and District.
Members pay a small subscription to join. In return they are offered a varied programme of mainly cultural events. Further funds for the young musicians are raised by means of a levy of a £1 ‘peppercorn’ per person per event attended. Thus for the member, the fund-raising to assist in the musical education of local young people can go hand in hand with the opportunity for a continuing appreciation of the arts in general, often difficult to achieve in a rural district like ours.
Pepperpot Music Makers
Learning and practising a musical instrument can seem a solitary pastime; part of the fun in music-making is to play with other instrumentalists. In order to give young children this experience and to foster their interest in music, the Pepperpot Music Makers ‘orchestra’ was established in October 2000 as a result of successful bids for funding. The ‘orchestra’, which rehearses after school at Sedbergh Primary School, is open to children aged 7 to 11 (including those from other schools within striking distance) who are already learning to play instruments. These may include ocarinas, recorders, guitars, keyboards as well as non-transposing orchestral instruments. Folk, pop and classical music all feature.
Although originally intended for primary age children, the ‘orchestra’ has attracted some adult beginners and ‘returners’ as well. They find that the experience of playing in a group is both valuable and enjoyable. In turn their presence is an encouragement to the children so the arrangement is mutually beneficial. Occasionally a concert is organised and in June 2004 ‘Across an Unknown Sea – the Quest of St Brendan’, a music-drama specially commissioned by Sedbergh Pepperpot Club from Lakeland Composer Christopher Gibbs, was performed during the Sedbergh Festival. In keeping with the ethos of the Club, people of all ages and levels of musical experience were involved: the Pepperpot ‘orchestra’, a chorus of teenage singers, experienced amateur and professional instrumentalists and two professional singers; even the audience participated! Since then the children have performed The Midnight Thief by Richard Rodney Bennett and A Twist in the Tale, greatly enjoyed by audience and participants alike
For the Music Makers Project to remain viable, it must be placed on a firm financial footing. External funding is increasingly difficult to obtain and we are therefore appealing for more help for the Pepperpot Music Makers from:
- Friends who pay an annual subscription of £5.
- Sponsors who make a minimum gift of £20 p.a.
- Company Sponsors
- Those willing to leave a legacy
- Members who pay £6 annually (or £10 for two at the same address)
All these people receive news of the Pepperpot Music Makers’ activities from time to time.
Please become a Member, Friend or Sponsor by printing and completing our down-loadable application form. Further information is available from:
Sedbergh Pepperpot Club
Yan Tethera
Queen’s Drive
Sedbergh
LA10 5DP
Tel: 015396 21196
Email: yantethera@gmail.com
Sedbergh Pepperpot Club, which includes Pepperpot Music Makers, became a Registered Charity (No. 1087220) on 28th June 2001. This enables tax to be reclaimed on all subscriptions and donations from individuals, provided the donors pay tax.
Policies
The Pepperpot Club adheres to policies for equal opportunities and child protection.
Acknowledgments
Without the help of substantial grants from:
- Awards for All
- The National Foundation for Youth Music
- Northern Arts and Arts Council North West
- Making Music
- The Frieda Scott Trust
it would not have been possible for Sedbergh Pepperpot Club to launch and continue to run the Pepperpot Music Makers Project. The following have also contributed generously:
- The Hadfield Trust
- Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale Neighbourhood Forum
- The Craven Trust
- Dent Grammar School Educational Foundation
- The Bowland Charitable Trust
- Dent and Sedbergh Parish Councils
- The Ernest Cook Trust
- The Batty Charitable Trust
- The Churches Conservation Trust
- Cumbria Community Foundation Local Network Fund
- The Trott Musical Foundation
Donations from Members, Friends and Sponsors are also much appreciated and provide an increasing source of income. The aim is to expand these schemes and become self-sufficient.
Please become a Member, Friend or Sponsor!
Sedbergh Pepperpot Club is affiliated to ‘Making Music’ which, throughout the UK, represents and supports music promoters of all kinds, as well as amateur instrumental and vocal groups.
