Constitution

1. Name and Aims

The Oxford University Philharmonia (hereafter referred to as "the Orchestra") exists to rehearse and perform a wide range of music from the orchestral repertoire to a consistently high standard. It shall give a minimum of 1 public concert a term in a public venue in Oxford, and constantly seek to raise its profile and broaden its horizons through whatever means available at any one time. The design of the Orchestra' s logo may be changed at any time, if deemed necessary by the committee, but this is not to be encouraged.

2. Affiliation

The orchestra shall remain affiliated to the Oxford University Music Society (OUMS). It shall coordinate its activities and cooperate with all other University music ensembles affiliated with OUMS. The orchestra shall be governed by the Proctors of the University and the University Clubs Committee as outlined in the most recent edition of the Proctors’ and Assessor’s Memorandum. The Orchestra committee shall provide a member to sit on the committee of OUMS. This shall usually be the manager. This member will represent the interests of the Orchestra to the OUMS committee.

3. The Orchestra & its Members

The activities of the Orchestra will at all times be conducted in accordance with the following university policies and codes of practice in force from time to time: Integrated Equality Policy, Code of Practice on Harassment and Bullying, and Code of practice on Freedom of Speech. All matriculated members of the University are entitled to audition for membership of the Orchestra. Admittance into the Orchestra will be at the discretion of the Conductor and the relevant section Principal /Fixer; the annual auditions run by OUMS at the start of Michaelmas term will be the primary source of new members. Members are obliged to pay a subscription (see item 5), but the committee should aim to keep the amount as low as possible. Membership will be, as far as is practical, for the duration of each member’s course at Oxford. However, members may leave at the end of an academic year (or at the end of a term in exceptional circumstances) provided that the Committee is informed in advance. Members can also be asked to leave by the Conductor or the Manager, with the prior approval of the Committee. Section Principals will be selected by the Conductor, who may change them as often as s/he feels is necessary. If necessary, or desirable, players who are not matriculated members of the University may be selected. This is entirely acceptable, but such members should account for no more than 20% of the Orchestra.

4. Committee Members

All Committee members should be members of the Orchestra, and will be expected to serve for 3 terms (circumstances permitting). A vote of no confidence can be held against the conductor, manager or leader if two-thirds of the committee are in favour of doing so.  If this passes then a vote of the full orchestra will be held at the next possible opportunity. The action to be taken in the event of a no-confidence motion being carried should be left to the committee's discretion. The Committee should include a fixer from each section of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass and percussion), as well as the following officers:

a) The Manager (de facto Chairperson, and one of the named cheque book signatories) shall be responsible for the general running of the Orchestra, involving:

· Overseeing the recruitment of players in conjunction with fixers and the Conductor, booking rehearsals, venues and concerts, and keeping the players informed of these arrangements

· Keeping an up- to- date list of players and absentees, with the help of section fixers and the Secretary· Keeping the rehearsal schedule up to date on the website, and by email to players

· Collecting and returning the relevant keys before and after rehearsals

· Hiring instruments (where necessary, eg. pianos) and organising their transportation, where this is not the direct responsibility of the relevant fixer· Printing the programmes

· Finding stewards, box office attendants and a front - of - house person for the concert

· Organising the recording of concerts (if so desired) and subsequent distribution to orchestra members (in whatever format is appropriate).

· Encouraging (with the assistance of the Publicity Officer) firms to advertise in the programme, and attempting to find sources of sponsorship for the orchestra

· Negotiating, where necessary and with the assistance of the Treasurer, with the Music Faculty for financial assistance

· Exploring possibilities for concerts outside Oxford· Chairing Committee meetings, and deciding the agenda in advance for these meetings with the Secretary.

· Representing the Orchestra at the Performance Council meetings

b) The Conductor (de facto Vice- Chairman) shall be responsible for maintaining the musical standards of the Orchestra, involving:

· making the final decisions concerning programmes (before the programmes for the previous concert are printed) and players (before the end of the previous term, and with advice of the committee)

· when choosing a programme, to research sources and costs of music hire in conjunction with the librarian

· liaising with the section principals to sort out musical details, e.g. desking, parts, etc.

· planning (with the assistance of the Manager) a detailed rehearsal schedule for the first two weeks by the first rehearsal of term; keeping the Manager up to date with the rehearsal schedule as term continues.

· ensuring the Manager has the relevant programme notes and biographies no later than 2 weeks before the concert

· chairing committee meetings in the absence of the Manager

c) The Treasurer shall be the other named cheque book signatory and shall be responsible for the financial well- being of the Orchestra, involving:

· being the recipient of all invoices and cheques· ensuring all debts are paid immediately upon receipt of the relevant invoices, or deferred until sufficient funds are available

· giving out tickets for sale to players by the 4th week of every term, and liaising with the ticket printers (or the Oxford Playhouse, depending on current policy)

· keeping the accounts up to date

· sending, with the Secretary, a termly financial report to the Clubs Committee by 1st week of every term, along with the renewal form

· all decisions regarding the allocations of non routine finance over the sum of £50 must pass a full committee vote before being approved.

· sending invoices to all firms advertising in the programme, if required

· giving a report on the state of the Orchestra's finances at each meeting, and when required; giving the Manager a recent schedule of accounts for the termly OUMS Performance Council meeting.

· giving his /her opinion on all matters of financial importance

d) The Secretary shall be responsible for the general running of the Committee, involving:

· presenting the minutes of each meeting 72 hours before the subsequent one

· distributing an agenda (formal or informal) for each meeting to Committee members no later than 48 hours before that meeting is scheduled to take place

· liaising with Orchestra members, where necessary, to discuss motions before a General Meeting

· making (with the assistance of the Social Secretary) a collection at the end of Hilary term for the Conductor

· sending the renewal form to the Clubs Committee by 1st week of every term, along with the financial report

e) The Publicity Officer(s) shall be responsible for:

· designing (with the advice of the Committee) and printing all posters and flyers by three weeks before the concert date. Numbers, sizes and black and white/colour will be decided by the Committee.

· acquiring and placing posterboards around the city centre, and putting up posters anywhere else possible, with the assistance of the other Committee members

· checking all posterboards regularly, i.e. every 2- 3 days, and every day in the week before a concert, and replacing or repairing them where necessary

· attaching "Tonight" labels to all posterboards during the morning of the concert date

· distributing flyers at other concerts, when deemed appropriate

· contacting student and local newspapers, city listings, and radio stations with details of the concert

· leaving flyers and posters for distribution in City Centre shops

f) The Librarian shall be responsible for:

· ordering the music as soon as the programme is finalised (liaising with the Conductor and Treasurer about editions and cost of parts)

· keeping an up- to- date record of who has which parts

· ensuring that all spare parts are at rehearsals at least 15 minutes before the start (where possible orchestra members are to make their own photocopies for practice purposes)

· sorting and returning the parts after the concert

g) The Social Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining a good social scene within the Orchestra, involving:

· organising venues, drinks and food for a post - concert party, and for any other which takes place during the term

· bringing biscuits and other goodies to rehearsals for consumption during the break

· organising any other social events which s/he feels would enhance the social life and the motivation of the Orchestra (subject to approval by the Committee)

· making (with the assistance of the Secretary) a collection at the end of Hilary term for the Conductor

h) The Leader shall be responsible for liaising between players and the Committee, where necessary. Also s/he shall sit on the panel when a new Leader is chosen.

i) Fixers, one for each section of the Orchestra (strings, woodwind, percussion and brass), shall be responsible for maintaining good musical standards in their own sections, involving:

· Sitting on the OUMS auditions panels for their sections at the start of each Michaelmas term, and choosing the most suitable candidates for available places within the Orchestra

· Ensuring that members of their sections attend rehearsal, and notifying the Secretary if a member does not attend for any reason

· Keeping the Committee up to date with issues arising within their sections, and vice versa keeping their sections up to date with important information regarding the running of the Orchestra

The Committee as a whole should aim to create a high profile, positive and professional image of the Orchestra wherever possible. None of the positions are “closed”; members' advice is to be encouraged, the vast majority of decisions will be taken by the Committee as a whole, and as such, each member will be expected to perform any reasonable task requested of them. Also the whole Committee is expected to help with setting out and clearing up before and after rehearsals and concerts.

Meetings will take place at the start and end of each term, and any more as required, at the discretion of the Manager. The date for each will be decided either at the previous one or at rehearsals. The minimum attendance (which makes up the quorum for voting purposes) shall be five, and those absent should inform the Secretary in writing or via e- mail at least 24 hours before the meeting. No votes can be taken without the presence of both the Manager and the Conductor. An agenda for each meeting will be prepared by the Manager and Secretary; members should submit important points for discussion to the Secretary no later than 24 hours before the meeting is scheduled to take place. Each member should inform the Committee of the outcome of any decisions made, and anything which has occurred since the previous meeting. Financial and general management reports should be encouraged as part of a system of members' reports. Also, each member is expected to act as a representative of the players, and accordingly any problems or queries that have arisen should be brought up at meetings for discussion.

5. Concerts

Concerts will take place once per term, usually in 7th week, and usually in the Sheldonian Theatre. The orchestra will either use Tickets Oxford to produce tickets, or print its own, depending on what is considered financially viable in the term of the concert. All members of the orchestra will be issued five tickets to sell at least two weeks before the concert (usually in 5th week). All members will be expected to sell at least three tickets. If less than three are sold the member will be expected to make up the difference by paying the concession price of the unsold ticket(s). This amount will be no more than £15 (each concession ticket being priced at £5).

6. New Committee Members

In the first letter of each term, Orchestra members are to be informed of all positions available, and encouraged to discuss them with existing members, if interested. Applications are to be made through the Manager. If a position attracts no interest, it is primarily the responsibility of the existing member to find a replacement. The committee will discuss applications and decide on the new committee members as soon as possible. Where no amicable agreement can be reached, the issue will be decided by a show of hands (no abstentions). Incoming committee members will attend meetings from the meeting after their election, and take over their new roles as fully as possible from this point, with the help of the outgoing post holder.

7. New Conductors

a) Elections

A notice advertising the vacancy of Conductor of the Orchestra will be posted in the Music Faculty by Monday 2nd week of Hilary term, requesting CVs of candidates, and outlining the selection procedure. An announcement will be made to the Orchestra to the same effect at the rehearsal immediately after the notice goes up.  It must be made clear that the position is only open to conductors who are current students of the university.  The following Hilary Term candidates will conduct a miniature orchestra of Philharmonia players in a well-known piece chosen by the outgoing Conductor, then proceed to an interview. Those short-listed will then be invited to conduct the Orchestra playing the current repertoire in an audition. The interview panel shall consist of the Conductor, Manager, up to the entire committee (should they all wish to attend), and at least 1 independent expert. The closing date for applications, interview dates, and audition dates will be decided by the existing Conductor and Manager, based on what most conveniently fits into the rehearsal schedule. Also, the Conductor will decide the length of the excerpts to be conducted and the number of candidates to go through to the audition stages (ideally there should be at least three candidates to go through). After the auditions have taken place, the Orchestra will vote by secret ballot (based on a preference system - see below 5.b.). The name of the successful candidate will be announced as soon as possible to the Orchestra and candidates. The Manager and Conductor will count up the votes, and the scores will not be released, except on an individual basis, if one of the unsuccessful candidates auditioning wishes to know his / her total.

b) The Voting System

At the start of the auditions, a form shall be given to each Orchestra player present, listing the names of all candidates. There shall also be a "Reopen Auditions" option. If this option proves to be in the majority when all the votes are counted, then the post of Conductor shall be advertised for a further period, following which the election procedure shall begin again. After all the auditions have taken place, players should list their top 3 preferences and return the forms to the Manager The first count shall be of the first preferences. If one candidate has a straightforward majority, then he / she shall be declared the new Conductor of the Orchestra In the event of a tie, all forms which give a first preference to the last - placed candidate shall be removed, and their 2nd choices taken into account. If there is still a tie, the process shall continue with the next lowest - placed candidate, etc. If there is still a tie when the process cannot be continued further, the existing Conductor shall have the casting vote.

c) Conducting competition winners are excluded from applying again in later years.

8. Auditions for a new Leader

The Leader of the Orchestra is expected to serve for three terms only, at the moment from Hilary to the end of Michaelmas. A notice advertising the vacancy of Leader of the Orchestra (making clear that this position also involves being strings fixer, unless this role has been taken over by another) will be posted in the Music Faculty at least three weeks before the closing date for the applications. Auditions will take place two weeks after the closing date; the form of the auditions will be decided by the Conductor and the outgoing Leader. The adjudicating panel will consist of the Conductor, the existing Leader, and at least one other independent person. All candidates will be notified in writing, within one week of the auditions, of the outcome of their audition. The successful candidate will be expected to take on the full responsibilities of the position immediately following the concert in the term of the auditions.

9. Concerto Competition

The orchestra performs one solo concerto per year in Hilary term, the auditions for which are held, again amongst students, in Michaelmas term. Concerto competition winners are excluded from applying again in later years.

10. General Meetings

If desired by the Orchestra, a General Meeting shall occur not more than once each term. Motions should be submitted to the Secretary no later than 48 hours before the meeting is scheduled to take place. The Secretary will prepare and distribute an agenda to all players no later than 24 hours before the meeting. The minimum attendance shall be one - third of that term's Orchestra.

11. Tours

If deemed desirable by the Orchestra and committee, and if the Treasurer supports such a venture, the Orchestra may give concert s at venues outside Oxford. These may occur on dates outside full term if the Orchestra is willing. Tours should not be under taken without there being a genuine expectation of generating either a sufficiently large audience, or attracting sufficient financial backing, as to render the tour financially viable.

12. Change of Constitution

The constitution of the Orchestra may be changed at a full Committee Meeting or, in exceptional circumstances, at a rehearsal, with the support of at least two- thirds of those present. The original of the constitution, signed by the Manager, the Conductor and the Secretary, should be handed down from every manager to his / her successor.

Signed: Oxford, June 2010

Isabel Evans,  Manager

Matthew Lynch, Conductor

Kathryn Boast, Secretary