AGM
The Committee and its Work
The work of Strings Attached is taken forward by a group of volunteers who form the committee.
The committee, chaired by Helen Simpson, has five members each of whom has been involved with Strings Attached for many years.
Helen has an MA Musicology from the University of Leeds and spent her working life teaching music in higher and adult education. At Bretton Hall College, she introduced Ethnomusicology to mainstream undergraduate courses. She also trained graduate musicians to become secondary school music teachers, drawing on her experience of teaching in London and Carlisle. At Morley College, Helen developed an Access course to prepare musicians of all styles for study in higher education. Helen sings and plays the piano, cello and flute and, for demonstration rather than performance, the sitar and tabla.
Guy Richardson took a degree in music at Sussex University, then taught music in schools in London before returning to Brighton to teach piano. He founded the Brighton Chamber Choir, Brighton Chamber Orchestra and conducted the Brighton Youth Choir. He now concentrates on composition.
Betty Skolnick has enjoyed playing the piano throughout her life and started to study the cello a few years ago. Her main joy now is singing – with the Paddock Singers, a women’s choir in Lewes, and until very recently with Brighton Festival Chorus. Betty edits the Strings Attached Newsletter.
Margaret Polmear has been involved with Strings Attached from the outset and is a major supporter of the arts in Brighton and Hove. Originally a social worker, Margaret spent most of her working life in Human Resources including twenty years at Brighton Polytechnic/University of Brighton. Margaret is the Honorary Secretary of Strings Attached and works closely with Helen in furthering our close relationship with Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival to ensure the future of high-quality chamber music in the city.
Christine Moon has also been involved with Strings Attached from its earliest days and is the Honorary Treasurer, dealing with financial and membership matters. A librarian by profession, she worked at Brighton Polytechnic/University of Brighton for most of her career until she retired in 2008 following almost a decade as University Registrar.
The committee is appointed each year at the AGM in accordance with the constitution approved by the Charity Commission.
The committee is assisted by other members of Strings Attached who help maintain the website, create programme notes and provide occasional reviews of the coffee concerts. If you would be interested in becoming a member of the committee or helping in any other way please contact us.