Orchestra info

TBC: Post concert social at Vincent's Club until 1am, concert dress is fine except ties will need to be added if you're wearing a shirt, guests welcome but please let us know for numbers - they will also need to adhere to dress code.

Attendance form: https://forms.gle/Fo3UE1wbSQT3B2jY6

You must tell your fixer before the start of term if you are unable to make any of your scheduled rehearsals. If term has already started, get in touch with them ASAP!
Fixers: Aaron Rambow Czarny (Strings, also Ella McLoughlin - leader), Lucy Deng (Wind), Arthur Easey (Brass), Jonathan Hampshire (Percussion)

Our seating process

We know that seating in the orchestra is important to a lot of people so we want to provide some information on the process for everyone. Although we use the OUMS audition process for invitation to join the orchestras, seatings within the ensembles aren’t based on audition performance due to the balance needed of competing factors. This is with the exception of the principal violin seats which are separately auditioned. Seating is decided at the discretion of the appropriate fixer along with the aid of the executive committee and senior players. The number of available seats will change depending on repertoire instrumentation and balance needs for specific programs throughout the year. Decisions are final but you are welcome to politely approach your fixer or an executive committee member if you have any concerns or questions.

In general, having auditioned and been offered a place in OUO, you are welcome to maintain your seat in the orchestra for the duration of your time at Oxford, assuming satisfactory commitment to the orchestra. For clarity on this and to provide guidance to the current and future orchestra committees, the following policy has been adopted:

ouo_membership_policy.pdf

Code of Conduct

This is intended to be less of a formal code of conduct and more of a guide to help you understand what we expect from members of the orchestra. Positions in OUO and OUSinf are extremely competitive so it is a privilege to be a part of the orchestra and we have put this list together to make playing in the orchestras the best possible experience for everyone.

Arrive early. Firstly, we very much encourage you to arrive at least 15 minutes early, or with enough time to both get your instrument out and warm up so that we make the most of everyone’s busy time. Also, it’s helpful to come even earlier to help with set up. We do not have a dedicated musical space to rehearse, so the room must be set up before rehearsal and put away after rehearsal; many hands make light work! If you are late (it happens, but try to avoid it), please avoid taking your seat while others are playing; if you can, wait for an appropriate break in the action to slip in.
Clearing up. There are lots of things to do after rehearsal, often including packing up percussion to take back to the faculty. Please help out as much as you can, the very least being to move your chair to wherever it needs to be to clear the room to how we found it.
Bring a stand and pencil (and use it!) You wouldn’t sit through a lecture without taking notes… It’s much more fun for everyone if we can keep making our playing better rather than rehearsing the same bits as last week. Bowings will be sent around at some point by the section leader, please make sure to mark these in your parts. Also, we normally practice in spaces which do not have rehearsal equipment like stands, you will need to bring your own to each rehearsal. If you don’t have one, you can order one online or ask for advice on shops which sell them in Oxford.
Music responsibility. We’ll hand out sheet music at the first rehearsal, you will need to look after it for the rehearsal period and then leave it on your stand at the end of the concert for us to collect in. Getting replacements for lost or damaged parts can be expensive and time-consuming so please help us avoid that. If you’re sharing a part with a desk partner, make sure the music gets to the rehearsal even if you can’t make it.
Practising. We all know that you won’t always be able to find time to fit in personal practice on OUO music between a Tuesday and Thursday rehearsal, but please do put in the practice that you feel you need to be comfortable with the music. This is especially applicable to people playing more exposed parts and anything which the conductor may have highlighted that could do with some personal practice before the next rehearsal.
Be courteous. We all go to rehearsals to have fun and enjoy playing together, just make sure we remember this when we need to query something with each other or the conductor.
Don’t tune loudly or chat during tuning. We all like being able to play in tune, and a bit of quiet for a few moments while we listen to the oboe really helps with that. It’s very tempting to chat while the other sections are tuning but please hold off for a minute!
Approach anyone with any questions, nicely. We really want to hear any of your questions and/or suggestions to make you feel comfortable in the orchestra. You should feel able to ask anyone questions, especially any committee members. There is also a feedback/suggestions form on the website that you can use and it can be anonymous if you like.
Don’t miss rehearsals. Our evening rehearsal times are generally good for not clashing with other commitments, and we really need you to prioritise OUO rehearsals so that everyone can get the most out of their time in the orchestra. Our concert-day rehearsal can often present challenges with clashes but you should do your absolute best to avoid these, your fixer might be able to help you with some advice if you talk to them early. You should even ask your tutor nicely to re-arrange your tutorial time/group to be able to make it. You can find the in-depth attendance policy further down.
Lastly, enjoy the music and the social side of OUO. OUO is a privilege, a great opportunity to play in an orchestra at a really good level, with loads of friends, and relax from your degree for a few hours. Enjoy it and get stuck in!

We will always try and help you fulfil these expectations but repeated failure to do so may result in you not being asked to join for the next concert.

In-depth attendance policy

We have decided to introduce an attendance policy to maintain some of the most important points about OUO:

OUO is the flagship student ensemble at the university;
the orchestra collaborates with professional conductors and/or soloists;
OUO selects its members from the very best the university has to offer, through centralised auditions organised by OUMS;
OUO strives for the highest possible levels of music-making; and
playing in OUO is a huge privilege.

We understand that all of our players have other academic and non-academic commitments and that you volunteer your time to come to rehearsals and play with us. Howeveer, playeres are expected, as far as possible, to:

attend all rehearsals;
ensure OUO takes precedence over other musical commitments;
avoid conflicts between OUO and academic commitments; and
communicate with their fixers in case of lateness or absence as soon as possible.

In order to help us manage the large number of players in the orchestra, we ask you to help us with the following policy:

Players are asked to fill out a form (as best they can considering that their schedule may not be finalised) ahead of the start of rehearsals for the production of that term, asking them to fill in their availability for each rehearsal.
The relevant fixer, with approval of the manager, must liaise with the player to establish the number of ‘justified’ absences. Players with too many absences may not be allowed to take part in the production.
Any changes to the availability of players must be communicated to their fixer as soon as possible and no later than noon on the rehearsal day in question.
Fixers are expected to fill out the attendance spreadsheet by 2pm on the day of each rehearsal so that the manager can give the conductor the list of expected attendees and the conductor has time to tweak their rehearsal plan accordingly, if necessary.
At the 2nd no-show fixers will chase the person in question.
2 or more unjustified absences or failure to follow any of the above may result in the individual being excluded from the production or not invited to play with OUO again the following term.
N.B. Illness or other extraordinary circumstances are treated as exceptions to the above policy. Players should still try, if possible, to organise a dep and any transfers of music or instruments with their colleague(s).

Complaints procedure

We find that it is incredibly rare that a complaints procedure is needed, but it's important to know where to go if you ever have an issue. We hope that you feel comfortable to talk to any committee member about a complaint and trust that they will handle it appropriately; especially the two managers and the treasurer (these people and their contact details can be found here). You are also very welcome to speak to other experienced committee members such as Sarah (sarah.jenkinson@bioch.ox.ac.uk) or Bradley (bradley.young@st-annes.ox.ac.uk). If you feel unable to do this, you may approach our senior member, Andrew, who's contact details are listed on our website.

The official documents for our constitution, code of conduct, and complaints procedure can be found here: