GLOSSARY

A-Z of CATEGORIES

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Adding New Entries

If you wish to suggest a new Entry to the Directory, simply send me its Title and the URL of its current Website: I will do the rest (I create and maintain all the Entries in the OCR Directory). Note that the prime aim of ‘Open Concerts and Recitals’ is for the Entities referenced therein to have Websites (not just Facebook Pages); and for the Websites to allow users to garner up-to-date details of forthcoming concerts and recitals germane to their activities.

All Listings

Appears top right on most pages of Listings of ‘Brief’ Records, toggling with This Category. Primarily used to produce a collated group of Listings of ‘This Category’ and any Sub-Categories it has. The collated group can then be sorted by ‘Popular’ (ranking of the number of displays of the Full Records of Entries which have been made so far by Users of the Directory: the most popular Record first) or ‘Most Visited’ (ranking of the number of links to the Websites primarily cited in the Entries which have been made so far by Directory Users: the most visited Website first) as an alternative to the default ‘Alphabetical’ (by Title of Brief Record). But also, the group of Records can be filtered using a range of parameters: press Filter Listings displayed top left, once you have invoked ‘All Listings’.

Category

The subject classification scheme used has been specially designed for this Directory - with all the caveats that such an attempt implies. The scheme is basically in three Sections. The first comprises what I term the Providers of concerts and recitals - Organizations, Performers, Venues - and new Entries to the Directory are first allocated to a Category within one of these areas (their ‘Primary’ Category). The second Section is the EXPLORE Categorization, and the new Entries - as appropriate - are then indexed with one of the places therein: this is their ‘Secondary’ Category. These two Sections comprise the bulk of the Directory; but there is also a small ‘World of Classical Music’ category as a third Section. You may well not find a Record of interest categorized where you expected! But the Category Headings are all listed in the A-Z of Categories at the top of each Page of the Directory; and they are searchable using the Search the DIRECTORY ... Box.

Community

All the entities I reference will have a community or communities they interact with. But I have tended to restrict use of the ‘Community’ Categories (‘Choirs’, ‘Festivals’, ‘Orchestras and Bands’): either to bodies where, literally, everyone is welcome to participate (e.g. no auditions, just turn up, etc); or to those who place a particular emphasis on working for and with specific communities (e.g. charities); or both. The musical level and sophistication of the offerings also plays a role here. For instance, if a ‘choral society’ or a ‘symphony orchestra’ regularly tackles the big and demanding works, then they would generally be placed in those Categories, rather than in the related ‘community’ Categories. On the other hand, even if a group of performers offers works at a very high level, if their prime focus is a particular segment of society, I will normally have placed them in one of the ‘Community’ Categories.

Description

Where a Description is provided, the text is almost always simply 'copied and pasted' from the Entity’s Website. Inevitably, the result will only be a partial portrait. But by reproducing what the body says about itself, rather than making up my own text, I have tried to let the Entity speak for itself, and to avoid making a judgement on its relative value in the world at large. My choice of text inevitably is bound to be subjective, reflecting what I find to be of importance and interest; and this might well not be what you would have chosen to highlight about the Entity. Naturally, the Entities themselves are always free to suggest changes to their ‘Descriptions’ in my Directory; and one or two have.

EXPLORE Concerts and Recitals in the UK

Each Record is cross-referenced to the most precise geographical part of the UK relevant to its Entity’s prime field of operation. (Entities which do not have a precise field of operation are simply tagged ‘UK’’.) The geographical parts chosen are arranged in a hierarchy. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are divided into the official administrative areas currently used by the governments in each country, with the areas gathered together into self-made ‘regions’ so as to map what I do with England. For a few of these (non-English) areas I have further sub-divided into ‘Localities’ (e.g. ‘St Andrews’ within ‘Fife’); but the majority become the reference point for the Field Nearby as well as the Field Area. In contrast, for England, not only have I divided the Country into the nine ‘Regions’ still occasionally used for various purposes. I have also then allocated to each Region its ‘Counties’. Many of these Counties will indeed be current Unitary Authorities, but they also include Metropolitan Areas such as Greater Manchester, Tyne and Wear. (I have also invented ‘Birmingham and Around’.) However, a few of the designations here are now only of historical relevance, but they still seem most appropriate for a venture of this kind (e.g. Avon, Berkshire). London has been sub-divided into five parts characterized in some strategic studies of the capital. These are the English Areas. Then, apart from Isles of Man and Wight, the Areas within England are divided into their own ‘Localities’, the reference points here for Nearby. Inevitably, given the complex current and historical use of local, area, and regional names for parts of the UK, there is no perfect way to divide up the Kingdom, and one just has to make compromises ...

Filter Listings

You can ‘filter’ a set of All Listings - once created. This is most effectively used to narrow down a generated ‘All Listings’ of particular types of Organizations, Performers, Venues by ‘Country’, ‘Region’, or ‘Area’ (e.g. ‘Choral Societies’ in ‘Wales’) - because for each of those geographical parameters there are drop-down lists of the keywords I use in indexing. However, I have also provided access to other free-text filtering Fields (‘Search’, ‘Title’, ‘Description’), as well as the keyword Field ‘Nearby’: these might occasionally come in useful, I guess. Note that the Filtering facility indeed scans “ALL” the Listings you have invoked, not just the ones displayed on its first page if there is more than one page of ‘All’ Listings. However, filtering does not always work well if you try it with a very large group of Records. But when it does work, it naturally filters the relevant Google Map icons - where these are displayed - as well as the listings themselves.

Google MAP

Where it seems likely it might be helpful, I place an Icon on a Google MAP. For the Organizations this is usually at the address from which the body (primarily) operates; for Performers at the (principal) rehearsal venue I discovered when creating the Record; for Venues at the venue itself - accompanied in the ‘Full’ Record here by the Venue’s postal address. Maps with the relevant Icons in place are usually generated after a Search of the Directory. (The Maps originally appeared also in Listings of 'Brief' Records as well as at the foot of each 'Full' Record; but this became too costly to provide.) On the Map itself, click the Icon and then ‘Read more’ to Link to the relevant ‘Full’ Record. Naturally, check the Provider’s own Website for an up-to-date location: things may have moved since I created the Record and placed its Icon. I do not systematically check whether its icon location is still appropriate when I Review a Record. However, I would hope that the location will continue to give you at least a rough idea of where the relevant body is based.

KEY Records

These Records indicate where a specific Category lies in the overall Classification. Clicking on the LINKs within each Record should lead you to lists of Records indexed with the Title of the KEY, as well as Google MAPs for those Records. There are A-Zs of the KEY Records in the Directory at the start of the Classification as well as at the start of the Organizers, Performers and Venues Sections.

Provider

Umbrella term used here to encompass the bodies who - directly or indirectly - ‘provide’ concerts and recitals in the UK. Three prime sections: Organizers; Performers; Venues (but I have also labelled as ‘Providers’ the Entries in the World of Classical Music Section).

Recently Added Listings

There is a LINK to a Listing of Brief Records of the 100 Entities most recently added to the Directory: these presented in reverse chronological order.

Record

The collection of Fields of data captured for each Organization in the Directory. After clicking a Category heading or carrying out a Search, the system displays a set of 'Brief' Records, sorted and displayed alphanumerically by Record Title. Clicking the Title of a 'Brief' Record displays its 'Full' Record on its own Page. In comparison with its 'Brief' Record a 'Full' Record will contain information in these Fields: Address (where present); Nearby (Tag); Area (Tag); Postcode (where present). There is a button to Visit the Entity’s Website and also a collection of icons for Sharing the Record. And finally - at the foot of the ‘Full’ Record - you can click to the ‘Next’ or ‘Previous’ ‘Full’ Record within its (prime) Category.

Review

I try to maintain a programme of ‘reviewing’ whether the Website (or Facebook Page) Links I provide are still relevant. If an Entity no longer seems to be planning a forthcoming set of concerts and recitals, I remove its Record at Review.

Sitemap

The LINK appears at the foot of each Website Page and the Map is described in this Record.

This Category

When you link from a Category Name (e.g. ‘England’, ‘Music Festivals’, ‘Singing Groups and Choirs’), the default is to display - and only display - Brief Records of Directory Entries specifically assigned to that (i.e. “this”) Category. Particularly if the Category has one or more Sub-Categories, there might in fact be “No records found”, simply because, indeed, no Entries have been specifically indexed with that (higher-level) Category Name. However, pressing ‘All Listings’ will then reveal all the Entries indexed with Category Names lower down that segment of the overall Categorization - as well of course as any Entries indexed with the Category Name you originally chose. The ‘All Listings’ function (with which ‘This Category’ toggles) provides a number of other useful facilties: see its Entry above.

Types of Entry

* Organizers - concert societies, cultural festivals, music colleges and academies, etc

+ Performers - orchestras and bands, choirs and singers, chamber ensembles, etc

@ Venues - cathedrals, concert halls, arts centres, etc

~ World of Classical Music - portals, associations, magazines, online platforms, etc

Each Record is cross-referenced if appropriate to a Locality and Area within the EXPLORE Categorization.

Website

Field which provides a Link which should normally take you to the ‘official’ Website of the Entity referenced within its Record.

SCOPE NOTES

Accordion and Fiddle Clubs (*)

‘The National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs is a national association of clubs dedicated to Scottish traditional dance music. In approx. 70 clubs in Scotland and Northern parts of England, players and audience meet monthly to share their love of this type of music ... Clubs and their members are kept informed through a magazine, Box & Fiddle.’ Also categorized here are a number of Accordion Clubs, generally located in Mid and Southern England.

Cathedral and Church Choirs (+)

Covers choirs in cathedrals and churches, also such as the Oxbridge chapel choirs, which have a significant and distinctive concert and recital programme, separate from and in addition to their worship service roles. I have also included here a number of chamber choirs which focus on singing choral evensong and similar in places of worship - usually whilst the resident choirs are on vacation. The Website Choral Evensong provides a useful overview of activity in this arena.

Choral Societies (+)

‘Choral Societies’ - as distinct here from ‘Chamber Choirs’ and ‘Community Choirs’ - will normally have at least 50 singers and will regularly tackle the large and demanding traditional and modern choral works, often performing with an orchestra and professional soloists. Frequently, though by no means always, membership will entail an audition.

Local Competitive Music Festivals (*)

Most, if not all, of the Festivals referenced here will be Members of the British and International Federation of Festivals whose Festivals’give the opportunity for amateurs to form an appreciation of artistic standards; to perform before a different type of audience; to participate in workshops and masterclasses; to be assessed, encouraged and inspired by active Professional Adjudicators they would not meet in any other way’.

Local Concert Promoters (*)

These, principally, are the concert societies and music clubs which, typically, offer subscription series of recitals running from the autumn through winter to spring. They will usually focus on soloists or small group ensembles (such as string quartets), with leading artists enjoying the intimacy of the occasions and appearing at several venues throughout each season. Many local promoters will be Members of Making Music (check out Group Type ‘Promoter’ under ‘Find a Music Group’) - who ‘fight for the best deals and provide the expertise, networks and support you need to set up, run and thrive as a leisure-time music group’.

Organists’ Associations (*)

In the UK, Local Associations are normally affiliated to the Incorporated Association of Organists whose prime purpose is ‘to help provide education and training relative to organists (playing, interpreting, caring for the organ and so on) and the wider public’. The majority of members of the LAs are associated with the organs found in cathedrals, churches, chapels and other places of workship.