Memorandum submitted by the National Association of Choirs

 

 

The National Association of Choirs is a voluntary organisation run by volunteer officers for the benefit of its paying amateur member choirs. We represent around 528 choirs throughout the UK with around 21000 singing choristers.

 

In August 2006 I was contacted by one of our member choirs in Cornwall to ask what I knew about TENS. I had to respond immediately by saying I knew nothing. The description had never previously come to my attention. However, I made it my business to find out.

 

It appeared that the choir in question, and this was subsequently repeated for others in the same geographical area, had been advised by its local authority that if it wished to continue to perform its annual series of monthly charity concerts on the local quayside, they would have to issue a Temporary Event Notice to their local licensing department to cover each event, and PAY £21 FOR EACH EVENT.

 

This was threatening to curtail the events which had been part of the local cultural scene for many years.

 

With the help of my own local licensing officer I established what we believed were the rules of the game, and on behalf of the NAC prepared and issued the attached Advice Sheet AS803.

 

I am pleased to say this seems to have resulted in a truce being called in that area with what I guess was an over-zealous official.

 

September 2008