The Edinburgh University Music Society rehearses hard. There are three rehearsals a week between our ensembles, and as the date of our concerts draws nearer we usually have even more. The advantage of such a rehearsal schedule, however, is that we see lots of each other. Sometimes we as a society need to relax, have a good natter and generally enjoy each others’ company, and that is precisely what our socials exist to do.
EUMS socials take many forms. Following all rehearsals we have space booked in a regular watering hole. For instance Chorus head to Bar 50 following each rehearsals. Post-rehearsal venues for Sinfonia and Symphony Orchestra will be updated following confirmation of rehearsal spaces for the upcoming academic year.
If it is food you are after then we cater annually for the culinary needs of our members. Near the beginning of every academic year the society holds its Sectional Meals, where the various sections from each of our ensembles organise their own dinner and have a good chin-wag over some great nosh, followed usually by a bit of a party when all of the sections reconvene at a predetermined venue.
We also have numerous “recreational” events during the year. Semester One sees the EUMS Weekend Away, where EUMS descends on a location out of Edinburgh for two days of music making and merriment. The EUMS Winter Ceilidh follows, and is a great chance to dance away your exam woes. Semester Two holds the glamourous EUMS Ball, incorporating a formal meal followed by a ceilidh, rounded off with some rather informal boogie-ing. We as a society have an almost unhealthy love for karaoke, and many of our socials involve many of our more senior or alumni members making enormous fools of themselves with a microphone in hand.
The most important feature of our socials is to reinforce the bond between our members. With such a large society it can be exciting making new friends with people who were actually performing in the same concert as you, and even more interesting making friends with sections in other ensembles that you might not see in rehearsals.
For further details about our socials or to discuss matters of a social nature generally, email our Social Secretaries (social@eums.org.uk) or find us on Facebook.
Edinburgh University Music Society
The University of Edinburgh
Alison House
12 Nicolson Square
Edinburgh
EH8 9DF