Thoughts

With Mervyn King telling us all that choppy times are ahead, and news of arts council cuts and the scrapping of the film council along with the prospect of cutting funding to the bbc and the possibility of strikes affecting the bbc proms it is easy to be down hearted about the state of the arts in the UK, and more specifically ‘classical music’.

With the prospect of spending two years in Zurich, friends and relatives have been asking how much better is the music in Europe and for some reason why is Germany SO much better at it than we are and why has it produced so many more and better musicians? They aren’t in the music business and aren’t avid followers of the ups and downs and comings and goings of the classical music business, but my heart always sinks and then I get excited.

I get excited as I can tell them just how good we have it. Yes, this is largely down to the people in the business, in fact let’s rephrase that it is basically all down to the people that day to day strive to produce world beating performances and look to somehow scrape the funding together, rather than the powers that be that hide in the big buildings on the north banks of the Thames. Every time I have answered the question, my answer has been longer as I have thought of more and more which we do so well. I have little, if nothing to do with 99.99 % of what happens but I am still immensely proud of the fact that there is little that anywhere can do better. I thought it was about time someone sang the praises of it all. SO here we go!

I am sure I have left out most of what goes on and I am shouting only about the big names but feel free to have your own little plug / shout-out below!

Starting from the bottom up. Ok, so education. Well in schools we have problems, funding for the arts always plays second fiddle to sport (it’s good for you don’t you know), school dinners and literacy. Maybe it should and maybe it shouldn’t but the sad fact of the matter is we need to do more. However, outside of that, nationally it all starts with the National Children’s Orchestra. The amount of friends that have been touched by such a great organisation, founded by the immortal Vivienne Price, is countless. I think what is more important (in a way) is the amount of people I know who played in NCO who have chosen not to become a professional musician, but who will never loose there love of music mainly through the start the NCO gave them. Who can forget the murder mysteries and playing Peterloo! Then there are all the other organistaions – Pro Corda, Music House, National Children’s Choir, National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland, NYOS, NYCCO and NYWE and I could go on and on. I suppose on the ladder of progression in between NYO and NCO should go the National Youth Chamber Orchestra. It might have changed its name more times than hot dinners have been served at Queenswood School, however it is a real gem. An orchestra of about 50 young musicians working without a conductor and lead under the oh so watchful eye of Chris Hirons. It is an example of what our young musicians can achieve. The wonders that have been discovered there: from an appreciation of just how hard the string parts in the scherzo from Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream to the joys of Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin and Respighi’s The Birds.

Then comes something that everyone should experience in some form or another. The rumours are true, it is sacred and never mind whatever Dan Brown says, it is where the Holy Grail resides (certainly of the UK music world anyway), and that is the ... this is a bit of long one so why don't you catch the rest of it here: