Axing of BBC Singers and related cuts

[teamsaint]

They won't stand for it.

Ok, what about a sit- in ?

[ardcarp]

Axing of the BBC Singers - another thread

I know there is a well-argued thread about this under the Ideas and Theory heading. Some excellent and to-the-point posts are there.
However I thought the subject might reach a wider choral readership here.

It is exceptional that, in this increasingly Philistine country, the BBC Singers disaster has made it onto several national news bulletins, including today's Broadcasting House on Radio 4. The item came right at the end of the programme, and involved an interview with Mark Elder (conductor of The Halle as I'm sure everyone knows.) Mark began by expressing his dismay at the disbandment of The Singers. That was quite brief. He went on to the wider subject of decline in Arts funding, then spent the rest of the interview talking about The Halle and how it had flourished under his directorship over he past 24 years. I have the greatest regard for Mark Elder and his brilliance as a conductor, but I do feel someone more directly involved in the world of professional singing, or maybe someone from the RAM or RCM who trains singers, would have made a more spirited defence. And also expressed more powerful disgust at the dire situation.

I am aware that in the past, the BBCS have come in for some stick from adherents of The Choir, but we have to remember that their brief is far wider than Choral Evensong repertoire. They are true professionals, capable of unbelievable sight-reading and the ability to work in all genres of choral music. They began as The Wireless Chorus (I believe) and were the first to perform Britten's very demanding Choral Variations on A Boy Was Born. They are almost at their centenary year and to me it is absolutely shocking (I ought to use stronger words) that these salaried, professional musicians are summarily sacked. What next?

Today's Broadcasting House: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001k0kv Last item on the programme.

[PeterboroughDiapason]

I wondered where the original thread had gone.

[Bryn]

I know there is a well-argued thread about this under the Ideas and Theory heading. Some excellent and to-the-point posts are there.
However I thought the subject might reach a wider choral readership here.

It is exceptional that, in this increasingly Philistine country, the BBC Singers disaster has made it onto several national news bulletins, including today's Broadcasting House on Radio 4. The item came right at the end of the programme, and involved an interview with Mark Elder (conductor of The Halle as I'm sure everyone knows.) Mark began by expressing his dismay at the disbandment of The Singers. That was quite brief. He went on to the wider subject of decline in Arts funding, then spent the rest of the interview talking about The Halle and how it had flourished under his directorship over he past 24 years. I have the greatest regard for Mark Elder and his brilliance as a conductor, but I do feel someone more directly involved in the world of professional singing, or maybe someone from the RAM or RCM who trains singers, would have made a more spirited defence. And also expressed more powerful disgust at the dire situation.

I am aware that in the past, the BBCS have come in for some stick from adherents of The Choir, but we have to remember that their brief is far wider than Choral Evensong repertoire. They are true professionals, capable of unbelievable sight-reading and the ability to work in all genres of choral music. They began as The Wireless Chorus (I believe) and were the first to perform Britten's very demanding Choral Variations on A Boy Was Born. They are almost at their centenary year and to me it is absolutely shocking (I ought to use stronger words) that these salaried, professional musicians are summarily sacked. What next?
Today's Broadcasting House: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001k0kv Last item on the programme.

Starts at about 53' 46", after the Lineker debacle. Elder's closing comment reminded me of a Mao Zedong comment "An army without culture is a dull-witted army, and a dull-witted army cannot defeat the enemy". No wonder this corrupt government wants to cut back on culture.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Starts at about 53' 46", after the Lineker debacle. Elder's closing comment reminded me of a Mao Zedong comment "An army without culture is a dull-witted army, and a dull-witted army cannot defeat the enemy". No wonder this corrupt government wants to cut back on culture.

Hmm, not too sure what sort of 'culture' Mao was meaning. Nothing at all like R3 classical music I would guess!

[Bryn]

Hmm, not too sure what sort of 'culture' Mao was meaning. Nothing at all like R3 classical music I would guess!

He did not share his wife's taste in music. He used the analogy of playing the piano to describe how committees should be organised and work together in harmony. Don't be too quick to presume the cultural interests of school teachers turned successful revolutionaries, whatever they got up to, later.

[ardcarp]

Yes, clever of Mark Elder to have that quote to hand, but I'm not sure Mao's thoughts and his Little Red Book would help the BBCS in their hour of need!
On a wider philosophical issue, it seems a cabal of the far left and a cabal of the far right differ very little in their view of 'culture'.

[Bryn]

Yes, clever of Mark Elder to have that quote to hand, but I'm not sure Mao's thoughts and his Little Red Book would help the BBCS in their hour of need!
On a wider philosophical issue, it seems a cabal of the far left and a cabal of the far right differ very little in their view of 'culture'.

Don't blame it on Elder, I said it reminded me of Mao's comment, not that Elder had quoted him. Just something I recall from the early 1970s.

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes, clever of Mark Elder to have that quote to hand, but I'm not sure Mao's thoughts and his Little Red Book would help the BBCS in their hour of need!
On a wider philosophical issue, it seems a cabal of the far left and a cabal of the far right differ very little in their view of 'culture'.

I think you would have to spell out a bit on that assertion to convince me, ardy.

[antongould]

with everybody [just about and not including myself] chipping in mostly anything between £20-£99 x 50,000 that's a lot of Lineker that's being grifted (even Trump can't grift that smoothly....)....

A very cautionary tale related to this ….. when I signed the petition I seemed to be offered the option of contributing cash or telling the twittersphere ….. I went for the cash and was told my credit card payment hadn’t worked ….. thought little more about it until my financial world caved in ……. I was told by companies who I have monthly/annual credit card instalments set up with the payments had been declined …. set off to take Lady Gould shopping in Newcastle …. Parked the car, attempted to pay the parking fee on their app ….. DECLINED ……I have at last managed to talk to someone at M&S Bank who informed he that the merchant that processes Change.ORG’s credit card transactions is on their “fraud trend” and any subsequent online transactions on cards used will be stopped …… I asked what I thought was the obvious question….. “ Why didn’t you tell me … ????” They claim to have by text …… but I have received NO TEXT …. So beware ….

[eighthobstruction]

....tough luck Anton....infuriating I'm sure....I think I may have had something similar a few years ago [which was resolved with Nat West quite quickly)....possibly Change Org is based in USA....California....and that flags up with M&S....

[french frank]

A very cautionary tale related to this ….. when I signed the petition I seemed to be offered the option of contributing cash or telling the twittersphere …..

I just signed and left. What are the donations for?

https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/530-change-dot-org/

[eighthobstruction]

I just signed and left. What are the donations for?

https://www.activistfacts.com/organi...hange-dot-org/

....yes....I never give money to Change.Org

....Scrolling down on ff's link quickly describes it as "for-profit" entity....

[Ein Heldenleben]

A very cautionary tale related to this ….. when I signed the petition I seemed to be offered the option of contributing cash or telling the twittersphere ….. I went for the cash and was told my credit card payment hadn’t worked ….. thought little more about it until my financial world caved in ……. I was told by companies who I have monthly/annual credit card instalments set up with the payments had been declined …. set off to take Lady Gould shopping in Newcastle …. Parked the car, attempted to pay the parking fee on their app ….. DECLINED ……I have at last managed to talk to someone at M&S Bank who informed he that the merchant that processes Change.ORG’s credit card transactions is on their “fraud trend” and any subsequent online transactions on cards used will be stopped …… I asked what I thought was the obvious question….. “ Why didn’t you tell me … ????” They claim to have by text …… but I have received NO TEXT …. So beware ….

Thanks for tip .I always wondered why they wanted money .

[ardcarp]

I think was I was trying to say is that a far left regime ends up with a dicctator of some sort (think 'Chairman' Mao and others) and so does a far right regime (look no further than Hitler). If I recall correctly, Mao disliked people who were not manual workers. Against my argument, Hitler liked Wagner though probably for ultra- nationalistic reasons than musical ones. and I suppose Mao approved of Social Realism in art. But think how Stalin treated the likes of Shostakovitch, Prokofiev and others. I admit to some muddled thinking somewhere along the way.....