The Future of the Early Music Scene: EMS 16 October

[doversoul1]

Lucie Skeaping is joined by guests Delma Tomlin (Director of the National Centre for Early Music in York), Steven Devine (keyboard player and Professor at Trinity Laban College of Music in London), Greg Skidmore (academic and singer with ensembles such as The Sixteen, Ex Cathedra and Alamire) and Tabea Debus (recorder player, recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music) to discuss how the early music scene is likely to develop and change in coming years in terms of performance practice, education and academic research.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07z6y6g

(Why ‘the’ early music scene?)

[DracoM]

With that group of participants, I truly do hope it's not just a review of 'my favourite things', and 'isn't this nice?' but a real think about the future of Early Music.

[ardcarp]

I wonder if Dr Who will make an appearance?

[DracoM]

Well, sorry, but I found that prog deeply exasperating.

At almost no point did the word 'authentic' get explained, defined, given examples of. It seemed to be assumed we all knew what it meant!! How can you discuss a future unless you have some idea of what we are doing NOW in some detail so we can see where we might go in future!

Lucy Skeaping made sure that the programme avoided argument and kept on side-stepping issues. Eg Greg Skidmore was about to set off to explain details of what he meant by authentic singing styles / techniques, and was immediately shut off with the Skeaping dismissive laugh and they went straight into an extract, came out of it, and they topic moved on to another area, instead of Skidmore being allowed to analyse what we had just heard to develop his idea. Shame.

LS was very clearly against the idea of Early Music as stage / visual entertainment, and tried at the very end to get someone to agree with her, but in the 'real' world of earning a living in Early Music, it's clear that some element of spectacle is a serious way to get punters in and instrumentalists interested in the genre.

Good panel, but not given much chance to argue - in fact it was almost completely a format of Skeaping interviews each in turn+extract. You could sense that the gathered practitioners were all itching to argue / discuss, but were kept in check.

[Serial_Apologist]

Well, sorry, but I found that prog deeply exasperating.

At almost no point did the word 'authentic' get explained, defined, given examples of. It seemed to be assumed we all knew what it meant!! How can you discuss a future unless you have some idea of what we are doing NOW in some detail so we can see where we might go in future!

Lucy Skeaping made sure that the programme avoided argument and kept on side-stepping issues. Eg Greg Skidmore was about to set off to explain details of what he meant by authentic singing styles / techniques, and was immediately shut off with the Skeaping dismissive laugh and they went straight into an extract, came out of it, and they topic moved on to another area, instead of Skidmore being allowed to analyse what we had just heard to develop his idea. Shame.

LS was very clearly against the idea of Early Music as stage / visual entertainment, and tried at the very end to get someone to agree with her, but in the 'real' world of earning a living in Early Music, it's clear that some element of spectacle is a serious way to get punters in and instrumentalists interested in the genre.

Good panel, but not given much chance to argue - in fact it was almost completely a format of Skeaping interviews each in turn+extract. You could sense that the gathered practitioners were all itching to argue / discuss, but were kept in check.

Sounds to me as if the BBC's ostensible procedural policy regarding one-at-a-time politicians being interviewed (so they don't get to exchange views) is now being transferred into other areas - unless those being group-interviewed just happen to be journalists, whose views never harm anyone, of course...

[jean]

I thought the whole point about 'authentic' was that we don't think like that any more.

[DracoM]

I thought the whole point about 'authentic' was that we don't think like that any more.

.....which makes the clash between the programme as billed and how it turned out even more glaring!

[Richard Tarleton]

Well, sorry, but I found that prog deeply exasperating.

It seemed to be assumed we all knew what it meant!!

Likewise, I couldn't quite grasp how, in what way, the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis was different - they all seemed to agree it was, and to know why, but didn't explain it to me. Was it that it combines academia and performance...better? Plus not as expensive, accomodation easier? I'd have been keen to know more, as the alma mater of so many great early musicians.

Lucy Skeaping made sure that the programme avoided argument and kept on side-stepping issues.

As she said briskly at the start, "we've a lot to get through"

LS was very clearly against the idea of Early Music as stage / visual entertainment, and tried at the very end to get someone to agree with her, but in the 'real' world of earning a living in Early Music, it's clear that some element of spectacle is a serious way to get punters in and instrumentalists interested in the genre.

Yes, funny, that - she started off by saying "Why not singing and dancing?", and referred to Lully being a dancer....and she's no stranger to lively performance herself (Burning Bush, City Waites)

PS I went straight to the Consort of Musicke recording of "His Golden Locks", didn't mind the Irishised version but prefer it au naturel with lute. And I don't think it can be demonstrated that image on the website is Dowland, it's just some random bloke with a lute. For some reason it comes up when you google Dowland image. It doesn't look anything like the Dowland I imagine

[DracoM]