Queen's Jubilee Concert

[Barbirollians]

I do find this snobbery toward Alfie Boe and Lang Lang deeply tiresome, and I cannot understand it. I can only assume it is because they are popular, and therefore somehow beneath the rarefied tastes of Radio 3 listeners. If they are bringing Classical Music to a wider audience, what on earth is the problem? Perhaps Alfie will perform this at the Jubilee Concert:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7T9Sn0OZKI

Would that meet with approval? Sounds pretty good to me.

And here's a bit of Lang Lang for good measure:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz_BlYlBi40

Here's a pianist who has inspired some 40 million Chinese children to take up the piano, and introduced many millions to Western classical music. He undertakes all manner of outreach programmes to bring music to a wider audience. And he has been nominated for a Grammy award.


Who says Classical music is elitist? Most contributors to this thread, apparently.......

Gosh what a dreary performance by Mr Boe - utterly expressionless - he might have been singing the telephone directory .

As for Lang Lang he is capable of excellent performances but sadly also of self-regarding ones .

As for elitism - dumbing down classical music to a type of easy listening is not likely to attract the young .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The question is whether it is better for children to read decent children's literature in school, or Dennis the Menace.

I disagree. It is better for children to read everything they can get their hands on, including comics (within obvious limits of age-related acceptability).

The most balanced adults come from balanced and secure children, who have had a wide range of experiences and been allowed to learn from all of them. (Which is partly why our politicians and senior governmental leaders so often screw things up so badly - but that's another story!)

What you say is quite correct, but the problem in the case of music is that many children only experience the patronising rubbish inflicted upon them.