The end of ENO?

[oddoneout]

Well done, chaps. Don't let them off the hook. Of course, we know Rishi Sunak is an opera supporter - when it's in his own constituency and needs funding.

"Compile a list of possible funding sources". Oh there are so many things one could say in response to that, but I suppose it's one thing Sunak does have some knowledge of. Whether that knowledge is of any use or even relevant to the issue requiring the funding is another matter. Is he not allowed to be a "possible funding source" himself or is that only for the likes of Winchester College?

[bluestateprommer]

From Harriet Harman's website, a blog entry titled "Closure of ENO - why Arts Council England must u-turn decision" from a few weeks back:

https://www.harrietharman.org/of_eno

The Tweet (sorry) has a video excerpt of her address to the group at Westminster Hall. The video cuts off in what looks like the middle of the transcript. The transcript continues, with a slight tweak to the presentation to emphasize Ms. Harman's suggestions for a re-think:

"The briefing was that the ENO was going to Manchester—not only was that a bolt out of the blue to the ENO, but it was the first time Manchester had heard of it, and it was not what they wanted. The Arts Council is closing the ENO with a tremendous cultural loss and nothing to show for it up north.

What the Arts Council proposes to do is completely wrong, but the way it has gone about it—with no consultation and, frankly, misleading spin—is shameful. It should think again. Yes, times have changed and times are hard, but difficult decisions should be made carefully, not with a wrecking ball. I am backing the ENO’s call for three things:
(1) a strategic review of opera as a whole;
(2) that the Arts Council should agree realistic funds for the ENO for a period of four years;
(3) and that the Arts Council should agree a period of five years to consult on a new model, based on the ENO retaining its Coliseum base but increasing still further its fundraising and work outside London."

I also can't resist highlighting one particular passage near the end of the transcript:

"The decision to close the ENO is wrong, and the best thing to do with a wrong decision is to change it."

[french frank]

Well done, chaps. Don't let them off the hook. Of course, we know Rishi Sunak is an opera supporter - when it's in his own constituency and needs funding.

[Nick Armstrong]

[Serial_Apologist]

Thank you, bsp. In a nutshell:

"It seems that a move to Manchester on just £17 million would essentially mark the end of the ENO as we know it and would not be the boon for the regions that the Arts Council are marketing it as. The Arts Council are sending the ENO to Manchester as a gutted shell of an opera company and then congratulating themselves on their regional arts provision."

I didn't have much luck with my first effort, but maybe posting CJB's first commentary on ACE's Facebook page would be better received?

One supposes he could have done that himself, though possibly it would be considered "more politic" for someone other than himself to do that?

[french frank]

Callum John Blackmore has Part 3 of his commentary on the ACE-instigated ENO debacle here, dated today:

https://parterre.com/2022/12/02/leveling-up-or-leveling-down/

Not sure how much CJB's commentaries would circulate around the UK, so getting the word and his analysis out as much as possible can but help.

Thank you, bsp. In a nutshell:

"It seems that a move to Manchester on just £17 million would essentially mark the end of the ENO as we know it and would not be the boon for the regions that the Arts Council are marketing it as. The Arts Council are sending the ENO to Manchester as a gutted shell of an opera company and then congratulating themselves on their regional arts provision."

I didn't have much luck with my first effort, but maybe posting CJB's first commentary on ACE's Facebook page would be better received?

[bluestateprommer]

There are just too many quotable quotes, too much sound information, to know what to select to quote here. A sad picture of what seems like "worst practice" on so many levels. (NB to bsp: Please remind when Part 3 appears!).

Callum John Blackmore has Part 3 of his commentary on the ACE-instigated ENO debacle here, dated today:

https://parterre.com/2022/12/02/leveling-up-or-leveling-down/

Not sure how much CJB's commentaries would circulate around the UK, so getting the word and his analysis out as much as possible can but help.

[Master Jacques]

The Parterre commentaries on ACE are chilling indeed. If any chapter-and-verse were needed on this organisation's arrogance, unaccountability and statistical mendacity, here it is. Its focus on quantitive, as opposed to qualitative, data is gravely worrying where the survival of the performing arts in this country is at stake; and as we knew, the degree of bureaucratic box-ticking to which ACE clients are subjected is "Stalinesque", in Adès's word.

The exposure of ACE's political prejudice against so-called "grand" opera is staggering. Do we really want ENO, our most important opera company culturally and historically, to go the way of New York City Opera? It looks as if we, the people, are not to be given any choice in the matter.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Some commentaries on the ENO situation from Callum John Blackmore at Parterre Box:

https://parterre.com/2022/11/28/a-game-of-3-d-chess/

https://parterre.com/2022/11/30/oh-thoughtless-crew-ye-know-not-what-ye-do/

CJB will have one more commentary to come, from his closing paragraph of his 2nd commentary.

Thanks BSP - I wonder if the fate of ENO will follow that of New York City Opera which is just about still going. For what it’s worth I think ENO need to forget about the unreliable Arts Council , scale down , and go all out to raise as much sponsorship/ charitable money as they can.I think there’s enough money sloshing around London to support a second house but not a three thousand seater. I think it’s incredibly difficult to sell 5,000 opera seats a night in London (ENO and ROH) particularly when there’s such a rich orchestral scene. The fundamental problem is that there is almost too much choice in London if you are interested in the entire range of classical music. Although the UK doesn’t have as many orchestras as Germany very few global cities have as much on offer nightly as London.

[french frank]

Some commentaries on the ENO situation from Callum John Blackmore at Parterre Box:

https://parterre.com/2022/11/28/a-game-of-3-d-chess/

https://parterre.com/2022/11/30/oh-thoughtless-crew-ye-know-not-what-ye-do/

CJB will have one more commentary to come, from his closing paragraph of his 2nd commentary.

There are just too many quotable quotes, too much sound information, to know what to select to quote here. A sad picture of what seems like "worst practice" on so many levels. (NB to bsp: Please remind when Part 3 appears!).

[bluestateprommer]

Some commentaries on the ENO situation from Callum John Blackmore at Parterre Box:

https://parterre.com/2022/11/28/a-game-of-3-d-chess/

https://parterre.com/2022/11/30/oh-thoughtless-crew-ye-know-not-what-ye-do/

CJB will have one more commentary to come, from his closing paragraph of his 2nd commentary.

[ChandlersFord]

This is appalling news. I remember when I was working for 9 months in Liverpool (c.1990) I fancied visiting my Llandudno relatives, and found it was a pig of a journey. Liverpool-Chester trains didn't connect with fast London-Holyhead expresses at Chester (for Llandudno Junction) in any useful manner, and the slow Manchester - Llandudno trains which did eventually saunter through Chester (on a good day without engineering works) were noisy, cramped and falling apart.

Some of my best operatic nights as a teenager were at the old Astra in Llandudno (Pauline Tinsley in Turandot) and the Royal Court in Liverpool (bits of the Scottish opera Ring and Turn of the Screw).

Travelling from anywhere in england to anywhere in Wales by train, has never been easy or pleasant - ditto the return journeys

[Master Jacques]

At least Liverpudlians have Opera North in Manchester, and not impossibly WNO in Llandudno as well.

This is appalling news. I remember when I was working for 9 months in Liverpool (c.1990) I fancied visiting my Llandudno relatives, and found it was a pig of a journey. Liverpool-Chester trains didn't connect with fast London-Holyhead expresses at Chester (for Llandudno Junction) in any useful manner, and the slow Manchester - Llandudno trains which did eventually saunter through Chester (on a good day without engineering works) were noisy, cramped and falling apart.

Some of my best operatic nights as a teenager were at the old Astra in Llandudno (Pauline Tinsley in Turandot) and the Royal Court in Liverpool (bits of the Scottish opera Ring and Turn of the Screw).

[french frank]

I think perhaps Andy Burnham doesn't understand all the issues about a move to Manchester by ENO?
https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...r-arts-council

And WNO have today announced that 'it will no longer be able to tour to Liverpool, with immediate effect'.

"We have had to make the very difficult decision to remove Liverpool from our touring programme. We know that this will come as a deep disappointment to our audiences in Liverpool and Merseyside, and I would like to thank them for their support since our first performances in Liverpool at the Royal Court in 1968, before moving to Liverpool Empire Theatre from 1976."

At least Liverpudlians have Opera North in Manchester, and not impossibly WNO in Llandudno as well.

[oddoneout]

I think perhaps Andy Burnham doesn't understand all the issues about a move to Manchester by ENO?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/23/andy-burnham-enters-eno-row-manchester-arts-council