NMC Appeal

[Orphical]

Board members may find this of interest

http://www.nmcrec.co.uk/blog/opera-appeal-help-us-release-three-landmark-operas

[Bryn]

The Gawain, at least, is a re-issue. It originally appeared in the Collins label and I bought a copy a year or so ago. It's a BBC Radio 3 recording and the original issue was sponsored by the Arts Council of England, The Friends of Covent Garden, The John S. Cohen Foundation and The Po-Shing Woo Charitable Foundation. So I guess most of the £43,000 is needed to release the Weir and Barry (again BBC recordings). I'm afraid my small budget for such fund-raising contributions for this year went on the Open Minds Nancarrow event over the pond. Next year maybe.

[Dave2002]

There is currently a sampler from the HCMF (Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival) available on iTunes for £2.49 - HCMF 2012 Sampler: Grooving Through Old Tombs

There is also an album by Howard Skempton "Five Rings Triples" for £1.29, though it hasn't been very highly rated.

Found via the links provided In this thread.

[Simon]

Board members may find this of interest
http://www.nmcrec.co.uk/blog/opera-a...andmark-operas

Pass, I'm afraid. In fact, I'm disgusted that they are even asking.

There are homeless people in the country: our priority would be to help them, not facilitate the self-glory of a few more luvvies.

[MrGongGong]

Pass, I'm afraid. In fact, I'm disgusted that they are even asking.

There are homeless people in the country: our priority would be to help them, not facilitate the self-glory of a few more luvvies.

Goodness
first he renounces god
now he becomes a socialist

i'm speechless ........

I thought the "righties" were in favour of private support and philanthropy ?

[Simon]

Ignoring your silliness and the implied insult, GongGong, what's political about helping other people who are in desperate need? Do you believe that only so-called "socialists" (even the champagne ones) try to look after other people? Surely not even you are as blinkered as that?

It's a question of priorities. I'm happy to support music groups when I can - especially ones that benefit children and help them hear truly great music - but at the monment I think that there are more pressing, and deserving, causes, for every penny we can spare.

Incidentally, if anyone is thinking of making a charitable donation in the near future, I recommend looking at this site and following a coiuple of its links, to help find as charity of proven worth and/or that has at least been vetted.

http://www.moneyweek.com/blog/finding-the-best-charities-58520

[ahinton]

Pass, I'm afraid. In fact, I'm disgusted that they are even asking.

There are homeless people in the country: our priority would be to help them, not facilitate the self-glory of a few more luvvies.

I am not a "luvvie" (whatever one of those might be). Enjoy your disgust while the rest of us express our own (with no enjoyment whatsoever) at your attitude. Of course there are homeless people in this country, as well as other genuinely deserving causes that are clamouring for help; does that of itself mean that people should not also contribute, or be invited to contribute, something to an artistic cause such as this one when it is plainly obvious that the very material that NMC exists to support is simply incapable by definition of making money yet without which our society would be vastly poorer?

I despair of you, Simon. I really do. Do you have any idea about NMC, how or for what purpose it was founded or what it seeks to achieve and indeed has achieved against all manner of odds? Do you really want to witness - and indeed passively preside over at a distance - the potential demise of new British music? I repeat - I despair of you, Simon - and I hope for your sake that you don't happen to meet up with Colin Matthews on a dark night in an alley somewhere...

[Simon]

Feel free to despair, Alistair! I expect I'll live with it.

As I said above, it's a question of priorities and freewill. None of us is being forced to give anything to anyone. We make our choices.

And you may well be right. Perhaps if you asked a hungry and homeless man in London, he'd be delighted to hear one of Mr. Birtwistle's sublimely musical offerings instead of having a good meal...

[Simon]

...without which our society would be vastly poorer?

Do you have any idea about NMC, how or for what purpose it was founded or what it seeks to achieve ...

Well, I do actually, Alistair. At least, I'm aware of it and some of its aims.

Speaking of "society being the poorer" without it, I went looking for an example of the sort of thing you might mean.

I was hoping to be able to recommend the section entitled, "Transmission 3" from the great work linked to below, but there seems to have been a mistake. Perhaps the recording was made whilst the orchestra was tuning up? Or is it me, who can't hear the melody very well - I'm quite prepared to admit it, if I'm wrong, as I wouldn't wish to offend.

http://www.nmcrec.co.uk/recording/dark-matter#/6

[Bryn]

Oh well, a simple recommendation there. I had somehow missed the release of Mr Barrett's Dark Matter CD. Duly ordered. With luck I will get it in time for the Saturnalian celebrations.

[ahinton]

Feel free to despair, Alistair!

I take no pleasure whatsoever in dong so, but you leave me no choice.

I expect I'll live with it.

That's up to you.

As I said above, it's a question of priorities and freewill. None of us is being forced to give anything to anyone. We make our choices.

And you may well be right. Perhaps if you asked a hungry and homeless man in London, he'd be delighted to hear one of Mr. Birtwistle's sublimely musical offerings instead of having a good meal...

The point here is that acceding to the requests of one charitable organisation does not preclude the giving of funds to another, as I would have thought plainly obvious to the average ten year old; your selectivity of approach in what I have to say is a most pathetic attempt to support your "argument" is as sad to observe as was your original comment that arose from it.

[Simon]

The point here is that acceding to the requests of one charitable organisation does not preclude the giving of funds to another...

You can give to more than one, of course, but what you give to one you can't give to another. Which is my point. QED.

[ahinton]

Well, I do actually, Alistair. At least, I'm aware of it and some of its aims.

If that's indeed the case, then your remarks seem all the more reprehensible.

Speaking of "society being the poorer" without it, I went looking for an example of the sort of thing you might mean.

I was hoping to be able to recommend the section entitled, "Transmission 3" from the great work linked to below, but there seems to have been a mistake. Perhaps the recording was made whilst the orchestra was tuning up? Or is it me, who can't hear the melody very well - I'm quite prepared to admit it, if I'm wrong, as I wouldn't wish to offend.http://www.nmcrec.co.uk/recording/dark-matter#/6

Was there any particular reason that you sought out just this one example other than in another transparently failed attempt to support your "argument"? If you really do have, as you seek to claim, any idea about NMC, its purpose, history and offerings, you would recognise that it represents a very wide conspectus of British music, some of which might not otherwise be available in recorded form and all of which has required, does require and always will require as much private and corporate philanthropy and government and other financial assistance as it can get - and long may it succeed in attracting it!

[ahinton]

Of course it does, unless you have unlimited funds. One chooses. Which is my point. QED.

"One" chooses"? Yes, your weak and puerile attempt at a defence sounds as thought there is in reality only "one" charitable donor who is faced with the difficult and painful decision as to whether to give a homeless person a square meal or help to fund recordings of Barrett and Birtwistle (or Elgar)...

You made the hole. You put yourself in it. Do please stop digging.

[Simon]

NMC, its purpose, history and offerings, you would recognise that it represents a very wide conspectus of British music, some of which might not otherwise be available in recorded form and all of which has required, does require and always will require as much private and corporate philanthropy and government and other financial assistance as it can get - and long may it succeed in attracting it!

And good luck to it, indeed. I'm sure that the projects that it supports will be of inestimable benefit to the world at large. Not to mention the glorious music that facilitates...

Meanwhile, I'll continue to support deserving charities that actually make a tangible difference to the lives of those in desperate need...