Mark Simpson Endless Plugs

[Paulie55]

I've never heard so many superlatives hurled at just one young composer in one day...........it's all over Twitter too. His publicist must be loving it and yet, there are so many older creative artists who are overlooked in favour of "young blood".......people who have worked hard throughout their lives to produce something worthwhile and hardly ever get a mention . Could it be something to do with the fact they haven't studied with more famous composers, attended Oxford/Cambridge, other prestigious establishments, etc? Heaven forbid there should be such snobbery and ageism in the music business these days!! A good composer Simpson may be but is he deserving of all this hoohah? A quick glance through recent Gramophone and BBC Music magazines and everyone over 18 seems to be a composer these days.

[oddoneout]

I don't think it's so much to do with 'who' as 'what'. R3 has 'AN INITIATIVE' (not to be confused with having initiative, as in useful quality) and as is always the case is flogging said feature to death. Also as usual there is a perception that hitting the R3 audience with blunt weapons(trails and hyperbole) is the only way to get us to listen to any programming innovation/initiative. I am hearing some of the MS contribution by default(the radio is on anyway for other items) rather than through any active choice or wish; what I heard of him talking didn't particularly engage me on first or second hearing so subsequent exposure became negative.
Other individuals are part of this and will also get the treatment presumably.

[DracoM]

Oh, and he 'curates' the InTune 'mixtape

[CallMePaul]

Expect similar treatment for a further 4 "young musicians" this week. R3 has called this "Take Five" and used trailers more appropriate to Radio1Xtra than to Radio3. If senior R3 management feels that this is the way to attract a new audience, then these trailers should be put out on stations that this hypothetical young audience may be listening to. Were they broadcast on Radio6 for example?

[Paulie55]

....and this afternoon, while I was listening to the concert of music played by youth orchestras, a 15-minute segment came on air, in which Peter Moore seemed to be having a telephone call with his teacher, who praised him to the high heavens. I have never heard such self-congratulatory BS in all my life!

[zola]

The latest BBC music magazine arrived today. The cover disc ( Parry and Moeran symphonies ) features the BBC Philharmonic. In the accompanying booklet, the 'artist biography' section on the orchestra seems to consider it's current claim to fame being that it was selected to perform the premiere of Mark Simpson's clarinet concerto.

[Paulie55]

The latest BBC music magazine arrived today. The cover disc ( Parry and Moeran symphonies ) features the BBC Philharmonic. In the accompanying booklet, the 'artist biography' section on the orchestra seems to consider it's current claim to fame being that it was selected to perform the premiere of Mark Simpson's clarinet concerto.

In which case, Simpson's PA must be working overtime. As I said....total BS!

[Stanfordian]

I've never heard so many superlatives hurled at just one young composer in one day...........it's all over Twitter too. His publicist must be loving it and yet, there are so many older creative artists who are overlooked in favour of "young blood".......people who have worked hard throughout their lives to produce something worthwhile and hardly ever get a mention . Could it be something to do with the fact they haven't studied with more famous composers, attended Oxford/Cambridge, other prestigious establishments, etc? Heaven forbid there should be such snobbery and ageism in the music business these days!! A good composer Simpson may be but is he deserving of all this hoohah? A quick glance through recent Gramophone and BBC Music magazines and everyone over 18 seems to be a composer these days.

I prefer his work as a clarinettist rather than his compositions, in truth. I've seen him play live several times and his playing certainly captivated me. It's often hard to judge the real work of a composer and maybe time will tell, or bums on seats. He and his agent know how to work social media.

[Stanfordian]

The latest BBC music magazine arrived today. The cover disc ( Parry and Moeran symphonies ) features the BBC Philharmonic. In the accompanying booklet, the 'artist biography' section on the orchestra seems to consider it's current claim to fame being that it was selected to perform the premiere of Mark Simpson's clarinet concerto.

I've heard the BBC Phil play both the Parry Fifth Symphony and Moeran Symphony in G a few times over the years (decades) and I reckon the cover disc of the edition of the July BBC Magazine is certainty worth obtaining.