Roger Wright moves to Aldeburgh Music

[DracoM]

Yes, FF, what did they find so interesting, and whom were they cheering on? Or by whom had they been alerted to watch? Hmm.

I would love to know what Lucie Skeaping, Suzy Klein, Rob Cowan, Jonathan Swain, John Shea, Andrew McGregor et al are making of all this.

[french frank]

I would love to know what Lucie Skeaping, Suzy Klein, Rob Cowan, Jonathan Swain, John Shea, Andrew McGregor et al are making of all this.

It seems a bit to me like the 'Harold Wilson mystery'. Why did Wilson resign in 1976? I feel there isn't much to see here. The novelty must have worn off for doing Radio 3 and the Proms, and a quieter life at Aldeburgh probably seems a lot more appealing.

With all the stresses of the BBC job, I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly thought, Damn the lot of them (including me? ). I did think the timing of the two announcements was a bit odd: RW's resignation one day (which I don't imagine was a total surprise to Hall) and the various announcements today, including Shennan's post (which seems a less important job than I'd first thought).

[Serial_Apologist]

would he come with a lot of baggage?

Just in case

[amateur51]

Don't worry, Hugh Bonneville in his new BBC role will sort it all out.

[amateur51]

can we start a poll or sweepstake on successors?

i fancy Gillian Moore to win meself .... a woman who has built audience size, awareness and reputation ... she may have the grit needed to pull it off and is from the London arts milieu as is Milord Hall ....

If she was responsible for the website for The Rest Is Noise festival, we'rrrrre arrrrrlll dooooooomed ah tell ye

[amateur51]

I see that Paul Flowers is back in the job market and is up for anything with no relevant experience.

As he's a devout Methodist, Choral Evensong may be first in line for the axe.

The one good thing about the Flowers debacle might be the end of biometric testing as part of recruitment practice

[Flosshilde]

Just in case

Pack it in now - we don't want any of that on a serious thread like this.

[Bax-of-Delights]

Just in case

Hold all jokes - this isn't the funny thread you know.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There was an excellent vice-principal at a local sixth form college, whose surname was Case. The students always referred to him as Justin.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

can we start a poll or sweepstake on successors?

i fancy Gillian Moore to win meself .... a woman who has built audience size, awareness and reputation ... she may have the grit needed to pull it off and is from the London arts milieu as is Milord Hall ....

Well maybe...

BUT what about Caroline Thompson....a woman who is just dying to give "something back"...Not the full half a million...."cos I fkg deserved it"...but "something".

And she loves Kenny Ball so JRR would be WELL safe.

BN.

[Barbirollians]

The BBC arts announcement strikes me as promising to be frank . If Lord Hall is up for more educating and informing as well as entertaining all well and good .

The question is will this follow through onto Radio 3 remember this is the man who allowed Craig Revel Horwood to conduct Act 2 of La Boheme all over again in the middle of a performance having originally said it would follow the main performance .

[french frank]

The question is will this follow through onto Radio 3 remember this is the man who allowed Craig Revel Horwood to conduct Act 2 of La Boheme all over again in the middle of a performance having originally said it would follow the main performance .

I think Tony Hall is capable of making very bad decisions - and that was one of them. The idea of making opera 'accessible' by beaming it into multiplexes and public spaces round the country is a million miles away from trivialising it to attract attention to the extent where you ruin the experience for others.

[Barbirollians]

I think Tony Hall is capable of making very bad decisions - and that was one of them. The idea of making opera 'accessible' by beaming it into multiplexes and public spaces round the country is a million miles away from trivialising it to attract attention to the extent where you ruin the experience for others.

Yes - I suspect they thought even with a Saturday night audience for Boheme that if it was on after the opera and with a cast of young singers most would make for the exits so the idea was to force us to stay in our seats - I made for the bar !

[Maclintick]

The BBC arts announcement strikes me as promising to be frank . If Lord Hall is up for more educating and informing as well as entertaining all well and good .

The question is will this follow through onto Radio 3 remember this is the man who allowed Craig Revel Horwood to conduct Act 2 of La Boheme all over again in the middle of a performance having originally said it would follow the main performance .

Lord Hall’s quotes prioritising the Arts are encouraging if taken as evidence of intent, rather than as merely a Whitehall-facing attempt to re-position the Beeb upmarket in advance of charter renewal. On the question of who succeeds RW as Controller of Radio 3 & Proms Director, it remains to be seen whether the two roles will remain amalgamated as at present, or if it’ll be “back to the future” with separation of powers as in the 80s. If we’re talking about running the Proms, the biggest music festival on the planet, then the number of suitably qualified candidates will be limited. If they’re required to have experience within broadcasting as well, then the field narrows even further.

One hot tip may be Stephen Maddock, currently in charge at the CBSO. Points in his favour:

• Conspicuously successful in Brum in the post-Rattle era, cannily stealing a march on all other UK orchestral managers in appointing Andris Nelsons.
• In an earlier incarnation at the BBC he spent 6 years as Proms Administrator, Kenyon & Drummond’s right-hand man.
• Manages the trick of being incredibly bright – he bats for the Midlands on Radio 4’s cerebral “Round Britain Quiz” - & is also a thoroughly nice bloke, well-liked in the music business.
• He’s the right age – 46 i.e. plenty of experience but a lot of juice still in the tank.

On the minus side, under recent BBC supremos this checklist would probably have damned him as being far too knowledgeable & accomplished for a role in which he’d have to acquiesce in moving downmarket, & he may regard leaving the corporation as his most astute career-move. He has a family settled in Birmingham where he has a great job, & probably wouldn't relish the idea of uprooting. Still, for any classical impresario the idea of running the Proms, the largest train set in the musical world, must be a considerable temptation.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Mark Byford, loads of time on his hands, cash rich, "giving something back".

Not ALL that cash of course but...a gesture.

And...he's got a Bartok box set.