Another orchestral layout?

[MrGongGong]

I'm also delighted that she put in the effort to give 4 schools concerts today and yesterday for 8,000 11-14 year olds. If anyone can get the attention of young ones (i.e. those without bus passes.), I reckon it's the Magical Mirga.

(Cost was £60,000 - ugh - but many personal contributions)

I am also delighted
but it sometimes strikes me as a bit sad that folks (and I don't mean you) remark on this as if it was something extraordinary. People used to go on and on about Simon Rattle in this way (and will do so again i'm sure once he rides into town to save us). In my experience those folks who are passionately committed to music and people hearing it are interested in making it available to everyone who has ears.

Where does the cost figure come from ?

[Richard Barrett]

it sometimes strikes me as a bit sad that folks (and I don't mean you) remark on this as if it was something extraordinary

As has been remarked elsewhere on the forum, cultural politics in the UK has become increasingly philistine in this century, and not only in the UK of course. It seems to me that for musicians committed to what they're doing as performers and/or composers, an essential part of that commitment should surely be a concern to connect their work to (especially young) people by any available means.

[Zucchini]

Where does the cost figure come from ?

It comes from a CBSO email of 12 Jan:

"The total cost of staging the concerts is over £60,000. Around 65% of this cost will be covered by ticket income, support from Birmingham Music Service, and valuable additional support from our corporate partner Deloitte and some generous individuals ... A gift of £10 would cover the remaining cost for four children to attend a concert, £75 would enable a whole class to attend and £250 would fund the cost for 100 children." Yes, I did my duty ... and feel good about it.

[Alain Maréchal]

On a related issue, I havce tried for some time to find out when the currently preferred orchestral layout with massed violins to the conductor's (and audience's) left more or less superceded the layout with first and second violins on opposite sides of the platform. Does anyone know when this happened and if any particulat conductor was responsible?

I leave that piece of research to others, but Adrian Boult placed the second violins on his right (there is a well-known case of anger when a recording was not made this way) citing the preferences of Richter, Nikisch, Weingartner, Walter, Monteux, Klemperer and Toscanini among others. He wrote that the second violins can be clearly heard if they sit up without slouching, hold the instrument at the correct angle, and resist the temptation to "turn inwards and put their shoulders between their instruments and the audience. If they do this they can easily be stopped". Unanimity with the firsts can be achieved "if the leader of the seconds is any use at all". He gives clear musical reasons why the seconds should be on the right.

Michael Kennedy: Adrian Boult. 1987 London, Hamish Hamilton. Appendix 1 "Platform Planning".

[Richard Barrett]

I leave that piece of research to others

As far as I'm aware, and those present who are historians of recording techniques will know a lot more, the practice of putting all the violins on the conductor's left was started by Stokowski in the 1930s for reasons (which aren't entirely clear to me) of making it easier to balance orchestral recordings in mono. I expect it will eventually be regarded as a relatively short-lived historical phenomenon.

[MrGongGong]

It comes from a CBSO email of 12 Jan:

"The total cost of staging the concerts is over £60,000. Around 65% of this cost will be covered by ticket income, support from Birmingham Music Service, and valuable additional support from our corporate partner Deloitte and some generous individuals ... A gift of £10 would cover the remaining cost for four children to attend a concert, £75 would enable a whole class to attend and £250 would fund the cost for 100 children." Yes, I did my duty ... and feel good about it.

Thanks

These are the things that need preserving as core activities and not be made to be reliant on "extra" money.
(not that i'm suggesting the CBSO is doing that at all)

[teamsaint]

Thanks

These are the things that need preserving as core activities and not be made to be reliant on "extra" money.
(not that i'm suggesting the CBSO is doing that at all)

I think that is worth discussing. Speaking personally, and off the cuff, I would rather dip into my pocket, maybe when attending a regular concert, to contribute to that kind of activity, than , for example, make a donation for the refurbishment of the SBC, or to further subsidise , in whatever way, the apparently very high fees charged by many conductors.

Just as a discussion point......

[MrGongGong]

I think that is worth discussing. Speaking personally, and off the cuff, I would rather dip into my pocket, maybe when attending a regular concert, to contribute to that kind of activity, than , for example, make a donation for the refurbishment of the SBC, or to further subsidise , in whatever way, the apparently very high fees charged by many conductors.

Just as a discussion point......

They ARE worth discussing indeed
My own view is that when things get seen as "extras" then they are under threat when times get hard.

Performing and working with young people is part of the core purpose NOT some kind of "add on" to try and generate a future audience or sell "Classical Music".

[teamsaint]

They ARE worth discussing indeed
My own view is that when things get seen as "extras" then they are under threat when times get hard.

Performing and working with young people is part of the core purpose NOT some kind of "add on" to try and generate a future audience or sell "Classical Music".

I agree completely about core purpose.
And possibly , though I am less sure, about how things come under threat.

Just again as a discussion point, if the Philharmonia asked me and others to pay £5/£10 a month to further its education and outreach, I might be inclined to commit. And that source of funding might be more reliable than Arts council /DFE funding, which as we know is subject to political pressures.

[Pulcinella]

I agree completely about core purpose.
And possibly , though I am less sure, about how things come under threat.

Just again as a discussion point, if the Philharmonia asked me and others to pay £5/£10 a month to further its education and outreach, I might be inclined to commit. And that source of funding might be more reliable than Arts council /DFE funding, which as we know is subject to political pressures.

Yes, a new thread might be in order.

Following my university college's last telephone fundraising event, I decided to donate a monthly (gift-aided) £25, but hypothecated (horrid word) to the music society, of which I was a founder member.
Yes, it would be nice to help fund a scholarship for a needy student, but it was the music society that helped keep me sane (no comments please, ts!) while I was there, and I liked the idea of helping them hire music and put on concerts.

[Zucchini]

... More Mirga Magic. Great news:

"Herefordshire-based philanthropists Clive and Sylvia Richards have made a £250,000 gift to support the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s extensive educational programme over the next five years."

https://cbso.co.uk/news/250-000-from-clive-sylvia-richards-charity

[Barbirollians]

A five star review for the Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven concert in the Times today from Anna Picard .