John Witchell's Chief Executive blog

You may have read an interesting article in the Guardian on 2nd April by Tom Service.  In it he suggests that we are ’shutting children out of classical music’ because of lack of funding, the demise of youth orchestras and diminished music service provision.  In some ways it makes for depressing reading, since he appears not to acknowledge huge advances that have been made in recent years.  In other ways his comments are quite useful - he stirs up the debate and by the end of the article he says the solution is a ‘national revitalisation of music services’.  Read it and see what you think. 

I have responded and this is what I said.  (I mention my age, because he says he is a 33 year old music critic)…

Some wrong notes in Tom Service’s article on music services

Response to Tom Service

 

As a 60 year old classical musician who likes Rufus Wainwright as much as Ralph Vaughan Williams,  I would like to thank Tom Service for endorsing the value of music services, but also put him right on quite a few of his misunderstandings.

 

He says that primary schools don’t have money for instrumental lessons – wrong.  Through the Wider Opportunities in Music programme we are on course to provide every child in primary schools with the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrumental by 2011 free of charge.  This year 53% of primary schools are offering this and this set to rise substantially every year until we reach 100%.

 

He thinks that there are no proper instruments for children to play – wrong again.  Government funding has allowed us to provide 100,000 proper musical instruments this year alone.  Before Wider Opportunities there was no such provision.

 

He believes that the flagship for each Music Service was its youth orchestra – it still is.  Ask any of the 150 music services about youth orchestras and they will show thousands of children playing and singing in orchestras, ensembles, bands and choirs.  They don’t all play classical music all the time and thank goodness they don’t.  But pop along to the National Association of Youth Orchestras’ summer festival or Music for Youth’s National Festival in Symphony Hall in July to hear some great youth orchestras.  I’ve heard some fabulous performances of Mahler 5, Shostakovich 10 and Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’.  And my old youth orchestra is planning to do Gurrelieder this summer.  That’s a litmus test for me.

 

Music Services have adapted to the 21^st century – the widening of cultural horizons and the pressures of the contemporary world, including the recession.  We would all agree that there continue to be financial pressures, not just because funds in the past have been delegated to schools, but also because local authorities have found it increasingly difficult to sustain their contributions.  However, this government has boldly ring-fenced the Music Standards Fund until 2011, which has promoted growth and creativity. 

 

What I do agree with Tom is that we need to continue the revitalisation of music services.  They have the infrastructure and the workforce to ensure that all young people get the chance to enjoy all types of music, including classical.  They are working with lots of other organisations – Youth Music, Sing Up and Sound Connections to name but a few – in a new spirit of partnership and co-operation.  In schools and communities there is strong recognition of the power of music in everyone’s lives; personally and socially as well as musically.  Music Services want everyone to support them in ensuring that music is properly funded over the next decade.  And yes, statutory status would certainly help. I hope that Tom will be one of our strongest advocates, knowing that the musical landscape for young people is actually better now than it was ten years ago.

 

John Witchell

 

To all in FMS, what are your views?

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 3rd, 2009 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Blog.

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