The World of Classical Music: A Cry for Help

By Finn

‘ItisbecauseweappreciatetheBBC’srolesomuchthattheseproposedcutsaresoutterlydevastating.’

GeneralSecretaryNaomiPohl

The BBC singers, founded in 1924, have been performing for more than a hundred years, tackling some of the most difficult and exhilarating choral music spanning over five centuries. They have premiered significant choral masterpieces by Benjamin Britten and Francis Poulenc, as well as difficult contemporary works. Now, they’re being cut.

On the 7th of March 2023, Simon Webb, the director of orchestras and choirs at the BBC, announced the closing of the BBC singers and a 20% reduction of job positions in the BBC England-based orchestras. The Musician’s Union has described these cuts as “utterly devastating” and many conductors and influential figures on the classical music scene have expressed their horrified sentiments at this news.

The decision followed a review, conducted in 2022, which examined the BBC’s musical funding and financial expenditures.

Naomi Pohl, the first female General secretary of the Musician’s Union, has said the that they would fight as hard as they can to combat this decision, stating that “the BBC is the biggest employer and engager of musicians in the UK, and it plays a unique role in the ecosystem of our music industry.”

“To now hear of potential redundancies across the BBC orchestras in England and the closure of the Singers as a performing group is unthinkable” says Jo Laverty, organiser of the Musician’s Union Orchestral department.

Charlotte Moore, the chief content office for the BBC said:

“Great classical music should be available and accessible to everyone, and we’re confident these measures will ensure more people will engage with music, have better access to it, and that we’ll be able to play a greater role in developing and nurturing the musicians and music lovers of tomorrow.”

This is only one of the many examples illustrating how the classical music sector has suffered greatly. This industry is invaluable to our society, so seeing such cuts being made has been devastating to musicians everywhere.

By Siya S