On 14 May 1976, someone using the pen-name Quad from Belfast 15 had his or her letter published in the Belfast Telegraph. Much of its self-explanatory. The UO was a relatively small band of around 35 musicians at that time and audience support was variable. NI needed a larger orchestra - something that was eventually delivered in 1980/81. Unfortunately, and all too often, we dont learn the lessons of history. Lets not go back in time and to smaller forces. Heres the letter: The Frustrated Music Lovers of Ulster The long-awaited report on the provision of orchestral music in Northern Ireland has at last made its appearance, been duly reported on in the Press, and ignored by the vast majority of Ulster music lovers. It’s all very sad, and even sadder when you consider that the Ulster Orchestra celebrates this year its tenth anniversary, an occasion for rejoicing and congratulation, not for recrimination and suggestions of disbandment, or a merger with the BBC. The Working Party report is fair enough, up to a point, but perhaps a comment or two on it would not be misplaced. First, it was extremely unrealistic of the Working Party to expect the general public to respond to a slight story and the odd advertisement – this over a period of some 15 months. The people who were really interested – the concert-goers – should have been canvassed at every concert. Secondly, it does not need any working-party to tell the Ulster concert-goers something he already knows – that the Orchestra is very much understrength. Figures are provided in an appendix showing the percentage audience turnout, and sombre reading it is, but as a matter of interest I checked on the concerts which showed the highest figures, excluding the Philharmonic Society concerts which are a special case, and almost without exception they were programmes of great popular interest or included, as soloists, artists of international reputation. But inevitably, due to size and lack of funds such concerts were the exception and not, as is usual everywhere else, the rule. The point that is overlooked here – and it may be a painful one to some people – is that we in Ulster are a comparatively unsophisticated lot music-wise; and it is not realistic, and potentially disastrous, to ask your music-lover to turn out every week to hear Haydn and Mozart, and lesser composers, no matter how attractive their music is. If you rule out Brahms, Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Ravel, Debussy, Bruckner and Mahler from your programme-planning then you are, in fact, ruling out your potential audience. Which brings me to Point 3: In the nicest possible way the report chides the orchestra’s management for its lack of dynamism in the past, but it is pointless to appoint a committee to manage a professional orchestra – a committee whose members with the best will in the world are hopelessly out of their depth when it comes to dealing with, and making decisions for such a body of musicians. The report’s recommendation for an independent management setup is to be commended. One could go on and on, but frustration begins to set in! What I can’t understand is what is so difficult about having a first class orchestra here. The audience is here – the Special Activities Fund concerts are proof. The nucleus of a very fine orchestra is here, but people in charge won’t take a decision to enlarge the orchestra, give them a grant and let them prove their point. It’s about time they did, and I think it’s high time the ordinary concert-goer shook himself (or herself) and let the Arts Council know what they think about the whole business. What’s the betting that the cost of the Working Party report wouldn’t have paid for a return visit by Yehudi and Hephzibah Menuhin, and possibly, Heifetz as well! QUAD, Belfast 15
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 21:44:53 +0000