Culture - Not Just for the Capital?

By Julia Hudson 

 

Reading this excellent Gramophone blog article over breakfast last week, I found myself agreeing and arguing in equal measure. It is evident that the arts, both in terms of funding and geographical density, are overflowing in London and sadly lacking in parts of the country. “There are seven full-time symphony orchestras in the capital if you include those resident at the two opera houses and there’s always been debate about whether that’s too many”. While I couldn’t help jumping up and down at their attestation that there was no professional symphony orchestra “in the whole of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall…you’re lucky if there’s one concert performance from a professional symphony orchestra in a year”, I had to admit that they are technically correct. However, we are a professional chamber orchestra, and regularly perform sizeable concerts across the south of England, with six performances in the above counties already confirmed in this season alone. 

I wonder why this dearth is there? Some of the comments on Andrew Mellor’s article mention programming; are London audiences more knowledgeable, and thus can cope with more inventive, unusual programming? From my knowledge of our audiences, I think this is unfair; everyone likes to hear a piece they know, but paired with something new and challenging (a common Proms formula). This way, they are comforted and tested in equal measure, as we did in our most recent subscription concert, pairing lovely Brahms 4 with movements from edgy Britten concertos.

I think we are nearing the point, however, here: “the five concert-giving London symphony orchestras increasingly manoeuvre themselves into brand-aware niches catering for the ‘pic n mix’ London concertgoer”. This week I found myself at the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s ‘Night Shift’ at 10pm, gin and tonic in hand, as the players explained their way through each movement of Beethoven’s 8^th Symphony, prompted by Alastair Appleton. Lovely as it was to see some familiar players’ faces in a London setting, as I collected my free branded Oyster card holder I felt that it had been a fun, new concert-going experience but that I had, ultimately, been distracted from really comprehending a new piece of music. However, I don’t think the answer is for regional orchestras to trot out the same repertoire and shy away from inventive concepts and programming, especially given that “there’s no longer a quality gap separating London orchestras from their regional counterparts.” With the breadth of activity Southern Sinfonia undertakes, ranging from jazz to educational work to Baroque continuo to al fresco opera, we are living proof that there is scope for progression outside the capital (if we only had the funding to make the most of it).

On a happier note, and because I can’t avoid it any longer, the festive season is approaching, and with it an annual renewed appreciation for music. With Handel’s ‘Messiah’ emanating from so many churches and concert halls around the country (many played by us) and Christmas carols drifting around street corners (this year sung by us, excitingly!), everyone will get a taste of classical music, whether they choose to or not. How can we capitalise on this, and maintain this level of pervasiveness? Is it by offering a badge and a DJ set with your dose of Beethoven, or is it purely by increasing the available quantity (taking quality as a given) of classical music, particularly outside of London? If funding was more widely spread, ticket prices could be kept low and more artistic risks could be taken, broadening the audience base and demographic and, in turn, strengthening the position of existing organisations. As well as the orchestras, “the real winners, of course, would be those south western taxpayers who enjoy live classical music (apparently more than anyone else) and crave a notable local institution to be proud of.”

Millions of people are still suffering in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through the Philippines on Friday 8th November. Southern Sinfonia has launched an appeal. Please click here to join us and help save lives.  

If you would like to come and hear us sing carols in aid of this appeal, please join us in Newbury town centre on Thursday 5^th and Thursday 19^th December.

To find out more about Southern Sinfonia, our appeal or upcoming events, please contact us through our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.