Spare a thought…

Spare a thought…

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norman lebrecht

December 20, 2010

For hundreds of musicians who have been stranded in airports and hotel rooms across western Europe, their concerts cancelled or ill-attended, their credit cards maxed out, many of them wondering how they will ever get home in time for the holidays.

And spare a second thought for hundreds more who are stuck at home, their gigs cancelled, their wages unpaid, their families wondering how they will make the next mortgage date.
December is the busiest time for orchestral and session musicians, the difference between make and break. A short bout of bad weather should not disrupt the musical economy, but it does. The end of 2010 may be a good time for musicians to rethink the whole life/travel balance. Meantime, while you watch pictures of families and old folk sleeping rough in airports, think of the poor musicians who are having their toughest Xmas in recent memory.

Comments

  • MHT Etzel says:

    You are so right. I am so worried about my travelling plans for the New Year in Vienna and being left stranded at Heathrow in transit for Vienna after a 11 hour flight, that I never thought I would only be missing a holiday whereas musicians are missing their work.
    Well done.

  • Marie Lamb says:

    Our sympathies from one of the snowiest cities in North America, Syracuse, New York. This month, we’ve received a lot of snow even for us. As Billie Holiday used to sing, “I can’t remember a worse December.” I know that a lot of U.S. musicians I know have also been affected by the weather, and winter doesn’t even officially start until tomorrow! My prayers and good thoughts for our musical colleagues (and others) on both sides of the pond who have been affected by the weather and the economy.

  • Michael P Scott says:

    Norman, for all your attempts to appear “tough to the core,” you’ve just shown yourself for the warmhearted softie that you are. When I read this, my reaction was, “How kind of him to point this out.”
    Musicians have enough problems without global warming ruining their (and our) Christmas.
    MPS

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