Scots pay to stage Proms in Japan

Scots pay to stage Proms in Japan

main

norman lebrecht

October 25, 2019

The BBC Proms will open in Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama next week, ‘presented and sponsored by Daiwa Securities Group and supported by the Scottish Government’.

The orchestra is the BBC Scottish.

There is more confusion in this project than cultural fusion. The venture is being managed by a London agency.

Something does not sound right.

Comments

  • lunchtimeOBoulez says:

    Assuming Scotland is still even a part of the UK by next week…

  • Peter says:

    BBC Proms opening next week ? In November ? Yes must be some confusion here. As you say.

  • Greg Bottini says:

    What does not sound right, Norman?
    I can’t tell what you are referring to from your posting (which might very well have been changed by the time my comment is “approved”.

  • Greg Bottini says:

    Sorry, forgot to add my final ).

  • Nick2 says:

    Why would it not sound right? I do not know which management is involved but clearly this is partly a money-making enterprise for them. I have no problem with that if it succeeds in bringing more Japanese to classical music concerts, especially younger ones. The Japanese love ‘fads’ and many jump on the bandwagon. If the “Proms’ concept takes off, it could become a major event in the annual concert programme in several cities.

    As for Scotland’s involvement, I was recently on a Qatar Airlines flight from Doha to Edinburgh. Most of the others in business class were Japanese ladies. I asked the purser if this was unusual. Not at all, she replied. There are often many Japanese on this flight. No doubt the Scottish government hopes more will follow suit.

  • jamesay says:

    I am at a loss to see what “the problem” is ? The BBCSSO is one of the BBC’s superb orchestras (reminder, Scotland currently is part of the UK and Britain) and does the unnamed London agency is also based in Britain…. so could Norman or someone enlighten me as to “the problem”??? Seriously….

  • lunchtimeOBoulez says:

    No more ‘confusion’ than seeing a body-positive bisexual American soprano headlining the LNOTP in the Albert Hall?

    I wonder why the Japanese didn’t want that?

    But the British Empire made its money on flogging second-rate tat to Asia. Prepare to cash in on the back catalogue of Walford-Davies, Gosse, Stainer, the immortal Sir Hubert – not to mention Sir Edward’s charming blackface epic, Crown Of India.

    Land Ohne Musik.

  • John Salter says:

    Why these endless carping comments about the BBC?

  • AKP says:

    Something does not sound right indeed – your sloppy, incomplete reporting Norman!

  • Paul Brownsey says:

    Lovely to think that the separatist SNP government of Scotland is subsiding a rousing chorus of “Rule, Britannia”.

    • jamesay says:

      The Scottish Parliament isn’t subsiding anything here. How ignorant. The BBCSSO, like ALL BBC orchestras, is paid for by the UK TV Licence. AND we’ll just ignore your slanderous use of the word “separatist”. SNP advocate Independence.

      • Paul Brownsey says:

        The story said the venture was ” ‘presented and sponsored by Daiwa Securities Group and supported by the Scottish Government’.”

        I relied on that. If its support includes no financial support whatsoever from the SG, then I shouldn’t have said “subsidised”, but the prospect of the Scottish Government “supporting” a rousing chorus of “Rule, Britannia!” is still a piquant one.

        Actually, though, money is involved, according to the Scottish Government’s own website (https://www.gov.scot/news/funding-announced-for-tour-to-japan/): “The Scottish Government is supporting the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s residency at the first-ever BBC Proms Japan with a £50,000 grant.”

        “AND we’ll just ignore your slanderous use of the word “separatist”. SNP advocate Independence.”

        There is nothing slanderous about “separatist”. They want to separate Scotland from the UK, having a mentality like that of Bexiteers. Yes, you don’t LIKE the word, but it isn’t slanderous.

  • MOST READ TODAY: