Did Birmingham make the right choice?

There is quiet satisfaction in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at the speed with which they picked Kazuki Yamada to replace Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla as music director.

Yamada, 42, has greatly enthused the players in his three years as principal guest conductor and is musically well equipped for the job.

He will also bring – or so we are told – the promise of tours to Japan, the platinum level of status and profitability for an orchestra. All of this augurs well.

But was it the best choice in the circumstances?

Yamada lives in Berlin with his family and has another job in Monte Carlo. With Corona restrictions stretching as far ahead as the eye can see, and Brexit piling up further travel difficulties (a key reason for Mirga’s exit), might it not have been prudent to appoint a young British-based conductor who could be sure to turn up, whatever Covid and Brexit dictate?

There was a party in favour of Alpesh Chauhan, music director of Birmingham Opera, locally born and loyal.

Others under consideration were Mahler-winner Finnegan Downie Dear and Marta Gardolińska and Gergely Madaras.

Time and vaccines alone will tell if the players called it right. And if they received the best advice.