BBC Nottingham deal: 2 weeks is better than nothing
NewsHere’s the BBC press release about its new Midlands residency:
The BBC Concert Orchestra has partnered with the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University to give students world-class performance, composition, and production experiences. The partnership will also reach schools and local communities through projects designed to improve quality of life and wellbeing of people in the city as well as supporting the music education sector in the region.
The partnership will begin with a year-long film-making and scoring project, involving students from both universities. The project will culminate in workshops with BBC Concert Orchestra musicians and BAFTA and multi-Emmy Award-winning composer, George Fenton. There will also be improvisation workshops with renowned musicians and composers.
A new BBC Radio 3 Recital Series including New Generation Artists will be recorded in collaboration with students in Djanogly and University Halls, and there are plans for further broadcast programmes as the partnership develops. …
The partnership will start with a two-week BBC Concert Orchestra Residency, placing the BBC production activity at the heart of research and training programmes, and building on the BBC Concert Orchestra’s already growing presence in the city.
I had expected it to have been establishing the BBC orchestra in Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham which has a fine acoustic.
The main recital hall at the university is a 200 seater according to their website. It was listed in 2012 as one of the UK’s top 10 venues for chamber music by Classical Music Magazine.
There is a larger Rehearsal Hall, so maybe that is the proposed home?
I look forward to being corrected.
This is a travesty and insulting to the calibre of this fine and versatile professional orchestra.
Nottingham is hardly a centre of excellence for studying composing or music generally – certainly not the specialist skills needed to write for film & TV despite George Fenton’s name being added to the attraction.
Now these poor nomads who have been without a base for years will have to decide whether to get to know the M1 intimately and dangerously commute to work, or throw the towel in and take voluntary redundancy.
Is there really any future working with ordinary uni and school kids when this orchestra in it’s day pre covid was the most highly regarded orchestra to fix for A list gigs inbetween their hugely popular and widely admired weekly 90 minute live music show on BBC Radio 2- all done on a 3 hour rehearsal folks…
How many bands can boast that skill these days?
This gem of a band deserve better and shame on those at this ignorant failed broadcasting corporation who can’t/don’t want to recognise this.
A complete travesty and insult to the musical fabric of this musically failing country…
Absolutely perfectly stated. Nowadays, BBC is all about politics, diversity, a tick box exercise devised by the Suits who are totally unaware of the special talent they have with the BBCCO.
Yes. It’s shameful to be outstanding and therefore branded “elitist”. Seems the BBC and ACE are in each other’s pockets…
Nottingham? It’s the back end of beyond!
Er…. it’s a two week residency. If players can’t handle a couple of weeks working away from base they don’t deserve to call themselves a serious professional ensemble.
And if they seriously think they’re too good to do education work with “ordinary uni and schoolkids” in a major city outside of London, doubly so. Careful: your toxic attitudes are showing.
Read the article again – it’s not only a 2 week residency but a long term plan..
Open letter to Lorna Clark and Simon Webb:
1) Apologise
closely followed by
2) Resign
Sincerely Yours
UK classical music
I’m glad to see the partnership is with the unis and not with the Royal Concert Hall actually. The RCH already puts on an excellent classical season with many different orchestras visiting, top soloists and interesting programmes – which attract a consistently good audience. I’m glad this won’t be interfered with by a BBC that no longer properly appreciates classical music.