A BBC Symphony bloomer is on display

A BBC Symphony bloomer is on display

News

norman lebrecht

July 05, 2023

This is the picture the BBC used to advertise a toxic job vacancy, running its symphony orchestra and chorus.

They forgot to edit out the supertitle above the chorus.

It reads: ‘I han’t got long to stay hear.

Comments

  • Old Grey Whistle says:

    Not so subliminal advertising.

    The caption over Simon Webb’s job ad would have read “I’m here for keeps, as long as Pepsi Tim needs me”.

  • Kingfisher says:

    stealing away the BBC Singers?

  • RPMS says:

    Might be wise to give copy an extra proof-checking when mocking others’ bloomers. Two errors in the final line of this very short post.

    For those who see this after the post has been corrected, the final line read:

    It reads: ‘I han’t got long to stay hear.

    • Antwerp Smerle says:

      Yes indeed RPMS: two bloomers in one line from NL, who persists in preferring to use his readers as his spell-checkers.

      However, the person who transcribed the sung text into the surtitles is innocent of any bloomers. As kingfisher hinted, the text is a line from the spiritual “Steal Away”.

  • Anon says:

    Oh come off it. As any musician worth their salt knows it’s a very well-known line from Deep River, one of the Tippett Spirituals from A Child of our Time. Not a Blooper (or as your title has it, a “Bloomer”.)

    • RPMS says:

      I don’t think the charge of ‘bloomer’ was questioning the typographical accuracy of the text, but rather highlighting the irony of its meaning in the context of a job advertisement.

    • Kingfisher says:

      wrong one.You were even given a clue.

      How much is your salt worth?

    • Anonymous says:

      Bloomer is British (so not an error on the part of Slipped Disc). It is a blooper (or bloomer) not becase it contains non-standard English (I know it’s by Tippett also) but because it’s a funny comment to have in a recruitment advertisement.

  • Violinista says:

    Thank goodness for subtitle funnies of which there are many. I remember Falstaff with WNO in Southampton when the subtitles appeared in Welsh.

  • Guest says:

    Where is that ad? Might this be relevant, from the BBC careers website description? “The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Chorus, currently based in Maida Vale Studios, will move into the new purpose-built BBC Music Studios in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2025. New partnerships and relationships in Stratford and East London are already being forged, connecting the orchestra and chorus to its local communities, ensuring the ensembles’ profile and ambition are local and global.”

  • Willym says:

    I’m still waiting for the end of the (mis)quote.

  • trumpetherald says:

    Could almost be one of the daily bloopers on this site.

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Delicious!! The much-overwrought first person pronoun. Once again. I, I, I, me, me, me, me, mine…

  • Antwerp Smerle says:

    On another tack, am I wrong to feel sad that it was considered necessary to provide surtitles at a performance of an English oratorio given before – I assume – an English-speaking audience?

  • Stiff upper says:

    As an english based in uk, i was not aware that “bloomer” was an english expression, similar in meaning to “blooper”.
    I just thought it was yet another ironic typo from NL.

  • Nicola Barranger says:

    Don’t you mean ‘Blooper’?

  • Mark says:

    No it doesn’t. Pay attention. Here is spelt correctly.

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