Tik-tok organist in New Year honours
NewsThe highly visible Anna Lapwood has been made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in today’s honours list. Lapwood is 28. The MBE is usually reserved for public servants at the end of their career.
Lapwood said: ‘It’s just completely mad. When the letter arrived, I think I sort of screamed and ran around in circles a little bit.’
Among other honours published today, the singer Shirley Bassey is made a Companion of Honour (CH); the composer Judith Weir becomes a Dame; Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis is knighted; Stuart Murphy, ENO’s departed chief, is CBE along with film composer Don Black.
Singer Carolyn Sampson is OBE, as is conductor Laurence Cummings, LPO chair Victoria Robey, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic CEO Michael Eakin, Scottish Opera director Alex Reedijk and South Bank down-dumbing chief Elaine Bedell; Rachel Cowgill and Margaret Fingerhut are MBE; and there are BEMs for Margaret Archibald, Christopher Kent and Jonathan Willcocks.
Maybe I should create a TikTok channel and post stupid videos at a piano, with stupid captions. How about ‘fastest fingers in the world’ and then plays C major scale moderately with a flabbergasted gurn. I might get an MBE too?
You are sad. I get it. You were passed over. Sorry. I suggest you inspire the next generation of..what ever you do..put your art, instrument, creative activity back on the map, making your ancient instrument playing in the realm of a rock star. Oh, and if you can make the people, pieces you play also rock stars, even the better! And, if you can make the people love music, so much so, that they can not do with out it…meaning it will be funded, recorded and people can actually be paid a living wage doing it…then please do all of the above. I will give you an award. Promise.
I’ve not followed this player but, according to what I read, she has been awarded the gong mainly for showing up the ‘alleged’ sexism in her profession; making this award whiff strongly of Wokism!
It’s known that very few musicians or artists ever receive such awards, but I can think of another British organist who has recently clocked up 60 years of unbroken service as Master of Music at Paisley Abbey whose accomplishment is more worthy of such an award.
If you are thinking of Dr George McPhee, he was awarded the MBE in 1995.
I don’t follow this performer but, according to what I read, this gong has been awarded mainly for services to combatting sexism in her profession, making this award whiff of Wokism! Musicians and artists are not often included in such awards en-masse, but I can think of another British organist who has recently clocked up 60 years of unbroken service at Paisley Abbey whose achievement would seem more worthy of such an award.
The MBE is given to all kinds of nonsensical people for all kinds of nonsense. It is plain wrong to say it’s reserved for civil servants. The captain of Chelsea’s women’s team got an OBE this year, as did a bunch of profs (one of them “for services to the regulation of plant protection products”), a football manager and a former executive of the Rugby football league. Emilia Clarke (actress), Mary Earps (football goalkeeper), Paul Hollywood (Bakeoff) all got MBEs this year. Christine Rice got one last year, as did Lucy Crowe.
Of course it’s silly to give it to a 28 year old organist. It was equally silly when the founder of “Make it your business” and author of “Profit through the post” got one last year, or when a stylist to celebs got one.
The whole thing is silly. People get one for all kinds of reasons, and for being good in many different ways, sometimes artistic, sometimes for communication. Paul Hollywood didn’t get one because he bakes the best tiramisu, nor indeed does it denote that he is the best TV presenter ever.
Highly inappropriate, to the degree that serious questions should be raised. In no way deserved.
This is, at best, a middling talent. Even if this were not the case (as, again, it is), consider the list of great talents and career-attainment artists who are not so acknowleged. What, exactly, has she done to deserve this?
These rewards are not a talent contest; they are for services in a particular field, in Anna Lapwood’s case, services to music. Apart from spreading knowledge and love of the organ, via broadcasting and social media, to a wider and younger audience, she has, as Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge since 2016, energetically promoted choral music and singing through various initiatives.
At the other end of the age-range, an MBE was awarded to David Corrie Calvert, President of the Langholm Town Band, for services to to the community in Langholm, Dumfries. He has been a member of the band for 70 years. I don’t know why SD overlooked his achievement.
Oh come now, New Years honors lists have been a joke for a few decades. It is a whose a friend of whom is in power. It is highly political and frankly should be ended if it continues on this route. But I’m an old Yank, so my opine on this really doesn’t count.
Maybe the next emperor should be also voted in by tiktokers
I wonder if the Palace had much input into the Honours that are not specifically within the King’s gift. This is a heftier cohort than usual of serious music people; Dame Shirley Bassey is sui generis.
Not sure the days of the Sir Eltons and Sir Micks are gone, but I would recommend that Ed Sheeran not hold his breath for a K!
Ittai Gradel, who single handedly uncovered the theft of 120 million pounds of antiquities from the British Museum, should be honoured but wasn’t. If anyone deserves it, it is this modest man, a British subject, who lives in a corner of remote Denmark. The woke, now former, authorities of the BM, specifically Hartwig Fischer, were more concerned about virtue signalling by removing the 18th century bust of Sloane, rather than protect the collection that the latter established. Gradel repeatedly warned the museum for three years, was told that he was ignorant and should leave it to the authorities and get lost. The heads of the museum denied it for years, including both Fischer and his subordinate, the now dismissed Johnathan Williams. Gradel was vindicated and further theft has been prevented. He is a true hero to the Kingdom and should be so recognized.
You all hate her cuz you ain’t her
Who would want to be her? She can barely play. Look at the recital programs.
Cry more
She can “barely play”? What? Like, seriously, what are you talking about? I actually have her arrangement of the Four Sea Interludes – they’re really difficult (and very good). What I’d really like is to hear YOU play, Adam.
She became famous for playing Organ for the artist Bonobo at one of his gigs and since then grew in popularity on social media. That seems to be why she has this honour. Not to say that she doesnt work hard, but like any female musician on social media its her looks that drive the numbers. Its why so many female musicians could be mistaken for models. So its not such great news for average or below average females seeking the same path. I did lose some respect for her after complaining of being stalked however, when as is the norm, female influencers make a point of appearing single to attract a male following. The problem is however if you have literally hundreds of thousands of “followers”, by simple maths you will have thousands of not so nice or even unhinged followers within that number. This seems to be behind the reason for the announcement of her long term partner/relationship on social media. These influencers are selling their souls and privacy for attention and cash but never seem to think there is a downside to being known by half a million people peering into their lives. Is it worth it?
She was very well known before that, though the Bonobo gig did raise her profile.
This is appallingly misogynistic tripe. The stalking by Elliott Bennett was nasty and real, as his indefinite restraining order and 6 month sentence in prison shows. Unfortunately, harassment and stalking all too often end in real and serious harm to women and girls, sometimes ending in physical assault and murder. Not to treat this seriously and to speak in such a disparaging tone is almost to become complicit.
It’s hilarious that so many get agitated about any nonsense award by a non existent empire. Better ignore the whole “honours” business altogether. They mean absolutely nothing.
I find it hilarious and also upsetting that so many people are so ungracious, and downright rude about this.
Comments such as “ She can barely play” are petty and unnecessary. She might not live at the top end of the virtuoso spectrum, but she can play and perform decently, and plays repertoire she can accomplish well. Go watch her recital on Richard McVeigh’s channel for example. Her Bach A minor is assured, and her Franck Chorale 3 is very fine. This is not the playing of someone who can “barely play.”
In addition her arrangements of the Britten Sea Interludes are skilled and effective; they are accomplished arrangements.
I can’t speak to her choral directing or choral music, but she has a loyal choir who presumably enjoy her direction.
So what’s the problem? The fact that she has fallen into some degree of celebrity and capitalised on what is the publicity medium of HER generation? That she is actively and successfully campaigning for and supporting more women and girls learning about the organ and playing and conducting and composing?
Because no-one else has achieved this. The fact that she is blonde certainly helps – and let’s face it, most of the ungrateful middle-aged men complaining about her will never have that success, and that is just how it is.
But if you harness that as a force for good and achieve a huge amount with it, as she has done in a very short space of time – then what is there not to celebrate? Shall all organ music remain the preserve of tedious middle-aged men in their dusty organ lofts arguing over which edition of a hymnal is best, and discussing wind pressure and leathering as nauseous?
For every child and teenager that goes wild for Anna playing a film transcription like How to Train your Dragon or Interstellar, some of those kids will go on the enjoy the Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and then discover Elgar and Howells and Buxtehude and Daniel Cook. Some of them might attend organ recitals held by tedious middle-aged men in draughty parish churches. Some might attend choral evensong for the first time. How would any of this be bad? Anna has been lucky to be in a position to capitalise on this, and I don’t begrudge her – I haven’t got the skills or charisma to do what she does, and I doubt any of the complainers on here do either.
The history of organ is littered with people playing popular transcriptions for the people, it was (and in some quarters remains) a significant part of the output of a concert organist. Being bold enough to include transcriptions from modern films and Hans Zimmer is clever and ignited genuine passion amongst a younger generation. Why not?
I cannot fathom how any of this is bad, and an honour to Anna does not seem outrageous given her wide reach, name recognition, success, and the huge amount of outreach she has done.
It is spectacular how petty and jealous organists and church musicians can be, when let’s face it 99% of the population does not give a flying fart about organs and church music, and one person is at least having some traction in turning that to 98%….
Thanks, ElegantOrgan, for your balanced perspective amid a stream of grumpy, know-it-all nastiness.
Oh please, this kind of weak comment is practically a requirement on these threads, next time save yourself the (low) effort and just copy and paste this one. Any high school organist with ambition to a career can play that Bach and Franck comparably, and there’s nothing very special about her renditions, especially on a digital organ. It’s all well to pretend that this kind of hype does no damage. But it does. It sets the mold and the pattern for how young organists have to compete and present themselves, it steals already limited opportunities from the few truly talented and even from those with established careers. If you don’t think so then you don’t know the field. Go ahead and ask Isabelle Demers, Jonathan Scott or for that matter Olivier Larry about Anna Lapwood on camera and watch their pinched expressions as they try to watch their words. Can’t wait to see that happen, actually. You don’t think Iveta Apkalna was smiling in solidarity and joy when she got the news about this spurious MBE, do you? Wake up. And don’t forget the real attraction of Slipped Disc: you may think you’re dismissing a detractor by assuming they’re a no talent in their moms basement, but just like your true identity, you have freaking idea who you are writing back to when you post nonsense. It might surprise you. Wouldn’t be the first time, I’m sure.
“and then discover Elgar and Howells and Buxtehude and Daniel Cook”
I’m guessing Daniel would be both surprised and chuffed to find his name in this list of composers 🙂