What’ll happen to musicians when ENO is moved to Manchester

Over the next five years until the move to Manchester, members of the English National Orchestra and chorus will be offered a stark choice between redundancy and relocation. Most, I suspect, will take a reasonable pay-off and go since the upheaval in mid-career is unsustainable for themselves, their partners and families.

ENO has no music director who might call on their loyalty and try to change their minds. There is not much to keep anyone at a company that is being shunted up north without even a fast train connection.

The remnants of English National Opera that reach Manchester in 2029 will be bundled together with existing organisations to provide a full orchestra. That could mean a partial merger with the Manchester Camerata or the BBC Philharmonic, or a fast-stream audition process into the orchestra for new graduates from the Royal Northern College of Music.

These are the options presently on the table. None of them inspires hope or foretells glory.

As for the backstage staff, no-one even mentions them.

It’s a ghastly scheme for gutting ENO and cutting musician jobs.

pictured: Manchester Camerata