Strike ballot called at Welsh National Opera
OrchestrasThe Musicians Union is balloting orchestra and chorus members over 15 percent pay cuts and job losses.
The cuts were enforced by policy decisions of Arts Cancel England (ACE) and its Welsh satrap, ACW.
An MU offiical said: ‘The WNO Orchestra is one of only two full-time professional orchestras in Wales. Reducing that provision would have a negative effect on the WNO’s artistic standards, Cardiff’s status as a hub for professional music, and cultural provision across Wales and large parts of England.’
How to finish off a fine company already on its knees.
I’ve just booked a campsite in Cardiff with the intention of seeing a couple of WNO productions in September/October which are not touring to Birmingham. I will go ahead and get tickets in hope :-0
We have tickets for the orchestra’s summer concert next month, hear them while you can.
This is so sad.
The unions will learn, as the miners’ unions did before them, that there is little point in blicking the supply of a non-essential commodity for which there is declining demand. This is, of course, no reflection on the merits of the Company.
Thanks for that nice, patronising sneer …!
No patronising sneer intended. The company has a fine reputation. But just as the miners’ unions helped kill the coal industry – which was stockpiling thousands of tons of coal that nobody wanted – strike action is only going to make the WNO even less viable than it is already.
Speaking of unionism, can anyone doubt that the Musicians Union of America is partly responsible for there being fewer and fewer recordings of American orchestras?
I should add that I have no irons in this particular fire because (a) the only WNO performance I’ve seen is the famous Boulez recording of Pelleas and Melisande with the very lovely Alison Hagley, and (b) the only Cardiff I’ve seen recently is in New South Wales, not far from Newcastle and Wallsend …
I think Andrew makes a good point. The musicians have a case and might attract a lot of sympathy on SD but, to the uninitiated when money is in short supply, it’s not a good look.
Andrew Clarke and Barry may well be correct but there are some examples where bad decisions for music have been reversed when strike action was threatened. I am thinking of the time at the beginning of the 1980s when the BBC stated it would axe several orchestras around the country, including the BBC Scottish Symphony. I cannot now recall how that issue was resolved although there were questions raised in parliament about the somewhat paltry amount that would be saved.
As reported in Hansard of 27 June 1980, one MP stated, “The BBC has fostered the impression that these cuts are dictated by economic considerations, but the union—and, indeed, some of the journalistic commentators—suspect otherwise. As one of them put it, ‘There is a suspicion that the men at the top have seized upon the current economy drive to get out from under the burden imposed upon them by Lord Reith.’ It is well known, of course, that the BBC had tried to shed some of the orchestras in 1970.”
Of the BBC Scottish, he added, “It is this disbandment that has aroused the greatest concern. I say that not as a Scot but because that orchestra has a long and distinguished tradition as a nursery for composers and conductors, and because of its contribution to the cultural life of Scotland.”
That list of conductors in positions with the orchestra includes such distinguished names as Vanska, Runnicles, Groves, Hurst, Gibson, Loughran, Colin Davis, Rattle, Andrew Davis among others.
Some of the ‘light music’ orchestras and a small number of jobs (several only part-time jobs) did disappear but the BBC Scottish was saved. And what a fine orcestra it has become!
Re Andrew Clarke’s additional point, I do not believe this issue is one of lack of demand. It is one of government policy mandated through its quango, the Arts Countil. Looking back, the BBC Scottish Symphony argument in 1980 could indeed have been one of demand because that orchestra rarely moved outside its dedicated Glasgow studio. It was a broadcasting orchestra with little presence elsewhere in Scotland. That poplicy thankfully changed and it now presents regular seasons in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, is a regular at the Proms and has recently appeared at the Aldeburgh Festival.
Is this an issue of demand? The protests are in reaction to arts budgets cuts which aren’t directly related to demand. Perhaps you have audience attendance figures to back up your claim? And is opera (or classical music in general) a commodity? Should the arts council only support something which can be sold for profit? It’s a genuine question, I’m interested to know what people think.
Jonathan, the other way of looking at this is to ask whether classical music, including opera, is a public good, from which the whole community benefits, like hospitals and schools, and which therefore are worthy recipients of taxpayer support. My heart wants to say ‘yes’, but my head says ‘no’.
And not all classical music has this kind of problem. Look at all those ‘have theorbo will travel’ groups in France and no doubt elsewhere, performing in churches, with presumably tiny overheads: very different from your Covent Garden performance with sets and costumes that cost a fortune, a large orchestra and star performers demanding astronomical fees. Meanwhile, Glyndebourne can put on equally opulent performances, only with up-and-coming performers, with private sponsorship. Then how many Glyndebournes can UK’s wealthy patrons afford to support?
The MU only represent the orchestra. The Chorus is represented by Equity
And hopefully CBSO will do the same.
To achieve what?
15% is a very large cut. I wish them luck in reversing this.
As someone from within the orchestra, there are so many good people from around the world offering support. It is so sad that things are heading in this direction and frustrating that outside voices who have experience with arts organisations are being ignored. I am so proud that I am working for WNO and all of our amazing performances (even those with technical difficulties!), and I am concerned about our future.
What you need, Sophie, is financial support, and I sincerely hope you get some.
The musicians have no alternative and it is important that they get the widest possible support. They have been sold down the river and it is a sad reflection on the English dominated establishment that they have not given the same support to WNO as they continue to lavish on ENO. Whatever the outcome of this last ditch attempt to salvage something from the shoddy way they have been treated they have, in reality, nothing else to lose because they have already been robbed of everything but their integrity and the superlative history of serving Wales and the English regions. Good luck to them and shame on the management and the Arts Council for betraying them. It needn’t be said what words describe the actions of this Government without being moderated.
Turkeys/Christmas
Sad news if they can’t sort this out
WNO wouldn’t need to resort to strike action if they were cherished more by the Welsh Arts Council who have recently rebuked them for publicly demonstrating their natural concerns.
Instead of criticising them for complaining and forcing them to fight their corner, they should be looking at raising money to keep this distinguished company afloat.
This is the same Welsh Government and Cardiff City Council who have put out their International Cardiff Singer of the World Competition to tender in the hope that they won’t/can’t sustain it in the future.
The next International Competition is on hold whilst Cardiff Council look further afield to survive.
What another dreadfully woefully lack of support our arts culture is experiencing again to the demise of more arts projects, whilst sports eat up national interest and subsidy. Appalling!
I am tempted to suggest that what happened to Scottish Opera may be on the cards for the WNO. Both equally fine companies which had been doing some very splendid productions. But there is one problem that SO faced that I believe is not similar to the WNO experience. Since the mid 1980s Scottish Opera became saddled regularly with major debts requiring financial bailouts every few years from the grant-awarding authorities in Scotland. Even so it continued with some large-scale very expensive (and it must be added very impressive productions) like Luc Bondy’s Macbeth and Tim Albery’s Ring cycle.
By around the time of that Ring cycle cycle in 2003, the Scottish Executive had produced a damning report on the company’s “arrogant and irresponsible” management citing the continual overspending over many years. The disastrous immediate result was not merely a demand for a full restructuring but the company being forced to close for about a year and its orchestra and chorus to go part time. More than a third of all jobs were lost.
Fortunately the company eventually bounced back despite losing many of the permanent music staff. It has since staged some fine productions incuding Sir David McVicar’s superb Trittico last year. The company is no doubt delighted that McVicar, one of the undoubted greats of opera production today, has returned to live in the city of his birth, Glasgow. But presumably because of grant support levels the company still presents only about half its fully staged output of 40-50 or so years ago. Let’s fervently hope WNO does not have to go down the same road.