Musicians Union attacks BBC for shrinking Strictly
NewsThe MU has launched a campaign to resintate the full band that played on Strictly Come Dancing before distancing measures were introduced during Covid.
A mini-band continues to be used to accompany the dancers in one of the BBC’s most-watched shows.
The MU now accuses the BBC of maintaining Covid restrictions to save budget. It tweets: ‘Did you know Strictly is one of the biggest shows on UK television? Over 10m people tune in each week!
‘Cutting the band is not just a huge loss of earnings to the musicians. It denies audiences the opportunity to see and enjoy fully live music’
MU secretary Naomi Pohl adds: ‘It is always better for musicians to perform with live musicians than with a recording.’
I’m confused as to why our union hasn’t raised this issue previously? As usual the illustrious leadership don’t exactly seem to be on the front foot when it comes to protecting our industry?
Never has been. I left the MU in the late nineties over their approval of Matthew Bourne ballet dancing to recordings of Swan Lake when they could have used an orchestra, be it small.
There is nothing as permanent as a temporary measure. Originally, The Phantom of the Opera had a more or less thirty-piece orchestra. A smaller arrangement was made for, I think, the Music Box Touring Company in the US. This is now the standard orchestration for every new production that opens. RIP the real thing…
Has anyone other than the band noticed the reduction? I’ve not heard anyone say ‘if only there were more musicians’
Quoting the audience figures didn’t help – the BBC doesn’t earn more money just because more people watch…
…but what has this to do with the kind of music to which SD is devoted?
They should have stayed with Victor Sylvester, although a lot of records by “his Orchestra” were apparently made by as few as four musicians. Those were the days when sequins were worn by the girls…