Wales fails music
NewsThe Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama told staff yesterday that its junior department will shut at the end of this term. Around 200 children attend every Saturday to study an instrument. Many have their fees paid by bursaries.
They will have nowhere else to go in the principality.
Staff have been told there will be a consultatation, but this is just about redundancy details. The decision has been taken.
Wales has failed its children.
UPDATE: The RWCMD’s star graduated is the actor Antony Hopkins, presently playing Handel on screen. Has anyone tried tapping him for help?
Soon to be Wales the land without song.
This is disgraceful.
I remember fellow school pupils going off to Ogmore School Camp, my own son going to brass band, to the forerunner of the RWCMD now all gone, no wonder there is little interest in classical music if there is no opportunity for schoolchildren to take part in it.
Very upsetting – now young people will have to trek into London (or Manchester, at RNCM) for Saturday morning music schools. Considering the high cost of train fares, it’ll be more likely that they’ll not go anyhwere at all for such high-calibre learning. This will no doubt have a knock on effect on the National Youth ensembles of Wales, as young people in Wales will be deprived of tuition. A very sad day, indeed.
And the financial loss to their teachers, as well as their loss of talented learners.
Would be a fairer comment if you said Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Wales has not failed music.
This is shocking. Sponsors should be been sought so that it would not come to closure. Advanced planning was needed. Once something is closed it will not return in the same guise. I feel that the students and Teaching Staff have been badly let down.
The beginning of the end of WNO, the closing of the junior college, the closing of St David’s Hall, what next? Watch out BBC Welsh orchestra! Wales the new cultural desert.
I think you mean The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Whatever, they are still on thin ice!
Hello shock waves. I thought that St Davids Hall was temporarily closed due to RAAK Cement issues and would reopen. Who made the momentous decision at the Welsh College by closing,to deprive youngsters of access to understanding and learning about the most elevated Olympian standard of artistic creativity ie classical
Music in all its forms.To play an instrument is one of the most beneficial things you can give your brain whether people become professional performers or hobbyists they will have something which in Europe is still highly valued and the amount of people I have met with high powered jobs who have a capability to play music. High level marks in exam results from medical students in the USA all played instruments research discovered.
No Olympian standards there I’m afraid.
Please can you tell us where you got your information? As a staff member myself we were sent an email about a consultation on the future with no decision having been made. If you’re going on the one viral post on Twitter then that really is poor journalism.
Separately, from three staff members.
I spent an amazing week one summer teaching the classical students of the Junior Music Dept many years ago (late 90s?), and teaching them Jazz and Free Improvisation. It was with the legends Keith Tippett, Lee Goodall and a few other amazing musicians. As a teacher (and RWCMD graduate) it was a fantastic experience exposing some incredible young musicians to styles/forms of music they wouldn’t necessarily get the opportunity to play a part in. I would really hope canceling any high level teaching for young people, within an environment of passionate teachers would surely be an enormous mistake?
I taught there for a while – it is an amazing department. I would not have become a professional musician without the junior dept of a conservatoire – many of their pupils are on bursaries- this will be a huge loss
Where is William, Prince of Wales?
Save Shamu and Free Willy.
If it wasn’t for this junior department I would have never have had a great career in music.
I began attending in 1994, the year the junior department opened, and had fantastic training, especially from cellist Kathryn Rhian Price.
Where are talented Welsh children meant to go now?
Wales is not a principality.
Westminster fails music.
Shame on The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.