It’s been a traumatic few years for live music, and the past six months have made many musicians and devoted administrators question just how much we are valued.
But let us not lose hope. A long view is necessary. Think of the period since 1900. Our four nations’ musical life has survived world wars, terrorism, pandemics and economic meltdowns, because audiences wanted it to survive. There is still a palpable hunger for live classical music among an increasing cross-section of society. A century ago, many of our treasured ensembles and musical organisations didn’t yet exist. Against the odds, exciting new ones are emerging yet.
There is however a current tension between the music profession and some key funders, with mistrust and misunderstanding on both sides. Those in the industry feel sometimes that we are being instructed to dilute the quality of what we have to offer. Richard Morrison, commenting in the Times on the arrival of the 12th culture secretary in 13 years, suggested that she should bang heads together at Arts Council England, as there seems to be an ideological crusade against core classical music at that address. Don’t get me wrong, industry leaders appreciate the core principles of Let’s Create, ACE’s 10-year strategy. We know some of it is long overdue. However, unfortunately, there are deep fears.
The pressures on defunded organisations have already made headlines, and let’s not overlook those who never had public funding in the first place, nor the many organisations supported for now but already worrying about the criteria they must fulfil by the next funding round. Another worry is that London till now remained one of the world’s cultural jewels, and for the entire nation to prosper we need London to prosper. The levelling-up agenda needs to support equitable investments in culture across the UK but not to London’s detriment. Post-pandemic, there is concern nationally – as all our cultural organisations must pivot their business models to audiences’ radically changing habits in terms of attendance and philanthropy – that nobody is listening to us. There is huge pressure on individual donors, and Trusts are greatly stretched with every charitable and social cause asking for help.
It is interesting to reflect on the words of John Maynard Keynes, the first Arts Council Chair, in 1945.
‘The task of an official body is not to teach or to censor, but to give courage, confidence and opportunity … do not think of the Arts Council as a schoolmaster … the artist cannot be told their direction … they lead us to fresh pastures and teach us to love and to enjoy what we often begin by rejecting.’
Stirring words. But too often policymakers today regard artists as “creatives” who can be mobilised to fulfil criteria imposed upon them. Artistic excellence is not something that we should be ashamed to champion. We shouldn’t have to think twice about saying that Bach, for instance, was a colossus, and that his music represents some of the greatest triumphs of human imagination. But in the current funding climate, statements like that seem to be less than welcome or, worse still, even irrelevant.
Of course, we need greater financial commitment from government. But classical music is not simply looking to the future with a begging bowl. We showed through the pandemic that we are central to the wellbeing and prosperity of our national life. The NHS and care providers nationwide increasingly draw on musicians to help in the comfort and recovery of people living with physical and mental health conditions.
The arts are central to the international standing, character and wellbeing of the nation and bring in over £110bn annually to the economy. Looking elsewhere: Berlin – a single city – gets cultural funding of around 600m euros, while the annual ACE budget is £428m. Charlotte Higgins aptly called this funding a thin gruel that organisations are forced to beg for. And we all remember “Eat Out to Help Out”, which subsidised restaurants during the pandemic. That cost some £849m for one month alone. If any government, current or future, addresses the awful cost of living crisis by subsidising the hospitality sector, the arts should get a similar deal. At the very least, the government could look for new tax incentives that would encourage individual donors to give more effectively to causes they love.
So how can we make our case in the current economic climate and amid so much global turmoil? Let’s spell out what an ideal world might look like. All young people are passionate about music – and all types of music. Schools are facing many similar challenges to the cultural sector. We need to understand those challenges and address how we can all work together. It’s critical that we talk to young people. We also need to highlight the importance of music education and music literacy. The music of Beethoven, Britten or Caroline Shaw should be taught alongside the likes of Shakespeare, Austen or Bernardine Evaristo.
We need to renew our call to the government to embrace the idea of a universal offer, like there is for literature. Rather than attack, which doesn’t get the classical music world very far, could we not come up with a united, tangible, and supportive suggestion from the sector? We should call for every primary school child to have the opportunity to attend many musical performances, to familiarise themselves with music history and an instrument, or to sing in a choir. I admire the rounded-educational model so well embedded by our neighbours, Finland. Their Art Testers programme supports every child in a certain school year to attend two shows or exhibitions.
Although many schools, music education hubs and national youth music organisations do fantastic work, the days of free music education for all children throughout their schooling are largely gone, and investment in the whole system in real terms is at an all-time low. Numbers of students taking GCSE and A-Level music exams have dipped, but those taking grade exams have increased. This would indicate that those who can afford to go private are making their own arrangements. Music is becoming the preserve of the middle classes, exactly the opposite of what Let’s Create is meant to achieve.
All the work we undertake in our opera houses, festivals and concert halls – including education events for schools and families – could be beamed at very little cost into every classroom or home across the country. Wigmore Hall’s free live streams have already had a national and international impact, but there is scope to do so much more.
A coordinated plan for live classical music and music education from government, led by each of the nations’ artistic funders, is long overdue. Classical music policy and strategy are confused and all over the place – but our amazing resources and talents could work wonders if properly harnessed.
In the pandemic, everyone recognised and endorsed the remarkable, uplifting effects of music for people of all ages and backgrounds. From that, the industry has begun to construct a new narrative to embrace great artistic expression from everyone.
We should work with all funders to recognise that no artist is formed in a vacuum. It takes a community to build and develop a musician, and we often neglect to acknowledge our own humble influences. My personal gateway to classical music was the Limerick church choir I joined as a child. These early experiences are so formative. If we lose focus on those crucial school years, there is little hope for meeting any diversity target 10 or 20 years down the line. It simply won’t happen, and the pressure is placed on classical music charities to fix what is essentially a problem in the classroom. Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare’s triumph last month with the Royal Opera’s Barber of Seville reminded me that he only discovered music as a 14-year-old. We have to create opportunities at each and every stage of people’s lives. We reach hundreds and thousands of children as an industry, but millions more are disenfranchised simply because of a lack of joined-up thinking.
• This is an edited extract of a speech given by John Gilhooly, chairman of the Royal Philharmonic Society and chief executive of Wigmore Hall, at the 2023 RPS awards on 1 March. BBC Radio 3 will broadcast an RPS awards programme at 7pm on 6 March and the ceremony will be available to watch on the RPS website from 9 March.
