Making classical music accessible | Letters
Chi-chi Nwanoku claims “classical music is overwhelmingly white and male” (Opinion, 27 July). Take a look at the strings and woodwind sections of your average professional British orchestra and you will see that it is approximately 50/50 men and women. It is true there are usually more men than women in brass sections, but even that is changing.
I’m sure she’s right that there are too few black musicians in the profession; the reason for this is not race but class. To reach a professional standard you need to have not just talent but the opportunity to put in the many hours of practice and study required. Instrumental lessons are no longer offered in schools or come at a price many people can’t afford. Then there is the cost of a decent instrument – hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. If you want to address imbalance in the classical music world you need to increase opportunity for those without the means to pay for expensive private lessons. And that starts with properly funded music teaching in schools.
David Williams
Southampton
I agree with Tim Ashley that Haydn’s oratorio The Creation was at times magnificent and that the real stars were the BBC Proms Youth Choir (Prom 14: BBC Phil/Wellber review, 30 July). What a joy to see a choir of young talented people – with an audience packed out with their proud parents and siblings – singing with such enthusiasm and in exquisite harmony, momentarily lighting up our discordant world. But apart from the life-affirming music, the decision to perform the oratorio in German really challenged the audience – no dumbing down here –many of whom were following the libretto in their programmes. When I later learned that Sir David Attenborough had been in the audience, I knew that my decision to see a work I had never heard of before was the right one.
Stan Labovitch
Windsor, Berkshire
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