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An Open Letter to Sound and
Music and Arts Council England
Press release: Tuesday March 27, 2012
An Open Letter to Sound and Music and Arts Council England has
been signed by some 250 composers, performers, administrators and supporters of
contemporary music, headed by Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and including Julian
Anderson, George Benjamin, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Martyn Brabbins, Michael
Finnissy, Anthony Gilbert, Steven Isserlis, Oliver Knussen, Paul Mealor, Thea
Musgrave and Judith Weir. It is endorsed by the Classical
and Jazz Executive of BASCA, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and
Authors. A full list of signatories is attached, together with a supplementary list of names added after the deadline.
The letter was drafted by
Nicola LeFanu and Colin Matthews, who chaired the panel which helped
prepare the Holst Foundation
report Provision for New Music last year. This report reviewed in detail what it saw as severely diminished
support for unestablished and emerging composers, together with the need for
the re-instatement of a British Music Information Centre.
Sound and Music was formed in 2008 by the merger of the Society for the
Promotion of New Music, the British Music Information Centre, Sonic Arts
Network, and the Contemporary Music Network, with substantial Arts Council
support - around £3.2m over the first three years of its life. Without any
remit to do so, it soon abandoned the many important and long-established
programmes of its founder organisations. In the 2011 Arts Council funding
review its grant was cut by 40%; this was followed by the resignation of its
Chief Executive and of other executive and board members.
The Open Letter has been written in response to Sound and Music’s ‘A New
Direction 2012 - 2015’ document and their imminent appointment of a new Chief
Executive (an outline can be found at http:soundandmusic.org/about/press/SAM-Review-2012-2015).
It shows that Sound and Music has little or no support from the sector it was
set up to represent. Drastic changes are needed if it is to have any future
credibility.
For further information please contact:
Nicola LeFanu n.lefanu@mac.com
Colin Matthews cmatt@orpheusmail.co.uk
Eve O’Kelly, Cultural Management and
Research eveokelly@gmail.com
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