Once a week, BBC radio takes a satirical look back at the previous days. The news quiz is always introduced by a mockingly twisted message before the cheerful title melody for wind ensemble is heard. In the last episode, the quizmaster bluffed that the usual band was no longer available for the live performance of the theme tune due to BBC cuts in classical music. He regretted having to perform them himself with a frying pan and wooden spoon, which he did. Then he introduced himself as a presenter who had not scored a single international goal, which probably entitled him to say whatever he wanted.
Gina Thomas
Feuilleton correspondent based in London.
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He had already addressed two BBC reports on his own behalf: the ruckus over the political statements of BBC football presenter Gary Lineker and the miserably managed austerity measures in classical music, which provide for the complete elimination of the internationally renowned BBC Singers, the only professional full-time choir in the country, as well as a twenty percent reduction in the number of permanent musicians in the three English BBC orchestras. The merger of the BBC symphony and concert orchestras is feared. The effects are immeasurable simply because of the exemplary character, as renowned composers, conductors, musicians and experts from all over the world underline in their protest letters against "cultural vandalism".
In official jargon, the BBC's new "strategy" claims to prioritise "quality, agility and impact" and strengthen the broadcaster's public mission in the field of classical music. The vague announcement that the money saved, which may amount to less than Lineker's salary of around £1.35 million a year, will be partly invested in educational purposes, is perceived as hollow appeasement. In connection with the radical cuts in state subsidies for the classical music business, which is branded as elitist, it has also raised the question of what this training is supposed to achieve if the possibilities for carrying out a musical profession shrink to such an extent.
There is hardly a more agile ensemble than the almost hundred-year-old BBC Singers. From Renaissance moths to a cappella jazz to ethnic and contemporary music, they cover an unusual breadth at a level that only professional singers can offer. Since their beginnings, they have commissioned and premiered thousands of compositions, including by Webern, Poulenc, Boulez and Birtwistle. In addition, they are committed to a diverse audience, among other things with free concert performances. The fact that this choir of twenty professional singers is to have its last performance before this year's Proms season is cited as a particularly cynical step towards averting public protest. On Tuesday, a petition against the deletion had already collected 111,000 signatures.
In a letter to the BBC chairman, the heads of the BBC Singers denounce the chaotic procedure of those responsible. You describe the "aggressive and confrontational" dialogue with the BBC leadership; they point to fear and paranoia, which generated "seismic decisions about the future of the corporation" made in haste and without meaningful consultation; and they speak of the "toxic culture" of the current BBC, which is reflected in the working environment from the Director-General downwards. The examples given paint the devastating picture of decision-makers who swing their axe ignorantly and carelessly. The head of the music department, who was promoted from the pop sector, is said to have attended a Proms concert with the BBC Singers once.
It is claimed that the leadership team as a whole rarely shows up at the classical music festival hosted by the station. A few years ago there was an episode in the BBC's own satire "W1A" about doing "more with fewer orchestras". It was considered to form a new "Celtic Symphonieta" by merging the Scottish Symphony Orchestra with the National Orchestra of Wales. The planners were not clear about the spelling of Sinfonietta. The satire now seems to be becoming reality.