Summary of complaint
We received complaints following the proposed closure of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Singers and a reduction of roles in the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s English orchestras
Our response
As you may have seen, we have now received approaches from a number of organisations offering alternative funding models for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Singers. If viable, this would secure theÌýfuture of the Singers. We have agreed with the Musicians’ Union that we will suspend the proposal to close the ensemble while we actively explore these alternative options.
We are still committed to invest more widely in choral singing across the UK, and we want to improve access to the classical sector with a new national choral development programme.ÌýWe have also confirmed that the Singers will appear in this year’s ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms.
We will continue to engage with the Musicians’ Union and other unions about our proposals for the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s English orchestras. We have made it clear that we are committed to meaningful consultation with all the unions involved. The ambition is to have ensembles which allow us to perform a wider range of repertoire and at more venues. We’re aiming to get to 50 new venues in the 2024/25 season across the UK, which will help us fulfil our responsibility to provide for all our audiences.
We have the ambition to double our funding for music education and to launch a range of new training initiatives. We know there is a crisis in music education and we want to do more to address it by being much more active in schools.Ìý
ÌýWe are committed to the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s role in showcasing the UK’s music industries, across the board, and in nurturing emerging talent. Our new classical music strategy is designed to maximise the value of our limited resources, for both our musicians and our audiences. It is, and will always be, core to the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s public service mission to inspire young and old alike, to appreciate the joys of classical music.
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