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Choral ensemble the BBC Singers have been saved following a public outcry at the planned cuts. As previously reported by TheatreArtLife, the UK Arts sector has faced a string of cuts recently following a restructuring to funding post-pandemic.
The public outcry came as plans were announced earlier in March that the chamber choir would close in July. A petition was started by Jack Apperley and gained 140,000 signatures, which also opened up the conversation to the public, who opposed the closure. The Musicians’ Union were particularly active in the cause, and held ‘intense discussions’ with the BBC since the announcement of the planned cuts. The MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl welcomed the news and released a statement that read:
“The outpouring of love for the BBC Singers and Orchestras over the past few weeks has been incredible and we know our members are hugely grateful for all the support they’ve received.
“We hope the BBC recognises the real quality and value they bring to the UK’s music industry, international music makers and fans and BBC Licence fee payers who will be keener than ever to see them in action live and via broadcast. The work they do in music education is also crucial. They are frankly irreplaceable.”
As reported by the BBC, the halt came after “a number of organisations came forward to offer alternative funding”, although it is unknown publicly at present exactly who these organisations are.
The BBC’s Head of Orchestras and Choirs Simon Webb echoed the MU’s sentiment welcoming the temporary reprieve and addressing the wider BBC cuts, saying:
“I am confident that this does secure their future. But this has all happened just in the last few days – and what we’re looking for now is a little bit of time to quietly, confidentially have conversations with these external partners.
The financial challenges are still there, but we’ve set out our plan… and now we’re listening. If there are counter-proposals, we’re very much listening to that, as we have done with the BBC Singers.”
Knowing that the BBC Singers will be performing at the much-loved Proms concert this summer, the choir’s producer and acting co-director expressed his excitement:
“The Proms will be incredibly emotional for everyone involved with the BBC Singers, but also in choral music, because I think the last few weeks have shown how people look up to the BBC Singers.”
While the BBC Singers have received fantastic news, the future is still uncertain for other groups at the institution, who at this point will still be affected by the planned budget restructuring.
The plans are to downsize the classical music groups at the BBC, which includes a 20% cut to the orchestras (BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic), with records stating that £25 million was spent on orchestras and performing groups in the last year.
The BBC says it needs to find £400m in savings by 2027 because of the two-year freeze in the licence fee imposed by the government.
The future remains uncertain, however the outcry continues, with The MU confirming that they shall continue to fight for musicians, and Julian Lloyd Webber penning an op-ed piece in The Radio Times, that included more than a few harsh words:
“How did we get to this point? What has happened to our nation’s beloved BBC – the organisation that has been responsible for some of the greatest classical music broadcasts in history?
That BBC no longer exists. The dereliction of its core principles has happened stealthily, over many years and with a lack of transparency that has eroded trust both inside and outside the organisation.
Quite rightly, profound questions are now being asked as to what, if anything, the BBC still stands for. Has it given up any pretence of public service broadcasting? And, if so, why does it continue to receive our licence fees?”
Additionally, it’s been reported by MSN news that permanent members of the orchestra will be replaced by freelance musicians, and that the BBC has invited voluntary redundancies among its groups. It also looks as though the BBC Singers could be performing to a split audience at The Proms – there are numerous mentions of boycotting the event from many in the public realm as a means of making a statement against the current situation.
We will update with further developments as they happen.
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Michelle is a musician and composer from the UK. She has performed across the UK and Europe and is passionate about arts education and opportunities for women and girls.
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