...to think it's a cruel decision to disband the BBC Singers before the Proms?

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Making the BBC Singers (Britain's only full-time professional choir) redundant is part of the BBC's new strategy for classical music.

I thought that was sad anyway, especially as it would have been their Centenary next year, but to not have them for the Proms this year just seems a really nasty decision. They think their last performance will be in July (article here), so I can't believe they couldn't afford them for six weeks longer.

Yes, they can feature other choirs and make up choral groups of freelancers but to not let them have a "goodbye" when they've always been a big part of the Proms doesn't seem right to me.

YANBU, I am really unhappy about this, not least as the mother of a dd who wants to pursue choral music as a career and sees it being defunded and devalued all over the place.

There's a petition on change dot org for anyone who wants to make their disapproval known...

And timing them to disband before the Proms is just spiteful. Hope the few quid they save is worth it.

I think the orchestra reductions are a shame too (and a bad idea), but the timing for the Singers just seems such a rotten thing to do.

Unfortunately many people (including people here on Mumsnet) hate the bbc partly because they find things which aren't as populist, because they have serious journalism etc. fewer and fewer people pay the licence fee. I think it's a dreadful shame but I love choral music

More than 75,000 people have signed the petition now. Even if it does no good hopefully it's nice for the Singers to know that plenty of people disagree with the decision.

I've already signed the petition, and I hope that when the matter is examined more closely, the bean counters will realise how counter-productive this move is.
Ironically, I heard about this on the same day as I listened to a programme bemoaning the decline of music education in this country.
What is the point of reviving interest in schools (which I approve of heartily) if it stirs an interest in a musical career in talented youngsters, who then see career opportunities being snatched away from them?
And yes, not letting the BBC Singers have their last Prom, in what should be their Centenary Year, for the sake of six measly weeks, is spiteful.

Have you seen the letter? The whole thing sounds to have been awfully managed.

Yes - this is truly appalling, isn't it! This latest gives a little chink of hope....
Breaking: Parliament seeks debate on BBC's 'appalling cultural vandalism' - SlippediscSlippedisc | The inside track on classical music and related cultures, by Norman Lebrecht

Try again.... slippedisc.com/2023/03/breaking-parliament-seeks-debate-on-bbcs-appalling-cultural-vandalism/

It's absolutely appalling. As an ex BBC employee its really upsetting seeing it tearing itself apart. I signed the petition. Some good articles on guardian. The person calling the shots has no idea about classical music.

Absolutely shocking.

"Cruel"? "Nasty"? Really?!

Sad that people are losing their jobs, but I'm sure they're getting redundancy money.

This, along with the defunding of the GTO is a major disaster for young singers.

It is a terrible decision regardless of timing.

Yes. It isn't the redundancies per se I think are cruel.

It's the timing — winding them up just before the flagship BBC classical concerts of the year that they always take part in and were expecting to take part in.

I suppose letting them have a last hoorah a in front of a huge audience doesn't really fit the message that they're unnecessary.

Absolutely this.

In case anyone has any doubts at all about the widespread revulsion at the BBC actions.....

Herod running the creche - www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/17/classical-music-must-be-spared-the-bbc-axe?CMP=fb_cif
Guardian readers' reaction to the Herod article -www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/17/classical-music-must-be-spared-the-bbc-axe?CMP=fb_cif
Composers against the cut jamesweeks.org/bbc-singers-open-letter-from-composers/
John Adams statement twitter.com/EXAUDIensemble/status/1636650291947880448
Four singers give their view theartsdesk.com/classical-music/axing-bbc-singers-four-associated-musicians-why-its-so-wrong/story.php?story_fbid=766043854889068&id=100044503806539
Letter from music academics uob-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/emjp_bristol_ac_uk/EShx2oUgfEBMhmYED3UQ8usBPiKLnCVneb_vKpsrunp8Ow?rtime=CIAo8nAo20g
Charles Moore, The Spectator 18.3.23 www.spectator.co.uk/article/speak-up-for-the-unsung-bbc-singers/
Roderick Williams and a good summary inews.co.uk/news/bbc-singers-axe-kings-coronation-soloist-musicians-proms-boycott-2213625?ito=social_ifb_theipaper#Echobox=1679058469
John Eliot Gardiner on the Today programme (may be available for only a day) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001k7q4 starts approx 1:22:30
This is tangential (Lineker affair) but is important because it's a former BBC DG saying that the government should not have responsibility for appointment of senior BBC posts. www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/gary-lineker-return-match-of-the-day-greg-dyke-bbc-tim-davie-government-b1067008.html
Guildhall School of Music and Drama statement and group conservatoires' statement www.gsmd.ac.uk/about-guildhall/news/guildhall-school-and-conservatoires-uk-release-statements-on-bbc-strategy-for
Royal Academy of Music response www.ram.ac.uk/news/academy-leads-charge-against-bbc-cuts

Private Eye too:

Yep, saw that one. I am part of a campaign group, and my own view is that OFCOM needs to be made to see that our state broadcaster is no longer independent, but has been made a puppet of the Tories.

From John Pickard

I came on to post this, excellent news!

Excellent news this morning! I had been looking to see if there was a thread about this somewhere on here - it's been such big news in the classical music world but that can be a bit of an echo-chamber.

To the PP who mentioned redundancy money - (one of ) the particularly cruel things about this decision is that the BBC Singers are the only full time salaried choir in the UK. So whilst yes, the singers would have got redundancy money, in contrast to most people who are made redundant, they would not have been able to get a similar job.

Good to know the cultural vandals don't always win.

They know the price of everything and the value of nothing.