Recently I visited my old college in Cambridge to give a recital. While I was there, I took the opportunity to attend two services of Evensong in the college chapel. As always, hearing sacred music sung in those glorious surroundings (see photo) was a striking experience and I said so afterwards to a member of the College staff.
To my surprise, she told me that some students arriving in Cambridge for the first time had been invited to attend Evensong as part of their matriculation events and had commented afterwards that it was the first time they had heard classical music. Some of them had also said it was the first time they had heard live music performed.
I wasn’t utterly surprised by the notion that they hadn’t heard classical music, but I was shocked to think they’d never been at a performance of live music. ‘So does that mean that all their music-listening up to that point had been done on phones and devices of various sorts?’ I asked. ‘Yes, I suppose so’, was the answer. ‘What else can it mean?’
If this is really true, there’s an awful lot of outreach work for us in the arts world to do. Many musicians are deeply engaged in such work already. But, despite some schools making enormous efforts towards music education, it’s clearly possible for young people to reach college age without having heard classical music or even live music. Hopefully, when they do hear live music (and classical music) they will notice how differently it impacts them, and they’ll seek out more. But live music should be a part of people’s lives from their earliest years.
I completely agree. A friend recently told me that when she went to secondary school in the ’70s classical music was played as they walked into assembly which was the first time she’d ever heard it and it opened up a new world for her.
She had wanted a different experience for her children and they both had the opportunity to learn an instrument at school which she had encouraged. Last week she took a grandchild to a traditional performance of Swan Lake at a local theatre where the orchestra was on display and she and the grandchild who had never been to a ballet before were both entranced. She mentioned in passing that she had previously attended a Matthew Bourne performance where there was no an orchestra. I didn’t believe her but I looked through the programme twice and there was no mention of any musicians at all. This is really worrying.
Meanwhile back in the world of education my daughter who teaches whole class music lessons as cover lessons for the entire school and runs several choirs singing a wide range of music was informed last week that the music base where she teaches, rehearses choirs, and hosts class based performances to other pupils and parents is being taken over by the council because the neighbouring school has run out of space. The primary school where she works is unusual in providing such a good musical experience, and instead of encouraging this in other schools in the city they are doing their best to completely abolish it. My grandchildren, who happen to go to a private prep school have the opportunity to learn instruments etc but music cannot just become the preserve of the wealthy.
Thank you for providing this information, Jen – it seems to echo what I was told, and is worrying to hear.
This is fascinating and distressing. Classical musicians need to earn a living and so should not be expected to take up too much time doing outreach for the right to qualify for arts council grant etc, but my son who is just about to start 3rd level music education may well be able to use this information to explore what students of music can do within the remit of their courses to bring classical music live performance to primary schools especially. To chat to the children and perform for them. Bit of a captive audience I know but children are receptive and curious. From little acorns…
There are some wonderful education outreach projects if you know where to look. The CBSO has one, Stringcredibles (all also members of CBSO) is excellent, and Nicola Benedetti is offering free tickets for young people in the Edinburgh Festival.