Back in 2002, as I began my tenure as CEO of the Ulster Orchestra, there was another major financial shortfall and we had to consider four options with all our funding partners. All the relevant parties looked at (1) enlargement, (2) maintaining the current size, (3) a reduction to 35, and (4) complete closure. All options were analysed; the different costs compared; advantages and disadvantages considered. In the final analysis, and from all perspectives, including value for money, there was unanimous agreement that (2) was the ideal solution for Northern Ireland. Twelve years on and here we go again. Northern Ireland must maintain its symphony orchestra with that fabulous resource of 60+ full-time professional musicians providing concerts and recordings of the highest quality; community outreach for all ages though with a strong emphasis on offering young children their first taste of live music; inspiration, encouragement and tuition for aspiring young musicians or future music lovers. You cannot put a price on that. If you tear it apart, reduce the size, it’s no longer a symphony orchestra and the likelihood is that you’ll never recreate what you’ve built up and then destroyed. We should take a real pride in the Orchestra. It is, after all, one of Northern Ireland’s international calling cards, a crucial part of our total arts offering. The UO recordings are known and valued across the world. The UO has a highly valuable and internationally renowned ‘brand’ image. Why would you destroy all of that? A full-time professional symphony orchestra comes at a cost. None pay their way through concerts alone. They all need a viable funding package with a mix of public and private money. The UO enjoyed reasonable sponsorship support before the recession. Returning to that position depends on the economy picking up and some vision and investment from our captains of industry, politicians and supporters. Sadly, in the north of Ireland, with the exception of Gallaher (now JTI), we’ve lacked companies with a really strong commitment to corporate social responsibility. In truth, there’s a shortage of large companies headquartered in Northern Ireland. Will that change with the influx of IT companies with significant financial inducements from Invest NI? And what about patronage from wealthy individuals? There’s long been a real dearth of that in this region. The UO had benefitted from many smaller contributions from its subscribers, but that’s also suffered from a major administration hiccough in the last year or two. Let’s resolve all those problems, rebuild confidence and fight for a vibrant, properly endowed, symphony orchestra serving the region. That has to be the Ulster Orchestra in which we’ve invested so much over the past 48 years.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:30:27 +0000
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