On Thursday at (10/16) WQXR.com, the website of the New York-based classical radio station, Brian Wise and Naomi Lewin report, “The United Kingdom is blessed with any number of top-flight orchestras.… But among connoisseurs, there’s one group that has often batted above its league: The Ulster Orchestra.… Now comes word that the Ulster Orchestra faces bankruptcy and possible shutdown by the end of the year due to a funding crisis.… Naomi Lewin speaks with Oliver Condy, the editor of BBC Music Magazine. ‘It beggars belief,’ said Condy. ‘I can’t quite understand how an orchestra can go from operating at full tilt to being told it’s going to be offered 28 percent cut in its public funding.… This is an orchestra that played every single concert during the Troubles of the 1970s and ‘80s when all of Northern Ireland was threatened with bombings either from the IRA or loyalist groups,’ said Condy. ‘The Ulster Orchestra’s offices were threatened daily with bombings and they never cancelled any of their concerts.’ ” An article by Kevin Magee at Thursday’s (10/16) BBC News Northern Ireland goes into detail about the reasons behind the orchestra’s financial woes.
Posted October 20, 2014
