CBE
John Gilhooly – Wigmore Hall [pictured]
OBE
Alpesh Chauhan – Music Director, Birmingham Opera
Steven Osborne – Pianist
Mark Pemberton – Association of British Orchestras
Peter Wilson – for services to classical ballet
MBE
Peter Broadhurst – Joyful Company of Singers
Andrew Carwood – The Cardinall’s Musick; Organist St Paul’s Cathedral
John Cooke – ENO Secretary
Berendina Norton – Professor of Music, Royal Military School of Music
And that’s it, folks – despite genuine congratulations to the handful of recipients in this Honours List, the majority of whose names will mean little or nothing to the vast majority of music-lovers, the paucity of awards to those musicians who have struggled through the current pandemic to bring classical music to audiences, either live or on disc, or the omission of deserving performers and composers, is a telling and quite shocking reminder of the depth of ignorance members of the award committees possess regarding – or place upon – classical music today.
Absolutely correct. We are living in a country where even the ‘ more culturally aware’ of our politicians and administrators are so ignorant about classical music they have no idea what benefits can be gained from even a basic knowledge of the genre. And what about those musicians whose amazing efforts during the pandemic made many people’s existence during this incredibly difficult period at least more bearable? (I would also have awarded a major honour to Petroc Trelawney!)
As ever, Bob, you’ve hit the nail absolutely on the head…!
Precisely – has no one asked how is it our orchestras (as one example) are playing so brilliantly after what they have been through – do ‘they’ think this was managed by sitting and waiting for ‘it’ to be all over? Indeed some of these ensembles are playing better than many of their European counterparts. To have performed, say, MacMillan’s Christmas Oratorio last month, was an example of what can be achieved in the most difficult of circumstances.
http://www.colinscolumn.com/london-philharmonic-choir-orchestra-mark-elder-conducts-the-uk-premiere-of-james-macmillans-christmas-oratorio/
Congratulations to the deserving recipients. That much needs to be emphasised. Yet are we surprised by the continuing ignorance of classical music matters by the Honours Committee and our culturally bankrupt Prime Minister? No, just weary. So very weary.
Bob’s assessment couldn’t be more to the point. British music, the skilled inspiring men and women who make it, deserve far far more recognition.
Well said all of the above. Like Mr Keener I too am weary, weary of a PM who is morally and spiritually bankrupt.
What stands out for me is the complete absence of any composers.
This is the greatest scandal against the Honours Committee whose knowledge of music aspires no higher than the “greats” in all probability.
So we get a cook writer honoured etc etc and no-one whose art may last for centuries instead of minutes.
Music is the most grievously ignored of all the arts and creators seem to suffer the most.
This is a fine list, but a small one; and the honours are too modest in most cases. I’m most grateful that I didn’t have to trawl through the Full List of Honours to find these nine names.
We stagger on from one Philistine government to another. You can chart the general lack of musical education in Desert Island Discs and the sort of soundtrack that is deemed acceptable for the New Year fireworks.