On the BBC Singers…

It’s hard to imagine the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) having a much worse week than the one it has endured. The focal point being, of course, the disastrous saga of footballer-turned-presenter-turned-left-wing-darling Gary Lineker and his public crucifixion and subsequent resurrection for no apparent gain other than to heap more division, politicking and column-inches on the embattled corporation. Whichever side of the political divide you subscribe to, it didn’t look good for our national broadcaster and questions will continue to be asked regarding political interference and the role of the Beeb. Amidst this media palaver was another negative story to spew from the BBC, of course nowhere near as high-profile as Linekergate, but one that may have a longer-lasting impact on our cultural life and artistic reputation: the cancellation of the BBC Singers and the reduction in funding of the BBC Orchestras.   

For those unaware of the BBC Singers (and I’m guessing, that probably isn’t anyone reading this blog), they are essentially the radio choir of the BBC, something similar to NDR Choir in Germany or the Swedish Radio Choir – a choir founded to broadcast concerts and other events on the national broadcaster’s radio output. They are also the only full-time professional choral group in the UK, an accolade which may sound small beer, but in the cash-strapped world of classical music means so much to those who are part of the ensemble. Founded in 1924, they have given countless concerts, broadcasts, church services, education ventures, outreach and engagement projects and have premiered thousands of compositions by a roster of the world’s most famous and influential composers. They are part of the fabric of British classical music with a reputation of being able to sing almost anything that is put in front of them (not something that can be said for many choirs the world over). Hence, the news that came from BBC HQ recently that the BBC Singers were to be disbanded seemed to be unbelievable, a terrible joke or misunderstanding from the corporation’s top brass. However, it was not a joke and what made it worse was that it was accompanied by some of the worst management restructuring jargon imaginable, prioritising ‘quality, agility and impact.’ Ghastly.

Now, I should say, as a composer who has written for and worked with the BBC Singers in the past and someone who works predominantly in the sphere in which they are one of the shining stars in the firmament, I have a vested interest in their survival and this blog post is nothing if not partisan. But even if I wasn’t, I would like to think that I would be suitably disgusted and incensed to write something similar, for the removal of this group is so short-sighted and penny-pinching that it is verging on cultural vandalism. And what makes it worse, is that it comes on the back of Arts Council cuts for ENO and the Britten Sinfonia (amongst others) and the defunding of various arts organisation closer to home in Aberdeen. But the disbanding of the BBC Singers feels (to me at least) like a much deeper cut, for it is not only the closing down of another creative avenue, but also the message it sends out to not only the classical musical community, but the wider world as well – there is no need to fund excellence in choral music. What a horrible statement to make.

Of course, the country is in a tricky place right now on the back of a worldwide pandemic, a failed experiment in exceptionalist sovereignty and war in Ukraine to name a few problems, and I understand that belts need to be tightened. But for a corporation that makes, apparently, billions a year, I wonder how much the disbanding of the BBC Singers will save? And even if that saving was necessary, does the negativity that surrounds this decision equal the savings? And does the negative message that this decision makes have any ramification to those who make decisions in the BBC? Maybe we’ll never know.

But there has been a backlash, from many different quarters. From prominent musicians, from the BBC Singers themselves, from celebrities and other people of influence on social media and beyond. Even composers, a notoriously disparate group, managed to coalesce around a letter of disgust to the BBC – 700 composers, from the good and glad to those much nearer the bottom. Like me. And then there is an online petition which has hundreds of thousands of signatures. Ultimately, it might all be worthless, and the country’s leading vocal group will be consigned to history with other avenues of high culture not deemed financially secure or progressive enough for the contemporary world.

But the question I can’t shake, is why wouldn’t the national broadcaster want a radio choir? Why wouldn’t it want a group of excellent singers that could be rolled out at the drop of a hat to perform here and there, to sing carols at Christmas, to perform to rapt school children, to shout sea-shanties on the windy quayside or to just perform beautiful music in the most perfect way possible for people to enjoy. That sounds like value for money to me, but then what do I know? All I know is that I will miss the BBC Singers, what they represent for my art and what they might have done in the future. It’s a sorry mess.

PAC