Classical music brings us joy and meaning. In this time of doom and gloom, we need to talk about it classical music

When did you last read a good news story about classical music?

Think of the stories that have made headlines in recent years: funding cuts to national opera companies, threats to close university music departments, councils eliminating the provision of local music, and the decline of classroom music production.

The reported successes tend only to serve as a reprieve or rescue in the face of such crises, for which a sector running out of fuel struggles to continue fending for itself. Each new bombshell sparks tension and hostility among music makers on social media, adding to the gloom.

I know these are generally dark days, with bad news in every walk of life, but think about the music. If you are a fan of hers, you surely count on her liveliness, how she speaks to your feelings and lifts you up or comforts you in times of need. Even if classical music isn’t your cup of tea, you’re unlikely to find it harmful or condemnable. How, then, did the narrative around it deviate from the spirit of the thing itself?

Let us remember the pioneering work of broadcaster Sir Humphry Burton, who died last month. When television first cast its magic, vanguards like Burton seized upon the medium to promote music. On programs including Monitor, Omnibus, Aquarius, Arena and BBC Young Musician, Humphrey and his colleagues have put classical music on the main TV channels and on everyone’s radar.

Today, the Internet and streaming provide access to more music than ever before. But it offers more Everything. And in this vast expanse, music advocates cannot capture the public’s attention more easily than Burton did when there were only three or four television channels for UK viewers to watch. We also face the challenge of how to compress the vast wonders of symphonies and operas into digital formats designed to capture 30 seconds of attention. Classical music simply isn’t on everyone’s radar anymore. This diminished presence is taking its toll, and funders and opinion makers see less visibility as less important. Then cuts, closures, and negative headlines come our way.

We need to reset the story. We need to live up to the energy and imagination of the music and those who make it. We need to make a more convincing case for the importance of classical music, taking into account the difference it makes in the lives of so many people.

We sensitive, artsy souls can be very shy in expressing such matters. Let me try to crystallize what classical music did for me: it gave me my message, my voice, my confidence, my tribe. The dedication and integrity that composers and performers invest in their craft has compelled me to live these virtues myself. By watching musicians on stage, I regularly witness the best of humanity, as they strive together to give their best for the benefit of others. By performing sublime, sometimes centuries-old music, classical musicians assure us that good things endure. They remind us that if we can find meaning and resonance in what a composer said generations ago, we can certainly find commonality and connection with each other in today’s world.

In today’s uncertain times, what a precious strength. In this regard, I cannot think of any classical music organization in the UK today that is not actively exploring how focused and informed engagement with its community can have a positive impact on multiple aspects of healthcare.

Classical music certainly deserves a brighter showcase than it currently has.

One way we try to do this is through the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, for which we are announcing the shortlist today. Every year, our judges are overwhelmed by all the wonderful things musicians do to engage, entertain, support and support us all. Take this year’s nominees. Among them are prominent figures such as bandleader John Wilson. With his album Sinfonia of London, Wilson strives to achieve an Olympic level of musical excellence that captivates audiences at best-selling albums and sold-out concerts across the UK. Also nominated were star soprano Louise Alder, who dazzled in BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, and composer Mark Anthony Turnage, whose Covent Garden festival was a powerful reminder that the UK produces some of the greatest and most compelling opera in the world.

The RPS Awards don’t just celebrate star talent. Among the candidates are unsung heroes with wonderful stories to tell. Take, for example, the Welsh community of Gresford who created an opera to commemorate the village’s mining disaster of 1934. In this, music brought people together, giving multiple generations a voice and a renewed sense of the values ​​that united them.

Take the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, which last year not only recorded its highest ticket sales ever, but presented interactive music-making projects to more than 70,000 people, including a major music weekend – in collaboration with jazz and soul artists, local chefs and brewers – at Glasgow’s deprived Anderston Pavilion.

Take Sean Chandler, principal trumpet of York’s Shepherd Amateur Brass Band. Sean created I Can Play Brass Roots – an initiative that helps deaf and deaf children in York feel heard and valued by teaching them brass instruments and playing as a band.

These are not isolated projects. They represent what all UK classical music makers do. So many good deeds, so much good news. In a time of global distress, we should cherish and embrace these extraordinary infantry forces.

Here we can be encouraged that a growing audience recognizes the value of classical music. In a survey conducted by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2023, 84% of adults said they would like to experience a live orchestra concert. Last year, BBC Radio 3 reported an audience of 2.15 million listeners in one quarter – the largest since the pandemic – and last year’s BBC Proms enjoyed a record digital audience, with more than 10 million TV viewers and six million live streams. The audience is an integral part of classical music and it is important that we find every way to ensure they are recognized. While many award shows are just for celebrities, we especially welcome the music-loving public to attend the RPS Awards – they are part of the story we have to tell.

Humphry Burton himself was a driving force in launching the RPS Awards. Tributes to him last month spoke to how he ushered in a golden age of classical music storytelling. That’s true, but he did more than that: he gave us the blueprint, showed us the enthusiasm, and passed the torch to us, to keep classical music in the hearts and minds of the nation, where it positively belongs.