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When Ignorance is literally Bliss

It seems that accessibility is a real buzz word for people involved in managing arts organisations. And quite rightly so; in a world where classical music is no longer the exclusive privilege of the wealthy there is really nothing stopping anyone from listening to classical music. But, the question is, do they really want to?
In part the image of snobbery does still persist. Recently after an IBP concert I was told by a friend that she had really enjoyed it, but then she qualified this by saying “oh, but I don’t know anything about it” as if that somehow made her opinion less valid and less important. Unwittingly she had set my mind working. Perhaps this is a common perception – that one needs to know something about classical music in order to be able to enjoy and appreciate it.
In my opinion this view is totally redundant, but part of making what we do truly accessible must involve debunking this myth. There is surely a way of doing this without caving in to unimaginative programming based around a romanticised version of Pachelbel’s Kanon. In fact, how about setting our sights much higher and aiming to build on the existing knowledge of our audiences at whatever level, without excluding the classical music “virgins”. In an age where digital downloads are a rapidly growing form of distribution, an orchestra these days has to appeal to the younger demographic as well as preserving established older audiences.
Sir Henry Wood seemed to find a fantastic solution to this problem of accessibility in the 1890s by putting on his Promenade concerts, which we now know simply as the Proms. The premise was excellent, basically telling the masses “we’re all having a massive musical party, why not come on down and join us?”. This has created a truly accessible forum for musical excellence to the exclusion of none, and gives out an all-embracing image of classical music.
So how can we do this today? Which methods do we have at our disposal to reach out to audiences? Well, of course, to begin with we have the ubiquitous Facebook. And every group these days seems to have a website within ten minutes of first playing a note together. The technology here is helpful in providing a try before you buy option with access to videos, MP3s, pictures and biographies. A comprehensive overview is available instantly. This is a fantastic aid for anyone clinging to the side of the classical music swimming pool. And for those wishing to ditch their arm bands entirely there is always iTunes just a click away. There are no barriers for people who wish to take the plunge.
But of course, whether virtual or physical, you need to get your audience there in the first place. In terms of working this one out, it seems that Gabriel Prokofiev knows a thing or two, as shown by the huge popularity of his NONCLASSICAL nights in which is pioneering work has taken contemporary music and stretched it to its absolute limit. Perhaps the biggest difference between that and strict “classical music” is a question of relevance. NONCLASSICAL gives us classical music for this generation and, understandably, people want to know what music of our generation sounds like. Demonstrating the relevance of classical music is a trickier issue. And here we are, back in our beginners swimming lane, puffing furiously into our arm bands.
The fantastic truth of it seems to be, however, that you don’t really need to know anything about classical music to be able to enjoy it. That’s the job of the musicians! I might go and see some ballet and enjoy it but I don’t know the first thing about it. If you go to a concert no-one will quiz you on the lost works of Hasse, your opinion of Robert Levin’s reconstruction of Mozart’s C Minor Mass or your thoughts on Bach sung in English. We only hope that you enjoy our concerts. The Baroque era gave us the most musically accessible works available. There is no catch.
Based on the optimistic idea that everyone has a sense of humour (apart, perhaps, from people working at airline check-in desks when confronted with an instrument) we’ve been promoting ourselves using cartoons. And for our upcoming Journey of Discovery series we’ll be collaborating with a photographer to bring you some extraordinary landscapes in the spirit of discovery. It is probably also worth pointing out that, despite being musicians, we really are fairly normal. In fact we go to the nearest pub after every concert, and invite you to join us. Musicians and beer have been inextricably linked throughout the centuries and we are delighted to report that we are no exception. It’s another part of historical performance which we zealously respect. Although none of us has yet become so drunk as to start a fight with a bassoonist, as J.S. Bach one famously did outside the Black Bear pub in Weimar.
So, do keep an eye on us! We’re always happy to hear from you and it’s crucial in shaping what we do. If only I had a swimming metaphor with which to finish. Ah well, I suppose we’re only human.

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