The BBC Takes the Lead

It’s not so common anymore to see a classical radio station lead a major arts festival, but the BBC is doing just that.  You can read the full story here.

Leading up to the the London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad, the “Beeb” has more than 100 live performances taking place across the UK on the weekend of March 3-4.

Built around classical and orchestral music, but also featuring jazz, folk and world music, Music Nation will see thousands of musicians and audiences experience world-class performances, community projects and workshops in venues and public places up and down the country.

Devised and led by the BBC, and including performances by the six BBC performing groups, Music Nation is a partnership with Arts Council England, the Association of British Orchestras (ABO), British Association of Concert Halls (BACH), Orchestras Live, Making Music, Conservatoires UK and Locog to celebrate the richness, diversity and excellence of Britain’s musical life.

As I write this blog post I’m just putting together a radio show about the Virginia Arts Festival.  The most amazing thing about that festival is that it’s the tourism folks who drive it.  The arts can be an amazingly powerful economic engine, but how many communities get that?

Bravo to the BBC for using the power of the airwaves to support this effort.  If every classical station took that lead in their communities, they might be surprised at how much cooperation they get from both the arts community and the bureaucrats.

Roger Wright, Controller of BBC Radio 3, commented: “As the home of classical music, Radio 3 is delighted to be the host broadcaster for Music Nation, dedicating our schedule to the broad range of UK-wide performances from this weekend festival. This is a typically ambitious BBC broadcasting project and Radio 3 is proud to offer our millions of listeners the chance to enjoy this unique moment in 2012 classical music.”

Just one more comment on this initiative: a lot of people point to Classic FM in the UK and how its listenership is so much higher than the Beeb, but that viewpoint doesn’t take into account all the peripheral ways that the Beeb supports the arts community.   This festival is one example.  The Proms are another.  And the BBC 3 website is an international cultural treasure.  I listen to it frequently, read the excellent notes, and enjoy the ever present excitement that you get from live music as opposed to just spinning CDs.

Look at the breadth of this festival — and it’s all live!

Orchestras, performing groups and organisations taking part in Music Nation include: the BBC’s Performing Groups, Music for Youth, Britten Sinfonia, the Ulster Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, RTE Concert Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the LSO; with venues including The Sage Gateshead, Barbican, Southbank Centre, Roundhouse, Kings Place, Plymouth Pavilions, Clyde Auditorium, LSO St Luke’s, Assembly Rooms Derby, and many more.