London had an opportunity to create a world-class concert hall in the early 1980s at the Barbican Centre. That they didn’t get it right is not a reason to throw money at a new venture or to mourn its demise (City of London scraps plan for ‘Tate Modern of classical music’).
We have world-class halls in the UK in Birmingham, Manchester, Gateshead, Cardiff and Glasgow, as well as the many other halls which may not be new but work well and attract audiences, including the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
The abandonment of this indulgent project will not take away work from “classical musicians and technical staff”. If there is any funding available after the pandemic, it could be used to resurrect the parlously underfunded arts in this country and acknowledge the significant income that they generate for the tourism industry. There is no good reason for the arts to be London-centric. The establishment of the Birmingham Royal Ballet is a good example of how successful a move away can be.
Julie Berrow
Former member, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
