What next?

[Kenn]

The Cultural Secretary has said that The Promenade Comcerts are not ethnically appealing, This from some one who attends The Opera! Double standards or what?
Will the Edinburgh Tattoo survive? Will pipe bands be banded,Wiill folk dancing gp to the wall?
WHY can't they just let us get on and enjoy whatever type of music takes our fancy and if we chose to dance an eightsome reel or attend The Notting Hill Carnival or The Highland Games what's it got to do with them?

[TBH]

The Cultural Secretary has said that The Promenade Comcerts are not ethnically appealing, This from some one who attends The Opera! Double standards or what?
Will the Edinburgh Tattoo survive? Will pipe bands be banded,Wiill folk dancing gp to the wall?
WHY can't they just let us get on and enjoy whatever type of music takes our fancy and if we chose to dance an eightsome reel or attend The Notting Hill Carnival or The Highland Games what's it got to do with them?Our culture seems to be getting wiped out for fear of offending ethnic minorities. What's worse is those ethnic minorities don't care and aren't in the least offended.

[George Brims]

To be quite honest, I find the thought of the demise of Morris Dancing doesn't lose me any sleep at all.

[Boozeburglar]

The Cultural Secretary has said that The Promenade Comcerts are not ethnically appealing

With respect, I don't think we need to paraphrase her as her speech is available online.

http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Minister_Speeches/margaret_hodge/margarethodge_speech_ippr_event_04march08.htm

I don't agree with her, but I also don't believe what she said really amounts to much.

You hit the nail on the head about Notting Hill. Is she going to demand the organisers make that event more 'representative'? After all, the carnival attracts over four times as many attendees as all the Proms combined!

Besides, I have been to the Proms, and it did not occur to me that it was an unrepresentative audience. I wonder who, if anyone, researched this before she opened her big gob.

This kind of interference plays into the hands of those who capitalise on the resentment it causes.

Stupid cow, so she is!

[Cattach]

To be quite honest, I find the thought of the demise of Morris Dancing doesn't lose me any sleep at all.

Oh Dear, I will miss those men in their little dresses. Come to think of it I would also miss Scotsmen in skirts, sorry kilts.

[Kenn]

Thank you for posting the link Boozeburglar but my point was more about double standards that any thing alse.
In September of last year said female admited she has been a Promenader and she is also known to attend The Opera on a regular basis,which is even more elitist, I would quote the old saying, "What's sauce for the goose is also good for the gander."

GBrims, sorry to hear that you have hung up your Morris bells and can I borrow your defunct limbo poles please?

[TBH]

And I experienced the ‘cultural test’ as a young girl of 10 when my father set about seeking British citizenship. An inspector came to our house for tea to interrogate me and my 7 year old sister and assess our ‘Britishness!’ Tea usually consisted of a boiled egg and fingers of toast. But on that occasion we were made to eat cucumber sandwiches and fruit cake under strict instructions to say that that was what we always had – and I absolutely hated fruit cake!Using words like 'Interrogate' and using Britishness like it is a dirty word, I would say the only fruit-cake in that statement is herself.

[Big hughie]

and she is also known to attend The Opera on a regular basis,which is even more elitist, I would quote the old saying, "What's sauce for the goose is also good for the gander."
OK why is opera elitist????? Opera was the "Neighbours" of its time it was cheap and cheerful entertainment to the masses in the days before TV and Radio usually provided by small companies who spent their lives on the road
You can in many ways compare it to good country music where songs tell a story ,in the case of opera its just a series of these songs In my own case I first was introduced to it by my granny who would listen on the radio whilst doing her
job and by the local policeman who lived next door ...hardly the top circle of society ..but then we come to the "elitist"problem and although Scottish opera isnt blameless in its expensive prices etc the main problem lies in my opinion to the English class system whose upper strata seized on opera and tried to make it a totally middle and upper class form of enjoyment in the same way that certain golf and sailing clubs operate
It can happen in other countries , Salzberg and the Wagner festivals are expensive but there is the other side too New York Met has productions featuring Renee Fleming Placido Domingo Anna Netrebko etc etc for the princely sum of 27 USD or abt 13 pounds which must be about the price of a stand ticket to Wick Academy ...and you can wear jeans to both
So lets not blame opera just the prats who have tried to hijack it
Beeeg Hugheeeeeeee

[Kenn]

Big hughie, I use the term elitist to refer to the fact that the majority of people just can't afford to attend in this country simply because of the price of tickets not because opera has no appeal.
I am very fond of certain operas and have quite a collection of recordings, can even hum the score to one or two.

[Rheghead]

They got rid of the Radio 4 UK theme music at 5.30am for the same pathetic pc reasons, it was the best bit of music for the day.

[Big hughie]

Sorry Lizz I thought you meant that opera was elitist You would not have been the first with that off the mark comment
Beeeg Hugheeeeeeee

[Kenn]

That was very "Carmen," of you Big hughie now how about "La Traviata" on toast followed by "Aida," of ice cream?