David Hoyland, musical director
Stephen Bennett, personnel manager

"Always have an orchestra for the weekend. Sort of livens things up." Alistair Sim replies: "I'm sure." -from The Green Man (1956, B/W)

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music." - Sergei Rachmaninov

To be the finest, most profoundly important orchestra in the land requires dedication of the highest standard. Every individual, from the last chair of the second violins to the leader and principals of each section to the triangle-player, is of the utmost vital importance. Here's what Bernard Haitink very politely said in March 2004: _*_ <= click here

We are a team, a band of brothers and sisters – friends who share a common goal and idealistic commitment that music makes people better human beings.

Love or Money?

“Too much (payment) for what I have done; too little for what I could do.”
--W.A. Mozart

The single biggest problem, and the most destructive of all, that orchestras world-wide face, is that they refuse to give music without being paid accordingly for it. Given: traditionally, musicians have always been under-valued and under-paid to the point of starvation. This sad situation has not changed. Symptom: bitter animosity towards the pay-masters and public at large. Result: Inferior, trivial music-making has no effect or meaning in the world. Nihilism rules. Materialism flourishes. The human spirit is diminished. “We who live to please, must please to live.”

The sacrifice is great. But the prize is invaluable. “Prize” is the wrong word. Music/Art is not a competition, is not a race, is not a game with winners and losers. Everyone is the winner! Successful & full committment will attract and bring the necessary money.

A musician membering this orchestra must possess the following requirements and committments:

1. Mastery of his/her instrument.

2. Committment to become better than he is.

3. Care, concern - committed to a warm, friendly relationship with fellow colleagues in entirety. We will always go to the aid of a colleague, no matter how big or small the problem or concern. The false myth that strings are better than winds and/or brass and vice verse is now dead. Snobs exist everywhere, even in the music world. Indeed, the old rule rules: "Who you know not what you know." People pulling strings is the rule. We, and Cla'am Fest, exist to end this stupid, class-ridden inhuman primitive barbarism. We must have and maintain mutual respect, if not Reverance For Life! Do not forget that Mozart himself had a favourite instrument and that instrument was the Basset horn and the clarinet (considered a "lesser" instrument these days).
W. A. Mozart could not play either of them (genius HAS limits!) . He played the piano and the violin, obviously, and that does not mean that they are easier to play, either! Wolfie preferred to play the viola in the string quartet and preferred to sing alto by choice.

4. Rejection of negativity and counter-productive criticism and/or “sniping”.

5. Highly developed sense of musically critical discrimination.

6. Have something to say.

7. Practice a minimum of two (2) hours per day, each and every day.

8. Attend all rehearsals. If you want to create the best orchestra in the land, you must commit to attend and play all rehearsals and performances.

9. Music first – money last or 2nd. We all need to make money. But, if you want to be part of our vision, you must commit yourself to it. If we all do this, then the sooner we will be able to make a good living from it.

10. Form and play chamber music within the orchestra (eg. String quartets, Wind quintets, brass and percussion ensembles, etc.) . Organize private chamber music evenings at each other’s homes. Public performances also required.

“I can’t make the rehearsal tonite because I have a better paid gig”

An all-too-common albeit understandable situation occurrence. We all must eat and pay the rent, etc. But remember, that the result of this action greatly hurts the orchestra, betrays one’s colleagues and undermines the entire reason for the orchestra’s very existence. This problem alone has destroyed music. Put bluntly, the current music scene is not world class. Music is bankrupt and dead, no matter how hard they try to disagree, sweep it under the carpet and try to cover it up.

11. Auditions do nothing to reveal and/or expose the qualities of a musician, nor do they provide any solution for procuring and choosing personnel of the highest calibre. Remember this when you take and/or judge auditions/competitions.

12. Ensemble intonation exercises will be a regular orchestral routine.

13. Undivided attention at all rehearsals. Books, radios, magazines, irrelevant conversations undermine one’s creative thinking and concentration as well as being discourteous to the orchestra and one’s colleagues.

14. Dialog and communication is encouraged at all times.

15. Childish and puerile “office-politics”, while common and understandable, will not be tolerated. We are professionals on a profoundly important mission for God. Even us confirmed atheists!

16. Commitment to personal health, physical, mental and musical.

17. Section rehearsals are routine.

Remember our duty as artists and musicians is to point the world in the right direction and lead homo sapiens towards enlightenment. Beethoven sincerely and passionately believed it was the task of music to transform the world. These days it is fashionable to smile at artists who make such claims. Let us smile back at them.

"When I look out into the world, I must hate what I see, for it is a world that does not understand that music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the bridge between intellectual and sensuous life, the entrance for mankind into a higher world of knowledge which comprehends us but which we cannot comprehend."

"Creatures of a day, my music will make you free, able yourselves to create like gods. He who understands my music will be freed by it from the miseries which others drag about within themselves."

Ludwig van Beethoven

Stephen Bennett, Artistic Director

* "What about London ? 'That's really a difficult situation,' Bernard Haitink reflects, 'because London has a pool of musicians that is unique. Boulez says you can do what you want in London, because for every piece there are always musicians who can play it. The tragedy is the way orchestras have to operate. Concert life just survives by the skin of its teeth. The whole life in London , I don't have to tell you, is so difficult. Nearly inhuman. Not much pay. Terrible pressure. Managers of orchestras need all the time to raise the money and can't concentrate on musical standards. The players are incredible. It's the survival of the fittest.

'It is tragic that London doesn't have a really good hall, and that it doesn't just have two well-established orchestras that don't have to fight for their lives. But I think it will never change, that's the sad thing. The political agenda is not interested.'" (excerpt from the Guardian, Friday March 5, 2004)

The real tragedy is that the orchestras are money-grubbing and to make the most profit possible they do the least amount of work and rehearsing and preparation. How can any musical performance be a spiritual, up-lifting experience with the musicians grabbing as much money as they can instead of doing their job and duty along with the audience in communing with the composer and the muse? It is impossible under those circumstances of course! Let us end that and change the face of music and community now! London can have more than 2 orchestras and does have many more. London has around ten orchestras. We can and will have another new orchestra in the Claamfest Orchestra but one that will solve the problem Haitink voiced and hinted at above. What is needed is the personnel requirements that are listed above. There are brave, courageous musicians in London and in the world that are willing to make the sacrifices sufficient enough to fulfill the criteria spelled out above. Let's go for it, people!
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