Report that Northern Ballet to drop orchestra - at least for touring engagements which may well be its majority ...

[Ondine]

https://www.equity.org.uk/news/2023/save-our-eno-campaign-opposes-dramatic-proposed-cuts-to-singers-contracts

Edited October 17, 2023 by Ondine

[San Perregrino]

Hi Mods 

when you have a moment can you either change the title of the thread or split the ENO related comments into a separate thread. Thanks 🙏🏻 

[Jan McNulty]

Composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, best known for Les Mis but who also scored Wuthering Heights and Cleopatra for NB, has written in support of the Northern Ballet Orchestra:

 

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/les-mis-and-miss-saigon-composer-claude-michel-schonberg-backs-northern-ballet-sinfonia-campaign-to

[Emeralds]

On 26/10/2023 at 14:32, Jan McNulty said:

Composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, best known for Les Mis but who also scored Wuthering Heights and Cleopatra for NB, has written in support of the Northern Ballet Orchestra:

 

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/les-mis-and-miss-saigon-composer-claude-michel-schonberg-backs-northern-ballet-sinfonia-campaign-to

Thank you and well done to Maestro Schonberg! Hope it helps NB get more funding for their touring performances and orchestra.

[Jan McNulty]

The Musicians' Union is asking people to write to their MPs and have produced a template letter:

 

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/all-campaigns/ask-your-mp-to-keep-northern-ballet-music-live

[Jan McNulty]

While not directly related to NB this article is a fascinating insight into why we need our orchestras (and not just for ballet).

 

I've started this thread for discussion:

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

There was a large gathering outside the Theatre Royal in Newcastle last night.  
 

Federico and ED David Collins came on stage and made a speech about the situation before the performance.

 

The audience cheered and cheered the orchestra.

 

[SheilaC]

On Thursday, before the matinee, members of the orchestra, were outside the theatre with leaflets, encouraging everyone to sign, and Federico came on stage to appeal to the audience for support- reminded me of all the times his wonderful predecessor, Christopher Gable, used to come on stage to appeal for support. It is far from the first time that the company has had to fight for its existence, as I know from working on their archives for many years. So I imagine that appeals will be made before every performance. Every member of the orchestra wore a tee shirt to keep Northern Ballet live. It had been announced that even the leader of the TUC would be there on Friday, before the performance, but as Jan doesn’t mention that maybe he was unable to attend. But certainly at the TUC conference the plight of the orchestra was discussed, it is impressive how much publicity the campaign has managed to generate.

[Jan McNulty]

On 11/11/2023 at 15:44, SheilaC said:

On Thursday, before the matinee, members of the orchestra, were outside the theatre with leaflets, encouraging everyone to sign, and Federico came on stage to appeal to the audience for support- reminded me of all the times his wonderful predecessor, Christopher Gable, used to come on stage to appeal for support. It is far from the first time that the company has had to fight for its existence, as I know from working on their archives for many years. So I imagine that appeals will be made before every performance. Every member of the orchestra wore a tee shirt to keep Northern Ballet live. It had been announced that even the leader of the TUC would be there on Friday, before the performance, but as Jan doesn’t mention that maybe he was unable to attend. But certainly at the TUC conference the plight of the orchestra was discussed, it is impressive how much publicity the campaign has managed to generate.

 

Sheila, the dancers and orchestra members had Musicians' Union banners and there seemed to be a videographer and possibly a reporter but I wouldn't recognise the head of the TUC if I fell over him.  Hopefully he was there in the crowd outside the theatre.

 

Daniel de Andrade made a speech before both performances on Saturday.

 

I feel that perhaps the company could tap into its fan base to organise an even bigger protest occasionally (perhaps in Leeds) and maybe sell the special T-shirts to raise a little money.  I'd certainly buy one.

 

I also believe they could do a crowd-funder.  I know they probably wouldn't raise enough to finance the orchestra for a year but every little helps.  I was involved in a small crowd-funder a couple of years ago and we found out that the big foundations do not look at how much people are donating but how many people are making donations.  So all of our committee started making £2 donations using various email addresses and within a couple of days 2 foundations had chipped in and we made (and even exceeded) our target in less than 2 weeks!

[Emeralds]

 

53 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Sheila, the dancers and orchestra members had Musicians' Union banners and there seemed to be a videographer and possibly a reporter but I wouldn't recognise the head of the TUC if I fell over him.  Hopefully he was there in the crowd outside the theatre.

 

Daniel de Andrade made a speech before both performances on Saturday.

 

I feel that perhaps the company could tap into its fan base to organise an even bigger protest occasionally (perhaps in Leeds) and maybe sell the special T-shirts to raise a little money.  I'd certainly buy one.

 

I also believe they could do a crowd-funder.  I know they probably wouldn't raise enough to finance the orchestra for a year but every little helps.  I was involved in a small crowd-funder a couple of years ago and we found out that the big foundations do not look at how much people are donating but how many people are making donations.  So all of our committee started making £2 donations using various email addresses and within a couple of days 2 foundations had chipped in and we made (and even exceeded) our target in less than 2 weeks!

Do Northern Ballet produce "merch" (merchandise) eg T shirts, sweatshirts, pens, @Jan McNulty? I wouldn't mind buying plain ones with their initials NB in the corner for myself and as gifts. 

 

Great news about your fundraising success and that is very useful to know about the numbers of donors. Thank you.

[Guest oncnp]

How much does the NB need to fund the orchestra?

[Emeralds]

20 minutes ago, oncnp said:

How much does the NB need to fund the orchestra?

I'm curious to know the shortfall too. From what I understand of their announcements,  it's due to the difference in costs of transport, accommodation, materials etc in order for them to tour- ie what was previously enough despite lower ticket revenue than Leeds and London is now no longer enough due to inflationand rising costs and unstable supply chains that we've all experienced to one degree or another.

 

The problem is that if inflation continues to go up in the UK then what could be, say, a shortfall of 1 million could soon become 1.8 million, so it might be an ever changing sum. (Sorry that doesn't answer your question exactly but I  don't know either....this is just an estimate based on their announcements)

 

One London orchestra more than doubled (!) a few of their ticket prices recently (eg the lowest price jumped from to £25 after being £10 last season) and at first I couldn't work out why ....then I looked at the programme and realised that the symphony in the second half has a huge cast.... previously they would have absorbed the salary bill but I guess they now have to price according to what we are getting. However they do still have £15 tickets for other performances.

Edited November 13, 2023 by Emeralds

[Ondine]

I don't know if this has already been posted elsewhere  but I'll put it here in case not

 

BBC Radio 4 Spotlights Keep Northern Ballet Live Campaign

BBC Radio 4’s Front Row heard from MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl on the campaign to keep Northern Ballet music live and why it comes down to Arts Council England.

 

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/bbc-radio-4-spotlights-keep-northern-ballet-live-campaign

 

The radio segment is at around 17.30 in

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001rynq

 

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Ondine

[Jan McNulty]

14 minutes ago, Ondine said:

I don't know if this has already been posted elsewhere  but I'll put it here in case not

 

BBC Radio 4 Spotlights Keep Northern Ballet Live Campaign

BBC Radio 4’s Front Row heard from MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl on the campaign to keep Northern Ballet music live and why it comes down to Arts Council England.

 

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/bbc-radio-4-spotlights-keep-northern-ballet-live-campaign

 

 

 

 

 

From about 17:10 minutes in.

[Jan McNulty]

57 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

 

Do Northern Ballet produce "merch" (merchandise) eg T shirts, sweatshirts, pens, @Jan McNulty? I wouldn't mind buying plain ones with their initials NB in the corner for myself and as gifts. 

 

Great news about your fundraising success and that is very useful to know about the numbers of donors. Thank you.

 

They used to but not for many years.  We were told the logistics of carting stuff around and staffing a merch stall were too expensive.  I used to volunteer to man the stall in the olden days and made some very good friends through that as well as helping the company.

[Emeralds]

34 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

They used to but not for many years.  We were told the logistics of carting stuff around and staffing a merch stall were too expensive.  I used to volunteer to man the stall in the olden days and made some very good friends through that as well as helping the company.

Thanks! I understand about carting the merchandise around (yet more transport  costs). Sounds like the volunteering was a lovely thing to have and to do. Wonder if they might consider restarting it in Leeds and for online orders to raise money. I have to buy these items anyway and would rather have my money going to NB than Amazon or Asos etc.

 

During weekends, tours and the run up to Christmas, I always see the shops at ROH, Coliseum and Albert Hall doing roaring trade in merchandise before, after and during the intervals of ballet performances. And we definitely need a Northern Ballet teddy bear! 🧸 (Teddy bears always sell well. 😀) 

[San Perregrino]

Here is an email I received today from NB. The initial good news about restoring it’s Romeo & Juliet is followed by information about the continuing need to raise funds for the Sinfonia if it is to survive… 

 

Hello,   I am so excited to share the news that, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have exceeded our original target for the Big Give Christmas Challenge.     The support for our Company has been heartwarming, I cannot say how much it means to me to know that you are all as excited as I am about the revival of Romeo & Juliet.   You may have seen we recently shared the difficult news that due to the rising costs of touring our ballets across the UK, we may no longer always be able to tour with live music played by our Sinfonia.    So although we are overwhelmed by the amount of funds already raised, we are continuing our campaign to enable us to perform Romeo & Juliet, with the Northern Ballet Sinfonia in spring 2024.

Support live music at our touring venues

The cost to do this is incredibly high but if every person receiving this email gave just £24, then our Sinfonia could perform for a full run of performances at one of our touring venues in our spring tour.

Donate Today

Now is the time to act by making a gift today.   With huge thanks for your support,    Federico Bonelli   Northern Ballet  Artistic Director

[Sim]

I was a donor for this so am thrilled to hear this news.  I haven't had the email yet, so thanks for letting us know, Peter.

[San Perregrino]

10 minutes ago, Sim said:

I was a donor for this so am thrilled to hear this news.  I haven't had the email yet, so thanks for letting us know, Peter.

as I say the headline good news about the production restoration is followed by an appeal for funds to keep the Sinfonia afloat. 

[Sim]

1 minute ago, PeterS said:

as I say the headline good news about the production restoration is followed by an appeal for funds to keep the Sinfonia afloat. 

Yes, I have donated to that already.

[Ian Macmillan]

 

https://slippedisc.com/2023/12/northern-ballet-sinfonia-are-told-to-play-their-own-funeral/

[San Perregrino]

15 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

 

https://slippedisc.com/2023/12/northern-ballet-sinfonia-are-told-to-play-their-own-funeral/

Yet, at the same time a seemingly conflicting message in an email received from F. Bonneli of NB this morning:

 

Hello,     A huge and heartfelt thank you to all our wonderful supporters who contributed to the Big Give Christmas Challenge.        Thanks to you we’ve raised an extraordinary £16,666 enabling us to:   Fund experienced carpenters to rebuild and repair our historic sets Buy ribbons, chiffon, suede and leather to restore our beautiful costumes Purchase new pointe shoes for our dancers Support a proportion of the costs of our principal Sinfonia players, ensuring they can perform live at our performances in spring 2024.          This show is incredibly close to my heart, as I know it is to ballet lovers across the country.

‘To say I am happy about it being resurrected is an absolute understatement’ - Northern Ballet Benefactor

The Big Give campaign has given us a vital boost. However, the costs to restage and tour this landmark production with a full orchestra are incredibly high and we will be continuing to raise funds to cover our final costs over the coming weeks. So, if you’ve not given already, there’s still an opportunity to make a difference.

[Ondine]

29 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

https://slippedisc.com/2023/12/northern-ballet-sinfonia-are-told-to-play-their-own-funeral/

 

You read it here first.

 

Actually no, I had already seen it elsewhere.

 

However, I suppose work is work.

 

Edited to add:

 

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/musicians-approached-to-record-for-ballet-accompaniment-or-opera-backing-track-asked-to-contact-mu

 

Musicians at Northern Ballet are only paid for the work they do, unlike other people in the company who are on salaries. And in a cost of living crisis, some of our members at Northern Ballet have no choice but to use food banks to be able to survive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Ondine

[Scheherezade]

2 minutes ago, PeterS said:

Yet, at the same time a seemingly conflicting message in an email received from F. Bonneli of NB this morning:

 

Hello,     A huge and heartfelt thank you to all our wonderful supporters who contributed to the Big Give Christmas Challenge.        Thanks to you we’ve raised an extraordinary £16,666 enabling us to:   Fund experienced carpenters to rebuild and repair our historic sets Buy ribbons, chiffon, suede and leather to restore our beautiful costumes Purchase new pointe shoes for our dancers Support a proportion of the costs of our principal Sinfonia players, ensuring they can perform live at our performances in spring 2024.          This show is incredibly close to my heart, as I know it is to ballet lovers across the country.

‘To say I am happy about it being resurrected is an absolute understatement’ - Northern Ballet Benefactor

The Big Give campaign has given us a vital boost. However, the costs to restage and tour this landmark production with a full orchestra are incredibly high and we will be continuing to raise funds to cover our final costs over the coming weeks. So, if you’ve not given already, there’s still an opportunity to make a difference.

I don’t think it diminishes the point being made by Slipped Disc. I read it more as a thank you for the help provided by donors to The Big Give campaign. 

[Ondine]

3 minutes ago, PeterS said:

A huge and heartfelt thank you to all our wonderful supporters who contributed to the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

      

Thanks to you we’ve raised an extraordinary £16,666 enabling us to:

 

• Fund experienced carpenters to rebuild and repair our historic sets

• Buy ribbons, chiffon, suede and leather to restore our beautiful costumes
• Purchase new pointe shoes for our dancers
• Support a proportion of the costs of our principal Sinfonia players, ensuring they can perform live at our performances in spring 2024.

 

 

Though very good news that the appeal brought in some cash, it really does appear to be a magic money tree if sixteen grand can stretch to funding all of that?

 

 

[Emeralds]

I've written to NB to ask if they can consider starting a new appeal under the name of NB Sinfonia fund.

 

While I don't mind donating to the Romeo and Juliet appeal and have donated twice to that, I don't want my X pounds to be used to buy more fabric or paint (although I know NB are already very frugal) for the production while the musicians get fired and R&J ends up being performed to a recording despite our funds being meant for the orchestra.

 

I do accept that a handful of supporters will not be able to pay an ensemble of classical musicians just from our donations alone- I'm not exactly Prince von Esterhazy (Haydn's patron who literally had his own personal orchestra!) or Jeff Bezos- but I think it will be easier to attract corporate funding for a ballet production with a big name like R & J, while the Sinfonia needs the Arts Council, Leeds Council or other government bodies to know that there are many people in the community who care about NB Sinfonia continuing to exist, and will agree to release taxpayer funds for this important ensemble to match and exceed what supporters have raised.

 

I've said before that ensembles like NB Sinfonia, ENB Philharmonic, RB Sinfonia, Scottish Ballet Orchestra are an important and valuable part of our dance landscape and an important sign that the British dance companies can lead the way in quality. Many other similar sized dance companies worldwide who are not affiliated to an opera house would simply resort to taped music which has a noticeable adverse effect on the quality of their shows.

 

To describe it in non artistic terms, it is like your local town having an MRI scanner to save more lives quickly without having to wait for an appointment in a big city 80-100 miles away and having to travel there just for the scan. Getting rid of NB Sinfonia would be like getting rid of your MRI scanner and going back to the bad old days with its obvious adverse impact.  Do we want to go back to the bad old days? No. 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Emeralds

[San Perregrino]

14 minutes ago, PeterS said:

Support a proportion of the costs of our principal Sinfonia players, ensuring they can perform live at our performances in spring 2024.

 
This is the passage I was referring to in the context of the Sinfonia hopeful not yet being condemned to the past. It takes a while for a super tanker to change direction. After all the doom and gloom of past months,  I read it as a green shoot of optimism fired, at least in part, by communication of the value of a live orchestra by audience members to NB management.

[Ondine]

8 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Leeds Council

 

Sad to say, I suspect the local authority will have no spare funds for this, it will be stretched to the limit providing the basic statutory services. Careworkers or musicians?

 

I can get very political about all this and the choices made by governments, re taxation and the distribution of 'public' funds but here is not the place.

 

 

[Ondine]

3 minutes ago, PeterS said:

fired, at least in part, by communication of the value of a live orchestra by audience members to NB management

 

I don't think NB management is in any doubt is it, that a live orchestra is what is desired and is also what management would prefer?

 

But if the cash isn't there, what can be done other than what is being done?

 

 

[Emeralds]

I must admit I am puzzled as to whether the emails (none of which I received- I don't mind) mean they now have enough to save the Sinfonia. The message about the recording passed on by Slipped Disc suggests that they still haven't got enough. Also, don't forget they ditched 3 musicians- one violinist,  one violist, and one cellist for their recent London performances. (Had I known they didn't have enough money to bring three musicians down- Geoffrey Allan was already coming down to play for Benjamin Ella's ballet) I would have offered them food and lodging for the 3 musicians on the 3 nights! 

[capybara]

I did get the email and, in relation to the orchestra, read it as implying that early 2024 NB performances would now be accompanied by live music.

[Ondine]

4 hours ago, PeterS said:

Support a proportion of the costs of our principal Sinfonia players, ensuring they can perform live at our performances in spring 2024.

 

I don't see this as being all the orchestra? ...our principal Sinfonia players...

 

 

 

 

[Emeralds]

Oh, I have received the email now- the "thank you" email. It still offers no guarantee that the NB Sinfonia is not going to be axed, especially since they've already begun to use recorded music when they toured to London. 

 

I didn't receive the email that PeterS received about the £24, but if a new appeal was started on their website for the Sinfonia, I'm sure it would receive a great deal of support.