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2014 New Year's Honours


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Congratulations to both.  I'm particularly delighted about Jane Pritchard's honour.  It's  richly deserved   -  I always feel we're in safe hands when Jane is speaking at a ballet symposium.  She so obviously knows her stuff and has the gift of communicating it with warmth and directness. 

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Such worthy recognition for all concerned. But it is a strange old world which continues (across the spectrum) to give the more major accolades to performers when scholars such as Jane Pritchard contribute so much to the life and vibrancy of their respective fields.

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Although I do not really approve of the honours system I am glad to see the recognition of dancers while it subsists. I am particularly pleased to see the inclusion of Gillian Lynne for her services to musical theatre and dance. She was the choreographer of "A Simple Man" on the life of LS Lowry. That was the first full length ballet by Northern Ballet (I think it was then still called Northern Dance Theatre) that I saw, shortly after I moved back to the North..

Edited by terpsichore
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I don't understand it either as it seems as if CBE is higher then OBE and then comes MBE.

However apparently only a certain number of people can hold an OBE at any one time which means its rarer to have one of these!

 

I noticed that Simon Rattle got a very well deserved OBE. However I thought he was already Sir Simon so has been knighted which I assumed was one of the highest honours so not sure why has been given an OBE after receiving a knighthood.

I guess they are awarded for slightly different things.

 

It is great to see people being rewarded for services to the community and so on but I also feel a little ambivalent about the system as a whole. But maybe they work as a symbol of recognition of people doing very well in their various fields and for services to charity etc.

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Simon Rattle didn't get an OBE he was awarded an Order of Merit, which is one of the highest awards available.  I believe there is a finite number of around 24 and people can only be awarded this honour when a vacancy occurs.

 

This is the BBC Guide to the Honours system.

 

This is the official Gov.uk site.

 

Most of the honours awarded are in the Order of the British Empire (CBE, MBE and OBE).

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Yeah the Order of Merit is a pretty big deal, and, I believe, personally awarded by the queen. I think the honours are really good for recognising unsung people who do really important work in their field or community, it's just annoying that the focus is always on the celebrities or politicians who get them.

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Yes Janet I see I misread that from the BBC website yesterday. I must say I was puzzled that it would be an OBE so it's the Order Of Merit award that has this finite number of people who can hold it.

 

I'm pleased for Simon Rattle though as many years ago he gave up many other more lucrative offers to stay with the Birmingham orchestra and take it to,the successful orchestra it became.

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See disambiguations CBE, DBE, GBE, KBE, MBE, or OBE


The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions.


In descending order of seniority, these are:


 


Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE)


 


Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE or DBE)


 


Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)


 


Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)


 


Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)


 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire


 


Edited for adding BOLD.


Edited by Amelia
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Having finally rejoined these forums after a bit of an absence (previous incarnations being Redwick and Wolfie) I have to ask why David Bintley has never been knighted. He has been director of BRB for almost 20 years and has had strong links within the Royal Ballet group set up for over 35 years.

 

I cannot but wonder why he has been overlooked. No doubt had he stayed at Covent Garden he'd have got one as a matter of course by now.

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Yes, we should always remember, before we start criticising the powers that be for not handing out honours, that the honour may indeed have been offered, but turned down, for a variety of reasons.

 

Anyway, I'm very pleased to see so many people in the dance world being honoured, and particularly Jane Pritchard.  Congratulations to all the recipients.

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Bintley does have a CBE of course

 

And it is rumoured that an appropriate period of time has to elapse before a higher honour is awarded. Indeed, it was stated is this weeks' papers that some sports stars were turning down lesser honours in the hope of something more prestigious down the road. The fact that Murray accepted his OBE a year ago was regarded by one commentator as undermining his chances of a knighthood after winning Wimbledon.

 

So fingers crossed for David Bintley at some stage in the future.

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One of my colleagues received an honour, an OBE I think, a few years back, he has just received a knighthood in the latest round, so you can get both.  Not sure about honours for sportsmen, though David Beckham does a lot for charity including donating his entire salary at his last club, PSG.  How do you compare a sportsperson who wins a lucrative prize to someone who spends a lifetime working in their chosen field?

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As far as I am aware you can work your way up the chain from MBE through OBE to CBE and beyond.

 

I believe that anyone can nominate someone for an award, but nominations have to be supported and reading through the bumph the awards committee decides on the exact award.

Edited by Janet McNulty
Corrected hierarchy of awards
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As far as I am aware you can work your way up the chain from OBE through MBE to CBE and beyond.

 

I believe that anyone can nominate someone for an award, but nominations have to be supported and reading through the bumph the awards committee decides on the exact award.

 

MBE (Member) is lower then OBE (Officer).

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