Pantomime karaoke: Keep music real

CORK’S Opera House is one of the mainstays of cultural life in the south, a position recognised by continued public subsidy and support even during the darkest days of the recession.

It is part of the circle of institutions that either teach or offer platforms for young actors or musicians trying to learn their trade.

The Opera House has decided not to use a live orchestra during its pantomime season this year. Instead, producers will use a kind of recorded backing track and the actors and singers will sing and dance to that — a kind of glorified and sophisticated karaoke show.

The Opera House is ruled, like everyone, by commercial imperatives, but by taking this step it is denying a vital career opportunity to many of those thousands of people who have studied music in the region.

This society has invested heavily in that education. If electronic backing tracks were to be used regularly it would be necessary to review Opera House funding — and its place in our hearts. This seems an unwelcome use of technology to sideline real musicians.