The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra has announced 12 concerts which will be live streamed and broadcast live on RTÉ television.
This is a great opportunity for orchestral music to reach new audiences, breaking down the barriers often surrounding attending live music.
However, the 12 concerts announced so far feature 50 orchestral works by 31 male composers.
Inclusivity and equality is something very important at the minute for the arts globally, and indeed for arts organisations in Ireland. Many of these have been highlighted and challenged in recent years, including the great movement Waking the Feminists. Exclusion has been all too common in the arts for too long.
Our national orchestra should represent the diversity of our nation. The question is, why isn’t it natural for works representative of society to be programmed? It isn’t a question of quality. I’m sure audiences can go a week without Mozart to hear some works by Irish based composers; Ann Cleare, Amanda Feery or Jane O’Leary. As well as composers, these issues are the same for soloists, conductors, and musicians. The lack of female conductors is something the National Concert Hall, with Grant Thornton, is trying to address through their successful Female Conductor Programme.
Representation should indeed, even be extended beyond just a “quota” of works composed by women for specific women “spotlight” events.
Works by people of all genders, ethnicities, sexualities, backgrounds and ages should be consistently part of the programming for any orchestra, but particularly our national one.
If people don’t see themselves represented on any given platform, how can they be encouraged to work towards being up on that stage themselves one day. It is hard enough to make a career in the arts. The least our established organisations can do is act as a beacon to encourage and welcome people into the arts.
In some ways you have to be able to see it to dream it.
Gavin Brennan
Jervis St, Dublin
Calling ‘time’ on street drinkers
It’s beyond belief to learn that it is now acceptable to drink in groups while decent people try to live with necessary restrictions. Too much freedom is being allowed to sellers of unnecessary alcohol.
If these street drinkers get ill, then they shouldn’t be treated. I have a visceral contempt for street drinking in any situation.
It’s not the job of the gardaí to coax people to do the right thing. Immature people see these restrictions as being a case of being told what to do, instead of being something that just has to be done by everyone.
Dr Florence Craven
Bracknagh, Co Offally
Higher you go,
the lower the bar?
Dara Calleary and Phil Hogan must be wondering what differentiated their stated misbehaviour from that of Séamus Woulfe. In the light of the Government’s decision not to do anything further in the case of Mr Woulfe we must assume that the bar for misbehaviour is set at a higher level for certain political office holders than it is for members of our Supreme Court.
It also seems to be set at a different level for different political office holders. The leaking of a confidential government document by former taoiseach Leo Varadkar seems to have merited no more than the proverbial slap on the wrist or the three Hail Marys we used to get for penance in confession as children.
I hope it’s not a case of the higher you go, the lower the bar.
John Glennon
Hollywood, Co Wicklow
Confidence in judiciary is key
Public confidence in the judiciary is something we cannot do without. That cannot be maintained without transparency. So the way in which judges are appointed is a matter of genuine public interest. Sinn Féin are right to ask for answers. I am glad Séamus Woulfe is not being impeached. However, his attitude to “Golfgate” was maddening. All he had to do was put his hand up, admit to a significant mistake, and apologise. If he had done this, the thing was done and dusted. He was in my opinion very badly advised by whoever his supporters are.
Michael Deasy
Carrigart, Co Donegal
Let’s be frank — this is poor judgement
I am glad to hear that the Government is not moving to impeach Seamus Wolfe. As for Chief Justice Frank Clarke, his lack of judgement for one in such a position is staggering.
Aus Francis
Westport, Co Mayo
Bethlehem will be cut from Jerusalem
Under the smoke screen of the US presidential fiasco and the Covid and Brexit distractions, Israel has renewed its destruction of alestinian villages, displacement of defenceless citizens and the annihilation of their society.
Some 73 people, including 41 children, were made homeless when their dwellings were knocked down in the Bedouin settlement of Khirbet Humsa, in the Jordan Valley, the UN said.
The Israeli military said the structures had been built illegally. But the UN called the Israeli actions a “grave breach” of international law. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), 76 structures — including homes, animal shelters, toilets and solar panels — were destroyed when Israeli bulldozers moved in.
Meanwhile the Israeli ministry of housing and Israel Land Authority opened the tender for 1,257 housing units to be built in Givat HaMatos, a proposed illegal settlement in East Jerusalem.
Human rights organisation Peace Now says “this is a major blow to the prospects for peace and the possibility of a two-state solution. This
Netanyahu-Gantz government was established to fight the coronavirus, but instead it is taking advantage of the final weeks of the Trump administration in order to set facts on the ground that will be exceedingly hard to undo in order to achieve peace.
This tender can still be stopped. We hope that those in this government who still have some sense of responsibility for our future will do what they can to cancel the tender before bids are submitted.”
If the settlement in question is built, it will cut off Bethlehem from Jerusalem and surround the Palestinian village of Beit Safafa.
The time has long since passed for words. The international community
has a duty to use the measures at their disposal to put a stop to Israel’s colonial settlement enterprise, which amounts to a de facto annexation of Palestinian territories and constitutes a significant breach of international law. But time is running out for all right minded democracies to suspend all trade with Israel thus potting a halt to their barbarity.
Daniel Teegan
Monkstown, Co Cork
Boris’ meeting with Ursula was vital
It is so sad that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has to postpone his second meeting with European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen. Especially as Ursula is highly competent in the English language.
This would have ensured that each side in the Brexit negotiations could not have misunderstood each other.
However, Boris is a bit careless,being close to picking up Covid-19 twice.
It just seems so convenient to be able to cancel this meeting at such an extremely vital time.
Peter Kennedy
Sutton, Dublin 13
What a shambolic Government
Please don’t tell me that we actually voted for this shambles of a Government.
Richard Barton
Maynooth, Co Kildare
Double standards on animal welfare
The Government’s newfound solicitude for the welfare of wild animals in response to the plight of Dublin Zoo would sound more convincing if the same set of politicians weren’t backing the systemic ill-treatment of wildlife that is live hare coursing.
Yes, we should be concerned about the protection of elephants, rhinos, hippos, monkeys, sea lions, tigers and other exotic creatures, but successive governments, including the present one, have permitted the capture of hares for use as bait. The hare, a wild and solitary creature, is snatched from its natural habit and held captive for several weeks prior to being forced to run for its life in a wired enclosure in front of two salivating dogs.
High profile politicians have been among those cheering or marking their betting cards as the terrified animals twisted and turned on muddy fields all over Ireland. The sight of hares getting mauled or tossed about like leaves in the wind didn’t bother the vote-getters because hares can’t vote. Given the outpouring of compassion from the government to the Zoo animals, perhaps our leaders may soon relent in their support for the savagery of hare coursing.
John Fitzgerald
Callan, Co Kilkenny
