Hallé orchestral concerts deserve the audience’s full attention
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Version 0 of 1. Many concert-goers, like me, will be disappointed that the Hallé is planning to allow patrons at its orchestral concerts to come and go as they please, and to bring drinks into the auditorium (Report, theguardian.com, 21 July). This strikes me as a case of making music more “accessible” to some, while rendering it less accessible to others. Reference books provide evidence of how much time and effort composers put into the production of their works. Similarly, orchestral musicians spend years studying, survive difficult auditions and practise for many hours daily in order to give the best performances possible. We, in the audience, have the easy part. All we have to do is sit still and give our full attention to the music. That is our contribution to the occasion, which enhances not only our own appreciation but also that of fellow audience members. We are not “consumers” of music. It’s a two-way process in which the audience needs to play its part, by concentrating on the performance and allowing others to do the same.Graham GraftonManningtree, Essex |