Sir, – Congratulations are due to the Taoiseach, the Minister for Culture Josepha Madigan and the Cabinet for the speedy implementation of the recommendations of the Boaden Report to ensure the future of our two orchestras. This is a major cultural step in the right direction. Well done to all.
In the mid 1990s, then-minister for the arts Michael D. Higgins , following representations I made to him, commissioned the Piano (Provision and Institutional Arrangements Now for Orchestras and Ensembles) Report, which examined the same issues as the Boaden Report and came to virtually the same conclusions as Boaden. Unfortunately the Piano Report was left to gather dust and, inevitably, due to RTÉ’s financing, we reached the recent crisis. We have been waiting over 20 years for some government to take the decision made recently to save the orchestras.
Now that we have reached this point, it should be kept in mind that, among other things, the orchestras will provide a strong platform to promote Irish culture and that our performing artists and composers should be strongly represented in programming. – Yours, etc,
JOHN KINSELLA,
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(Former Head
of Music RTÉ),
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.