I don’t do politics.
I do them internally, quite a lot of the time, reading as much as I can bear of whatever the latest crisis is before taking time off to sit in a virtual ‘comfort meadow’ of my own devising. But I avoid political discourse. I do this partly as a measure of self-protection, partly because I’m very bad at it and easily swayed by someone else’s eloquent argument, but mostly because I’m confused. Confused by complexity and nuance; confused by other people’s astonishing certainty in the face of complexity and nuance; confused by the idea that anybody could consider J**** ****-**** (name redacted to protect the atrocious) a suitable candidate for anything, anywhere, any time.
So, I don’t ‘do’ politics.
But I’m aware that music isn’t a completely apolitical sphere, and this week is a perfect illustration of that.
Today I conduct Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, a piece inextricably associated with Stalin. I’m short of time (I have to go and conduct Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, you see), but if you’re interested, Mark Wigglesworth writes about it illuminatingly here.
And on Thursday I conduct Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with its message of universal brotherhood, which has been appropriated in the name of just about everything, from Hitler’s birthday to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The piece was chosen as the figurehead of a concert featuring a remarkable person.
Raghad Haddad is a Syrian viola player who sought asylum here at the end of a tour with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra in 2016. Since then she has been making her way as a musician here, while following the situation in her country with unutterable dismay. You can read more about her here. She will be one of the soloists in Bruch’s Concerto for Viola and Clarinet, which we will play in the first half of the concert.
The concert is in aid of Help Refugees. Tickets are here, but if you can’t come to the concert, you can give here. That’s not a request, by the way. If you’re reading this you have, by definition, infinitely more than the people whose country is being torn apart as the result of complex, nuanced politics over which they have no control. You can afford it.
So, in the immortal words of Artie Fufkin, I’m not asking, I’m telling with this. Give.
Please?
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Who could resist such a compelling command?
Wishing all involved a great gig on Thurs 😘🎶
As someone who works in the area of “complex humanitarian emergencies” all I can say is (in the Downunder vernacular) “Thanks mate and best wishes to all involved in the event.”