Pause for Applause

Welcome to the Manchester Camerata Blog. We've always got lots to say about our concerts and musicians and of course our exciting plans, but there are so many talking points around at the moment worthy of a good heated debate! Let's not make this a one-way street. Feel free to make a comment of take part in our online poll, or send us pictures, ideas and yes, criticisms too! We'll take them on the chin :-)

And what a day to begin! April Fools Day. Did you spot all the stories in the media - the flying penguins; Carla Bruni giving fashion advice to Gordon Brown? Or how about Simon Bates on Classic FM announcing that Tchaikovsky was a spy for Queen Victoria after meeting the Duke Of Clarence in a dodgy pub in Rotherhythe. They also played the final movement of Beethoven's tenth and got several enquiries from listeners about where they could find more info about it!

Good to know we don't take ourselves too seriously - or do we? Composers and musicians are no strangers to having a laugh - Mozart's Musical Joke which was a critique on bad composers to name but one. But is Classical Music taking itself too seriously? There have been an endless stream of old chestnut stories in the media recently - some prompted by the Royal Philharmonic Society annual lecture which asked the question - when is the right time to clap in a classical concert? See the article here. What do you think? Leave a comment or try our poll. Does it extend that to what do you wear? Is it wrong to have a drink or talk during a concert? Unwrap sweets? Cough? Laugh? Where do you start and stop. Discuss.