Without thinking too hard about it, I picked a seat in the front row of the upper stall, excited for the prospect of an evening away from uni. Three hours later, I stepped out from Usher Hall, head in the clouds as I almost decided on walking back to my flat for forty minutes in the pouring rain – a stark contrast from my stressed, I-hate-the-rain attitude I usually have as a University student.
The 6th of October, Friday, marked the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO)’s first concert of the 23/24 season. Conducted by RSNO music director Thomas Søndergård, the orchestra opened with the delicate notes of Dorothy Howell’s ‘Lamia’, then moved on to soloist Lise de la Salle’s bold interpretation of Beethoven’s ‘Piano Concerto No.3’, and finished the evening with Strauss’ ‘Ein Heldenleben’ (translates to: A Hero’s life), showcasing the full force of orchestral music.
Appreciating the symphony in the grandeur of Usher Hall on a Friday evening is, in my opinion, the perfect getaway from the usual hustle of everyday life at uni. No knowledge of the pieces is necessary. Best of all, tickets are relatively inexpensive: while normal ticket prices range from £14 to £42, young adults aged 16 to 26 and mature students can book seats for only £6 in advance to the concert (a bit less than two coffees at a cafe!) Students have the option to choose from some seats in the stalls, or any seat in the upper circle.
In fact, ticket prices of classical music events in the UK are generally more accessible. Outside of Edinburgh, students can purchase tickets for the London Symphony Orchestra through Student Pulse for only £6 as well. Concert tickets for the general public are also cheaper compared to other parts of the world: for example, the cheapest tickets for the New York Philharmonic cost 125 USD (just above £100), which is far more expensive than RNSO’s general admission tickets of £14, and the London Symphony Orchestra’s £18.
Despite the affordability of tickets, however, most of the audience of the RSNO concert was composed of older locals of Edinburgh or the avid concert-goer travelling from Aberdeen. I had the impression that the audience was rather homogeneous, with very few young professionals or students. Clearly, lowering the prices of tickets is not enough to attract a diverse crowd to concert halls.
Classical music as a genre has long been associated with the notion of elitism and ‘posh’ culture in the UK. In a 2019 social survey (‘Taking part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport 2019-2020’), it was found that respondents who were in the highest category of social class (based on the NS-SEC classification. Based largely on one’s occupation, the highest classification is ‘higher managerial and professional occupations’.) were almost 10 percent more likely to attend live classical events, including symphonies, operas, and ballet performances.
If not ticket prices, what is stopping the crowds of live classical music events from diversifying?
One source of the problem is that there aren’t many opportunities for young students to be exposed to classical music at school. Funding for art education in Scotland is, arguably, heading for decline.
In May 2023, the Scottish government confirmed their flagship Youth Music Initiative (YMI) in, which aims to provide “every school pupil in Scotland access [to] a year of free music tuition by the time they leave primary school.” However, more recently, it was announced that the Scottish government was reimposing a £6.6m budget cut for Creative Scotland: the funding body of YMI. This means that the YMI, and art education in general, is in a precarious position. All in all, it suggests a disinterest in keeping arts education alive – a reflection of the view that art is secondary to the hard sciences.
Less exposure to classical music in schools is only going to strengthen the idea that it’s an event reserved for the upper classes. But art should be enjoyed by everybody. Live classical music has the power to bring people together, the artists and the audience – and let’s not forget its power to transport you away from everyday stresses.
“Usher Hall, Edinburgh” by thisisedinburgh is licensed under CC BY 2.0.