Musicians at Northern Ballet are only paid for the work they do, unlike other people in the company who are on salaries. Photo credit: Shutterstock
MU National Organiser for Recording & Broadcasting Geoff Ellerby has put out a call for musicians who have been approached over recording backing tracks to get in contact:
“In light of concern regarding Northern Ballet’s decision to consider using recorded music instead of live musicians in their touring programme and ongoing concerns regarding funding for Opera and Ballet companies, would recording musicians please let us know if you have been approached to record music for use accompanying ballet or opera for backing track. And “indeed any other backing track use.
“There is further information on our website about these current concerns where you can support our petitions.”
Musicians who have been approached about recording music for accompanying ballet or back tracks for opera should please contact geoff.ellerby@theMU.org.
Keep Northern Ballet music live
Musicians in the Northern Ballet Sinfonia are campaigning to protect their touring work.
Due to funding cuts, the Northern Ballet is already scheduling less touring work. Now, they are being forced to consider using recorded music instead of the live orchestra.
Musicians at Northern Ballet are only paid for the work they do, unlike other people in the company who are on salaries. And in a cost of living crisis, some of our members at Northern Ballet have no choice but to use food banks to be able to survive.
It is essential that Arts Council England and Northern Ballet agree a realistic funding solution that protects unionised jobs and enables everyone to have access to live ballet that is genuinely live.
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