February 12, 2024, 12:39 | Updated: February 12, 2024, 12:56
Musicians with the London Chamber Orchestra have not been paid for five months and have walked out of rehearsals over a pay dispute.
Photo: Alamy
On Wednesday, replacement members were called in at short notice for a London Chamber Orchestra concert after musicians walked out of rehearsals over a pay dispute.
The London Chamber Orchestra (LCO) was forced to call in emergency reinforcements for Wednesday night’s concert after half of its members left rehearsal that afternoon.
The strike was carried out in protest of a pay dispute in which the band’s members had not been paid for five months, despite having worked there for five months.
“It’s a real battle to be a professional musician in this city right now,” said one of the musicians. observer.
“We don’t get paid very much, so we have to do other jobs while maintaining playing time. So when we do a job, we have to make sure we get paid.”
read more: Almost half of working musicians in the UK earn less than £14,000 a year, shocking new census reveals
Christopher Warren-Green, Music Director and Principal Conductor, conducted the London Chamber Orchestra at the 2007 Classical Brit Awards.
Photo: Alamy
CEO Jocelyn Lightfoot said the unpaid balance was due to Barclays freezing the orchestra’s bank accounts “without prior warning.”
Barclays is expected to face increased scrutiny in late 2023 after several charities, including the Ogmore Valley Men’s Choir and classical concert venue St John’s Smith Square, reported that the bank had frozen their accounts without explanation. became a target. The bank was requesting additional information from some customers to prevent fraud and other financial crimes.
LCO, which operates as a registered charity, said it took four months for the account to be reactivated.
“During this period, we continued to reassure musicians that payments would be made as soon as their accounts were reopened,” Lightfoot said. “However, the reopening schedule has been postponed multiple times, making it difficult to provide musicians with a clear deadline.”
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Lightfoot said all past due bills were paid last week, and musicians with unpaid bills are also being asked to come forward.
Lightfoot added: “We understand that significant cuts in funding for orchestras are placing a tremendous burden on freelancers who are facing fewer opportunities to work and are at risk. .
“Many of these musicians have had their jobs cut back due to Brexit and are still struggling with the aftermath of the pandemic. These highly skilled and extremely talented players whose role and value in society is undervalued. There is cause for great concern.”
Lightfoot’s comments echo two reports published last year, which found that almost half of British musicians will lose their jobs in Europe after Brexit, and that one in four professional musicians will lose their jobs in Europe after Brexit. It has been revealed that people are skipping meals amid the cost of living crisis.
Founded in 1921, the orchestra has a rich history as Britain’s first professional chamber orchestra, including performing at the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.
A Barclays Bank spokesperson said: Observer: “We take the protection of our customers’ funds and data very seriously. As part of our ongoing responsibility to prevent financial crime and meet our regulatory responsibilities, we provide up-to-date information about our customers’ accounts. Customers are also required to notify banks in a timely manner of any changes to their legal status relating to their business, charity or trust. .”