The decision of the board of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (NYOI) to merge its two orchestras has been greeted with the kind of response that such a retrograde step deserves - a unanimous outcry of protest, but also understandable bafflement. The NYOI has been an exemplary training ground for young Irish musicians whose performances have been acclaimed by demanding critics, and whose ambassadorial roles in front of audiences abroad we should be proud of. It is a shame that the board appears to be damaging its legacy of achievement and its previous visionary commitment.
Music training in this country has never had much in the way of official support or adequate funding. Like the arts in general, it does not figure in the thinking of those who determine the values that should be passed on to future generations through the education system. It is largely dependent on the efforts of committed individuals or the ability of parents to pay for private tuition.
As the composer Fergus Johnston pointed out in the Letters columns of this newspaper last week, even one of the poorest countries in Europe - Bulgaria - has managed to provide a first-class music education infrastructure and a profusion of nurturing opportunities for its young musicians. It seems that the era in which this country became one of the richest nations of the world, is also one of lost opportunities. Yes, we have been promised the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall into a three-venue complex. But what use is such an addition to the cultural landscape when the State is unwilling to support young creative talent at a more local level?
The claim that the NYOI decision was based on a scarcity of musicians of sufficient calibre is unconvincing and seems bizarre - the downsizing of the orchestra is hardly going to remedy this situation. Rather it is going to limit the opportunity to cultivate young performers. The separation of the two distinct age groups into two orchestral combinations made sense; to have players between the ages of 14 and 21, with their widely varying levels of accomplishment, coming together is wholly illogical.
The NYOI deserves much credit for filling the gap created by State neglect of music education. Minister for Education Mary Hanafin who this week received a petition on the issue, must not only encourage a change of heart by the NYOI but she must also assume responsibility by ensuring that the blueprint for making music education more widely available becomes a reality through the provision of resources. That blueprint happens to be the subject of a seminar in Dublin today, but talk, as they say, is cheap.