The Guardian newspaper has highlighted what it claims is an "inexcusable"lack of compositions by female composers in classical concerts.
The article by arts correspondent Mark Brown states that a recent 'Donne — Women in Music' project found that only 76 classical music concerts amongst 1,445 given, as well as to take place across the world by the end of the year, featured compositions by women.
Shocked
Given that there are reported to be over 6,000 female composers worldwide, and that by 2020, Sound & Music, the UKs national development agency for new music has promised that at least 50% of the composers it will work with will identify as women, the article has perhaps reinforced the "inexcusable" opinion of composer Emily Hall that she was "shocked"by what she called "such a huge oversight".
Brass bands
Although brass band concerts may currently mirror the findings, works by critically acclaimed composers such as Liz Lane and Lucy Pankhurst amongst others are now becoming more regularly heard.
However, in the past the reception given to works such as Judith Bingham's 'Prague' was tainted by a level of undisguised compositional misogyny.
In an article written in July 2010 on 4BR, it was also revealed that only 1.6% of conductors and 4.1% of the composers to featured in that year's Promenade Concert at the Royal Albert Hall were women.
Have things changed that much in either the classical music or brass bands worlds then?
However, in the past the reception given to works such as Judith Bingham's 'Prague' was tainted by a level of undisguised compositional misogyny4BR
More information:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/13/female-composers-largely-ignored-by-concert-line-ups
