Time for chattering classes to pipe down

Edinburgh Evening News Thursday 2nd February 2017

With regard to the proposed hotel for the Old Royal High School or my recent foray into popular music’s artistic worth compared to the visual arts, Edinburgh’s “chattering classes” is a phrase that has cropped up again and again when discussing those that oppose the hotel at all costs and consider any piece of visual art to have far more value than any Frightened Rabbit album. If not the chattering classes then it is Edinburgh’s “intelligentsia”.

Wikipedia’s definition of the chattering classes certainly described those I’ve stumbled upon from time to time. “The chattering classes refers to a politically active, socially concerned and highly-educated section of the ‘middle class’, especially those with political, media, and academic connections.” There is no doubt that within Edinburgh there is a relatively small number of people who think they know what is best for the city in all aspects of art and culture.

Now I don’t think it is in any way elitist to take more seriously the view of somebody who has studied all the relevant documents and decided to support the music school than somebody who wants a six star hotel because they might get to see George Clooney. Having said that, I seriously doubt that all the celebrities that have spoken in favour of the music school have studied all and possibly any of the detailed arguments for and against before pledging their loyalty.

That live venues are struggling all over is well documented. Independent Venue Week that has just finished highlighted this. Like art galleries they attract people – just not enough people – and yet a subsidy would never be considered. Much of the informed comment I have received has come from those who are both visual artists and musicians and all confirm there is an overwhelming bias towards supporting not just the visual arts but in a way the less popular visual arts. Illustrators for instance should make their own way but paintings that need an explanation just to know what they are – they need support!

Popular does not mean less worthy and as circumstances change in the music industry there needs to be a serious discussion about how the limited amount of funding for the arts is allocated. It is hard to imagine how much good work could be done within the music sector if it received the millions of pounds that can be given to an art gallery.

Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit is also an artist and may well argue the case for both sides, but personally I think their album The Midnight Organ Fight is an important work of art ranking with many artworks hung in galleries. That the album uses Scott’s own artwork for the cover only reinforces the point that maybe it is time art galleries embraced all art and not just what the chattering classes deem to be of worth.

The death knell sounds for HMV

News that HMV in Canada is closing all of its 100-plus shops does not bode well for HMV in the UK, but circumstances are different. In the UK HMV’s short term leases mean they can close shops as soon as they are showing a loss. Others move to cheaper units, often in shopping centres, to reduce overheads.

It is however clearly a losing battle in the long term and you can’t help but feel it is death by a thousand cuts. With all the HMVs in Ireland also closing last year it can really only be a matter of time before the UK shops follow.