Classical music brings us joy and meaning. In this time of doom and gloom, we need to talk about that | James Murphy

"When did you last read a good news story about classical music? Think of the stories that have made the headlines in recent years: funding cuts to national opera companies, closure threats to university music departments, councils axing local provision, classroom music-making in decline. Successes reported only tend to be reprieves or salvages in the face of such crises, fought for by a sector running out of fuel to keep defending itself."

"Each new bombshell raises stress and antagonism among music-makers on social media, intensifying the gloom. I know these are dark days generally, with bad news in every walk of life, but think of the music. If you're a fan, you surely rely on its vitality, how it speaks to your emotions and uplifts or consoles you at times of need."

"Recall the pioneering deeds of broadcaster Sir Humphrey Burton, who died last month. When television first cast its spell, vanguards such as Burton seized the medium to make the case for music. In shows including Monitor, Omnibus, Aquarius, Arena and BBC Young Musician, Humphrey and colleagues put classical music on mainstream TV channels and on everyone's radar. Today, the internet and streaming offer access to more music than ever before. But it offers more of everything."

Classical music faces repeated crises: funding cuts to national opera companies, closure threats to university music departments, councils axing local provision, and declining classroom music-making. Reported successes increasingly appear as temporary reprieves or salvages carried out by a sector running low on resources. Each new crisis raises stress and antagonism among music-makers on social media, deepening gloom. Fans rely on classical music’s vitality and its capacity to uplift, console, and speak to emotions. Mid-century television advocacy brought classical music to mainstream audiences. Today, internet streaming gives unprecedented access but creates noise that fragments attention and compresses long-form works into short digital formats.

Read at www.theguardian.com