Page 213 - Media Coverage Book - 75th Aldeburgh Festival 2024

presented clearly. Some opera directors seem to think: ‘This has been done a few times,

everyone must be bored with it, so I need to be radically different.’ Whereas with something

like Blond Eckbert there will probably only be two people in the theatre, including me, who’ve

seen it before.”

Weir’s time as Master of the Queen’s/King’s Music has been eventful. She supplied new choral

pieces for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles. One senses,

however, that like her predecessor, Peter Maxwell Davies, she will consider her most important

work as Master to have been championing British music and musicians at a difficult time. For
instance she has just helped to launch a crowdfunding scheme (musicpatron.com) to support

young composers.

“Yes, I’ve made it my mission — and unfortunately it has kept me very busy — that when I

hear of cuts to music I immediately fire off a letter or meet the people concerned,” she says.

“Sadly over the past few years it’s become an almost daily occupation.”

Does the King care about such things? “The King has to stay out of politics,” Weir replies. “But

he’s very aware of what’s happening in musical life, and yes I think he cares very much.”

She has also championed music in schools, which she frequently visits. “I think it’s a very

useful part of the job,” she says. “I could just write to a school and say, ‘I’m Judith Weir, I’m a

composer, can I come and teach your GCSE classes?’ but I might seem a bit weird. Having this
link to the monarchy opens doors more easily.”

Does it upset her when she hears music described as a “soft” subject, as it had been by a cabinet
minister on the very morning that Weir and I meet? “It really won’t do,” she replies vehemently.

“Music is actually a very challenging subject. It involves history, theory, performance,

composition and really thinking about communication and teamwork. Why is it that when you

visit a private school the first thing they show off is their big music block? If music is important

in the private sector it should be just as central in state schools.”