Downton Abbey composer condemns Scottish council's 'short-sighted' plan to slash £250,000 from music tuition

An Emmy award-winning composer who created the music for Downton Abbey and the Shetland series has condemned a proposed £250,000 cut to school music tuition at a Scottish local authority.

John Lunn said his own experience of Stirling Council’s music service in the 1970s had played an important role in his success, as he described the proposed saving as “extremely disappointing and short sighted”.

Last month, Stirling Council launched a consultation as it tries to tackle a budget shortfall of £13 million next year.

John Lunn attends the "Downton Abbey: A New Era" premiere in New York in 2022 | Getty Images

The proposals contained in the document included a £250,000 saving from its music tuition service, as well as £214,000 from school counselling funds and £129,000 from a reduction in the additional support needs (ASN) outreach team. Other proposals include saving £71,000 from the removal of an “additional teachers allocation” in primary schools, and £63,000 from reducing the education psychology service.

Campaigners say the music tuition cut would “effectively mean the end of over 60 years of instrumental and vocal teaching in primary and secondary schools across the council area”.

A petition has been launched in opposition to the move, attracting more than 2,600 signatures in just a few days.

Mr Lunn was born in Glasgow in 1956, and grew up in Bridge of Allan, attending Stirling High School. After graduating from Glasgow University, he went on to score the hugely successful flagship ITV/Carnival Films drama, Downton Abbey, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards, in 2012 and 2013.

His other work includes The Grantchester Mysteries, The Passing Bells, Jamestown, Burton And Taylor, Shetland, The White Queen, The Lady Vanishes, and To Walk Invisible.

In a statement backing the campaign, he said: “Without Stirling Council’s music service funding in the 1970s, I would not be remotely successful as I am now.

“The Stirlingshire Youth Orchestra was an invaluable experience for me and the main catalyst in my decision to become a musician/composer. It’s extremely disappointing and short-sighted in my view that the current level of funding is being threatened at all rather than increased given the value that it adds to children’s education.”

The council proposal has also been criticised by Jeffrey Sharkey, principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

On the LinkedIn social media site, he wrote: “£250k of instrumental music tuition is proposed to be cut from this important council in Scotland.

“Once it disappears, opportunities are lost for pupils, for teachers and the music is very hard to restore. I am concerned about declining provision in Stirling and across other local authorities in Scotland.”

Another campaigner told The Scotsman: “The proposal to cut Stirling Council's music service by £250,000 is nothing more than educational and cultural vandalism. Stirling Council must withdraw this senseless proposal and listen to the views of parents, pupils and local residents in this matter.”

A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “The council faces an estimated budget shortfall of £13m next year where a number of difficult decisions will need to be made.

“Elected members will make a final decision on what proposed savings should be taken forward at this year’s budget setting meeting in February. Residents can continue to provide feedback on potential savings across a range of council services as part of our Big Conversation until February 2.”