A brighter vision

I DISAGREE with both Walter J Allan and Andrew HN Gray (Letters, 12 and 13 May, respectively) when they discuss the Eurovision song contest in terms of “the depths to which it has sunk” and “would anyone actually call it progress?” As a music tutor and songwriter, I thought the winning entry was very well constructed and performed. There was a poignancy about the Austrian bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst, who seemed to champion the feelings of any number of oppressed LGBT and transvestite people. That Mr Allan and Mr Gray missed the subtlety of that, especially in the face of the profound discrimination that still exists in participating countries such as Russia, forces me to award them nul points.

Neil Barber

Saughtonhall Drive

Edinburgh