Report is off key

It was very depressing to read your negative a spin on the Scottish Government’s report on the National Performing Companies for 2010-11 (31 March).

In the case of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO), the distortion is particularly extreme. Total figures for activity have not been interrogated.

To address the assertion that the SCO has seen a large drop in audiences and performances: this is almost entirely explained by the vagaries of overseas touring, which varies widely from one year to the next.

2007-8 was an exceptional year for the SCO – we undertook 21 concerts outside Scotland, playing to 31,500 people, while in 2010-11 we gave six international concerts to 7,628 people – still more than most Scottish arts companies give in an average year.

Scottish audiences have continued to increase for the SCO over this period, not fall away.

Focusing on the winter season, for instance, our 2007-8 winter season drew 30,997 ticket sales, 2010-11 34,295 and in the current season we have already exceeded that figure by more than 2,000 sales, with five weeks of concerts still to go.

One could pick over the figures and draw a number of other conclusions as well, but the key point is that your reporters have drawn misleading and negative conclusions.

They also do not cite the positive trend in the current year, given that the figures being looked at are already a year out of date. The truth is that SCO support from Scottish audiences has increased throughout this period. The swings and roundabouts of international touring will continue as has always been the case.

The orchestra’s international reputation has continued to rise and the critical acclaim which the SCO has received for its work with Robin Ticciati and other artists has consolidated its position as one of the most respected chamber orchestras in the world.

By the way, your reporters quote unnamed observers as speculating that the drop in the number of performances could be due to funding cuts.

In fact, they are due to variable levels of activity outside Scotland; the figures they are looking at run up to March 2011. Cuts in Scottish Government and local authority funding did not kick in until 2011-12.

That’s a challenge we are dealing with now, not back then.

Roy McEwan

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Royal Terrace

Edinburgh