The Greatest Newspaper Story Ever
THE Greatest non-story ever. Now the second-greatest non-story ever, in the Guardian, Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer:
It is a hidden, taboo subject, widely known about within the music world but barely discussed. Little research into the area has been done and the full extent of the problem is incompletely understood. But inappropriate use of alcohol in Britain’s great orchestras is, according to musicians, endemic – ranging from drinking a pint before a concert to steady the nerves, to full-blown inebriation on stage.
Any more facts?
Because there has been so little research, it is hard to untangle whether drinking has increased in orchestras, in line with alcohol use generally in the UK, or in fact decreased as drink driving, for instance, has become socially unacceptable.
More?
But, says Nwanoku, the fear is that the problem has just become more hidden.
The truth – can you handle the truth?
Anecdotally, it is often said that brass players – often overwhelmingly male orchestral sections – drink the most.
And expert says:
Jennifer Lisle, a public health physician, said: “For musicians drinking can be about handling underlying anxiety
And you thought journalism was dying…
Posted: 28th, February 2009 | In: Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
