London orchestra players get a dressing down

It’s time to dump the DJ and bin the black dress! Or so says the London Chamber Orchestra, which has announced that it is getting rid of its dress code for players. ‘Each person is a unique and valued ingredient that contributes to a magnificent whole,’ explains LCO’S managing director Jocelyn Lightfoot. ‘We encourage the musicians to reflect the culture they identify with and how they interpret the occasion for which they are performing.’ A fine decision, though we wonder whether the LCO may in practice need to set limits on just how its members choose ‘interpret the occasion’…

See Comment, p25