BBC Proms job advert fails to mention classical music

THE BBC has been forced to deny it finds classical music “dull, embarrassing or only for old people” after sending out a Proms job advertisement that referred only to house music, sci-fi film scores and break dancing.

The video, shared on the BBC Proms Twitter account, opened with the words: “One thing about the Proms that people don’t know is that it’s not all just about classical music like Mozart and Beethoven.”

It appealed for people without a background in classical music to apply and prompted a backlash from the classical community.

Martin Fitzpatrick, head of music at English National Opera, compared it to the satirical BBC show W1A.

“Come on, BBC Proms, what is this? A trailer for a new series of W1A? Classical music isn’t something to be embarrassed about. There is much about the Proms that is wonderful, but you wouldn’t guess it from this advert,” he tweeted.

Aleksandra Myslek, a classically trained pianist and junior fellow at the Trinity Laban conservatoire, wrote: “Awful. Dear BBC, classical music is wonderful, inspiring, life saving, peace calling, educational, hypnotic, irreplaceable. Stop being embarrassed. Lots of young people share this view (while being well versed in other types of music).”

Oliver Webber, professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, said: “Surely it’s possible to embrace variety and diversity without apologising for the core repertoire of the festival?”

The advert is for two six-month placements, one as an event co-ordinator and another as an assistant publicist. It features a young BBC employee

explaining: “The Proms showcases so many different music genres and styles, from house, Ibiza music, to sci-fi film music, to break dancing music. So there really is something for everyone and you don’t necessarily have to have a background in classical music to work at the Proms.”

She explains that she began her career at the Proms and progressed to a job on the BBC Three show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

A second BBC employee in the video recalls that the “standout moment” of working on the Proms was dressing as an astronaut and jumping around on stage during a concert by Public Service Broadcasting, the indie rock band.

Alan Davey, controller of Radio 3, defended the advertisement. Speaking at a conference for the Association of British Orchestras, he said: “This advert was about appealing to a wider range of people who might not normally think about applying for jobs at the Proms … every year we want to put out a plea to as wide an audience as possible.

“The advert is not saying classical music is dull, embarrassing or only for old people. What it says is that the BBC Proms is more than you think.”