Volume 10 No. 3 | Autumn 2012 NEWSLETTER • OF • THE • MUI: MUSICIANS’ UNION OF IRELAND IN THIS ISSUE: €200,000 Capital Instrument and Music Day Grants €200,000 Musical IMRO revenue down New MUI RTÉ NSO Section Capital Scheme and Committee MUI RTÉ freelance orchestral rates Music Day Grants Chris Long resigns from RTÉ NSO The Minister for Arts, Heritage and Commenting on the Minister’s announce- European Court of Justice the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, TD, ment, Sharon Rollston, Chief Executive favourable sick-leave ruling recently confirmed capital funds of Officer, Music Network, said: ‘Music Net- €200,000 for the Music Capital Scheme work is very pleased to be able to continue Russian teenager wins Dublin and love:live music/national Music Day the Music Capital Scheme in 2012, as one piano competition 2013. Both initiatives are managed by of a range of supports we offer to Irish Music Network. musicians. As well as individual artists, Christy Moore supports former among others the scheme supports youth Vita Cortex workers The Music Capital Scheme provides bands, ensembles, orchestras, community funding for the purchase of musical initiatives and resource organisations Death of Larry Cunningham instruments to both non-professional working in a diverse range of genres performing groups/ensembles and including rock, pop and contemporary as Daniel O’Donnell receives free- professional performing artists; love:live well as classical, traditional Irish, Baroque, dom of Co. Donegal music, Ireland’s National Music Day, jazz and electronic music. The high number celebrates the value of music in of applications to the scheme each year communities throughout the country brings home the level of need that exists in Tommy Makem to be honoured on 21st June each year. the area of capital provision for music.’ Arts Sector supports thousands Continued on page 2 of jobs Tim Kirwan, RTÉ NSO violinist, retires Obituary: Doris Keogh Simone Orr on the Dublin Symphony Orchestra Nóra Geraghty on the Clé Club Dr. David Grant on William Vincent Wallace Helen Ledwidge on William (Willy) Hofmann, violinmaker and restorer Dublin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Concert, NCH, 9th June, 2012, l-r: Polly Ballard (cello), Elaine Clark (violin), David Clark (piano), soloists in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, with Simone Orr (Chairperson, DSO) and Fergus O’Carroll (Conductor). (see also page 5) Sound Post | Autumn 2012 €200,000 Musical Music Royalties Revenue Capital Scheme and Music Day Grants Decline Continued from page 1 The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) has reported a fall of 4% in Rollston added: ‘love:live music almost revenue last year to €36.5 million. doubled in size this year on last year’s Commenting on this development, event, with over 300 free live music Vincent Finn, Chief Executive, said the events and an estimated 45,000 people slight fall-off had been expected and taking part. Again, we are delighted to reflected the overall economic climate. receive confirmation of the continued ‘IMRO tends to track the economic support of the Department of Arts, performance of the hospitality, broad- Heritage and the Gaeltacht for this casting and live music sectors, which initiative in 2013’. continue to be affected by the down- Information, application packs and turn’, he said. guidelines are available at: www.music- network.ie/musicians/funding/. Last year, IMRO paid €32.16 million in royalties to its 8,500 members. Some 37% of IMRO’s revenue derives from public performance sources, such as shops, bars, offices and live concerts; radio and television broadcasters pay about 33%; and the balance comes from cable providers and overseas sources. Paul Brady IMRO, which is owned by its members, Among IMRO’s board of directors well- employs fifty staff. Its operating costs known singer-songwriters as Paul of €4.69 million last year were fraction- Brady, Eleanor McEvoy and Charlie ally lower than the €4.73 million McGettigan. recorded the previous year. New MUI RTÉ NSO Committee The recently elected MUI RTÉ NSO Section Committee for 2012-2013 is com- posed of Polly Ballard, Matthew Billing, David Clark and David MacKenzie. Sharon Rollston (Photo: Music Network) Earlier this year, an interim committee comprising Ballard, Billing, Clark, Chris Long, Niall O'Loughlin, Connie Tanner and Edward Tapceanu served for several I wish to join the Musicians’ months. Union of Ireland (BLOCK LETTERS PLEASE) SOUND POST AND FREE MUI RTÉ Freelance Orchestral EXPRESSION Name: ______________________ Daily Rates A forum of free expression, Sound Address_____________________ Effective from 29 June 2009 Post welcomes material from MUI members. Unless explicitly stated, Tutti: €149.49 ____________________________ the views expressed in this news- Sub-Principal: €159.72 letter, including goods and services ____________________________ Principal: €173.18 promoted in advertisements, are not necessarily endorsed by the ____________________________ Union. UNION DUES/ARREARS E-mail:_____________________ Sound Post is compiled and edited MUI members paying union dues by John Swift, former MUI Secre- Tel:_________________________ by cash/cheque, who may possibly tary, and produced by the Commu- be in arrears, are requested to nications Department of SIPTU. Please return completed form to contact the MUI office as soon as Material may be e-mailed to John the Musicians’ Union, Liberty Hall, possible to ensure that they re- Swift [email protected] or main benefit members of the Dublin 1. forwarded to the MUI office. Union. 2 Sound Post | Autumn 2012 Chris Long, Union Activist, European Court of Resigns from RTÉ Justice Favourable Sick Leave Ruling Chris Long, who resigned from the RTÉ The European Court of Justice National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in issued a ruling in June 2012 that September, was a leading union activist a worker who becomes ill while on over many years. Following his musical paid annual leave is entitled to education at the Royal Northern claim back, at a later date, the College of Music, Manchester, Kent- time he or she was sick. born Long worked as a freelance double bassist in Britain from the mid-1980s The ruling followed a case taken to 1990. In May 1990, he was appointed to the Spanish supreme court by as a double bass player with what is a group of Spanish trade unions now the RTÉ National Symphony under the 2003 Working Time Orchestra (NSO). Directive. The Spanish Court re- ferred to the European Court a A member of the (British) Musicians’ question on the interpretation of Union from 1984-90, Long joined SIPTU the leave provision of the directive. in 1990. Over the last couple of decades or so, he has been a member of the The European Court ruled it was SIPTU-MUI RTÉ NSO Section Committee irrelevant at what point an illness for some ten years, including four as arises. It said entitlement to paid President. annual leave must be regarded as a particularly important principle In 2003, Chris Long was elected found- Chris Long of EU social law, which is expressly ing Vice-President of the Musicians’ enshrined in the EU Charter of Union of Ireland (MUI) and, at the time Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) in Fundamental Rights. of his retirement, he had served as an 2004. A regular participant in the MUI Executive Committee member for IAWM’s many public demonstrations in some seven years, including four as Dublin, Long was elected as the MUI’s Vice-President. representative to that body. Long was actively involved in all the In more recent years, Long has been major union events since 1990, including centrally involved in the protracted and the RTÉ musicians’ lockout, 1991, the ongoing negotiations relating to RTÉ’s RTÉ strike, 1992, the founding of the major financial crisis which has led to MUI in 2003, the successful MUI cam- jobs losses and reduced pay and condi- paign of the mid-2000s for the employ- tions. He was also a contributor to the ment of indigenous musicians at MUI newsletter, Sound Post. Wexford Festival Opera, and the ongoing campaign for the removal of restrictions The departure of Chris Long, who is on the negotiating rights of freelance returning to Britain after a period of musicians. Moreover, it was on Long’s twenty-two years in Ireland, is a major initiative that the MUI affiliated to the loss for the MUI. Russian Teenager Wins Dublin Tim Kirwan (Photo: Pat Gantley) International Piano Sounds Competition Impressive …The concert included an extra, Nineteen-year-old Nikolay when violinist Timothy Kirwan, Khozyainov, a native of Russia, won Nikolay Khozyainov appearing for the last time before the first prize of €15,000 at the retirement after a remarkable 48 Dublin International Piano Competi- prizes, including the €3,500 Seán years of service, took over the tion in May. Second prize of €10, 000 O’Connor Bursary, the €1,500 Charles leader’s chair for an invigoratingly went to Jiayan Sun from China; third J. Brennan Prize, and the RTÉ and sharp, fizzy and precise perform- prize of €7,500 was awarded to National Concert Hall Prizes of a ance of Glinka’s ‘Russlan and Andrejs Osokins from Latvia; while concerto with the RTÉ NSO and a Ludmilla’ Overture. fourth prize of €5,000 was won by début recital, respectively. USA-born Alexander Bernstein. Michael Dervan, Music Critic, the The next Dublin International Piano Irish Times, 15th May 2012, on the The highest placed Irish competitor, Competition will take place from 15th- RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Nadene Fiorentini, won a series of 26th May, 2015. concert at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on 4th May 2012. 3 Sound Post | Autumn 2012 Vita Cortext Workers Supported by Christy Moore Not for the first time, singer-song- writer, Christy Moore, paid tribute to the former SIPTU Vita Cortex workers by inviting them to appear at his live gig at the Marquee con- cert in Cork in late June.