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Opera singer Lesley Garrett (with the bouquet) came out to support the ‘Save Our Shows’ campaign yesterday (Thurday) |
'SAVE OUR SHOWS' SAY PERFORMERS
Star Lesley Garrett backs bid to protect character of Covent Garden
OPERA star Lesley Garrett joined the campaign to halt cuts to performances by buskers and street performers in Covent Garden Market at a huge protest yesterday (Thursday).
The soprano and 60 street entertainers, complete with violins and uni-cycles, rallied in the plaza to protest against plans by landlords to cut performance times in half.
The classical musicians, magicians, comedians and clowns – some of whom have performed at the site for more than 25 years – say the cuts would sign a death sentence on their careers and destroy the atmosphere of one of London’s biggest tourist attractions.
Market owners Capco say the proposed reduction in performance hours in the north and south halls of the building is because of complaints about noise levels.
But campaigners suspect skulduggery, claiming the real reason for the cuts is to coax upmarket retail stores into the area and deter low-budget tourists.
Bertie Anderson, a classical violinist who has busked in the market for the past 10 years, said: “If the plans are enforced, a lot of people will be out of a job. We need the whole day to make a living. We suspect this is the thin end of the wedge and they really want us out altogther.
“We have a good relationship with all the shops in the market – the tourists bring in the trade so I don’t honestly believe noise can be a problem. It would be a travesty to carry this through. Where else in the country can you hear free, live classical music of such a high quality.”
Performers were told of the proposals two weeks ago and are holding an emergency meeting with Capco on Monday.
Bev Churchill, Covent Garden’s brand director said: “The significant areas for complaint that are causing considerable disruption to the Covent Garden community include overlapping performances and repetitive use of material.
“We are proposing to reduce the amount of performance time so that performances do not overlap and create a ‘sound clash’.
“This will draw more people to the individual performances rather than dividing the audiences between two simultaneous acts.
“We are also introducing regular breaks so that there are parts of the day where the wider community can have a break from music.
“We support street performance in the area and see it as a fundamental part of the history and the future of Covent Garden.” |
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