Letter: Disharmony

Sir: Poor Sir Dennis Stevenson ("Modern concerts `boring' says Blair's arts adviser", 27 January). He "works hard" all day, then cannot find a parking place for his evening concert, then finds modern composers "elitist and arrogant" and finally falls asleep because the concert is too long!

What is he working at "all day" that makes him so tired? (Quite often the musicians who will give him the evening concert will also have been working "all day"). He could perhaps get a taxi instead of "the hassle" of finding a parking place; he could perhaps attend a pre-concert talk where he would meet a composer, who is not necessarily "elitist and arrogant"; by which time, possibly with the help of a coffee or a G and T, he would be wide awake, interested and stimulated into listening, actively, on the edge of his seat, to an hour and a half's music at least.

He could then have a nice meal by 9.30pm at the latest and go home. If this is not possible for him why is he advising our Prime Minister on the arts?

BERNARD ROBERTS

Llanbedr, Gwynedd