Orchestras blown away: lost everything under the coronakrisen

Normally, Gert Jensen and the rest of the Fredericia Postorkester to play the tourists in the country, when the cruise ships calling at the city havnekaj.

On the way, they earn happy amateurs money for the annual study tour, seminars and new instruments.

But under the coronanedlukningen have all been canceled, and the orchestra is missed out of the 75,000 crowns, which are of great importance.

- It's damn much money. It is virtually our entire annual revenue, says Gert Jensen.

- It means a lot. It goes out of our trips, seminars and the purchase of new instruments, he explains.

Gert Jensen has written to the members of the cultural committee in the Danish Parliament in the hope that they will do something. He has been fobbed off with a refusal by the ministry of Culture.

‘As it looks right now, amateur bands, unfortunately, are not compensated for lost revenue in connection with the cancelled concerts with less than 350 participants,’ writes the ministry of Culture in response to Fredericia Postorkester.

Gert Jensen and Fredericia Postorkester is far from the only one who is stuck and have lost big on coronaviruses.

- There are different packages, but they hit really bad for the amateur musical. We are a bit squeezed in between everything and stand last in the queue, says Jonas Viggo Pedersen, secretary-general of the Danish Amateur-Orkesterforbund (DAO).

Associated count approximately 95 ensembles with around 3000 musicians who play in blæseorkestre and ensembles, including brass bands, harmoniorkestre and big bands.

Jonas Viggo Pedersen can well understand that the policy team has made it a priority to ensure the jobs and enterprises with the large stimulus packages.

- It is, on the one hand understandable, but it is really a problem for amatørlyd and the culture as a whole. Amateur musical is of vital importance for the well-being and well - being- especially in a pressure situation.

Charlotte Mølbæk, kulturordfører for SF, will now take the matter up politically.

- I have put up to, that we are called into the negotiations as soon as possible to improve the spillestedernes economy. They are in a very acute situation. My expectation is that, in the wake of it gets followed up on other areas - including the here orchestra, says Charlotte Mølbæk, you expect that that will be looked at, for example, amatørorkestrene to august.

- In the same way as we in the field of sport have given the money to the local clubs and associations, I also think that it makes sense to look at the more unprofessional orchestras and choirs to see if they are something we still need to get picked up on, she says.

- We have an interest in, there are still local is a lot of cultural events, and that not everything gets shut down.