Changes in the musical landscape allows larger audience for performers

Brian Hick’s interesting review of productions of Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas (20 Nov) shows just how much the music scene is changing.

Audiences now can be international and we are losing the thrill of physically being in an auditorium.

Early in lockdown the harpist Fiona Hosford, who lives and usually performs locally, gave an online performance.

I alerted lots of people by email.

Afterwards I received grateful messages from a friend in Oklahoma and a cousin in Brisbane who loved hearing Fiona (I don’t know how they coped with the time differences).

Getting payment to the artists is still a problem although even here methods are being worked out.