Music

Chairman: Robert Thicknesse

Vice-Chair: Charlotte Gardner

Hon Secretary: Guy Rickards guy@rickards.net

The aims of the Music Section of the Critics’ Circle are: a) to promote the art of criticism and to uphold its integrity in practice; b) to foster and safeguard the professional interests of its members and to provide opportunities for social intercourse among them; and c) to support the advancement of the arts. Though the Circle is decidedly not a trade union, it tries to encourage best practice. We meet to discuss and decide bread and butter matters twice a year. We make prestigious yearly awards to up and coming musicians in a variety of categories. Occasionally we host meetings with a leading figure from the music world. We also hold luncheons or dinners to celebrate the lifetime achievement of some very special artist, writer, composer or instrumentalist. The music section has about 91 members. At present, it consists overwhelmingly of classical music and opera critics, though we welcome critics of other kinds of music (jazz, pop, and world music).