PUBLICLY-FUNDED ORCHESTRAS

That this House congratulates the eight publicly-funded English symphonies on their new alliance launched last week with support from Arts Council England; praises the spirit of collaboration and the new vision set out in the document Building on Excellence: Orchestras for the 21st Century; particularly commends the orchestras' commitments to making the experience of live orchestral performances available to school children throughout the country; supports the orchestras in their aims of doubling the number of people involved in community music-making and of ensuring that the orchestras themselves reflect their local communities; and urges the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England to lend their further support to this laudable initiative.