The Edinburgh International Festival launched its programme this morning, and it looks rather good. I was curious to see what music would be included at this stage, as the classical music programme was launched separately some time ago. Sure enough, The Hub is going to be an amplified music venue, long overdue as part of the festival. It’s a wonderful space, but to be honest a difficult venue for acoustic music, so I really hope they can make it work.

But I am rather perplexed at the separating out of classical music from the rest. Yes, its audience wants a list of performers and a list of pieces rather than an account of the experience, and the core classical European festival audience books its diaries up months in advance. However, the implication (hinted at here) is that other kinds of music have more in common with the rest of the arts world, and therefore, unlike their precious classical cousins, they can exist in the same performance spaces, and be promoted and discussed at the same time.

To be honest, I agree. The classical music world and its way of doing things can at times seem utterly disjointed from other forms of culture, and to an extent irrelevant to them. I moan about this a great deal. But separating it and its audiences further from the rest of the arts is no way to do anything about it.