Northern Ballet criticised for ‘inexplicable’ move over orchestra make-up

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Members of the Northern Ballet orchestra protest potential job losses. Photo: David Parry

Northern Ballet has come under fire for refusing to prioritise its former in-house musicians for a newly formed freelance orchestra, with the Musicians’ Union calling it “inexplicable”.

In January, the ballet organisation shifted to a lesser-paid freelance orchestra to cut costs, leaving the futures of the 28 members of the decades-old Northern Ballet Sinfonia uncertain.

Since then, the MU has been pushing for a “core players list”, which would ensure those 28 musicians were called upon first for any freelance work.

Now, Northern Ballet has confirmed it will not be drawing up the list, refusing the union’s appeal to prioritise its former employees for any work.

MU boss Naomi Pohl told The Stage: “It feels like a particularly bleak stage of the campaign.

“All along it has said that the reason for making the changes has been financial because it doesn’t have the funding for a live orchestra and the cost of touring is particularly high. But this decision to book different musicians isn’t a financial one. It’s inexplicable.”

Pohl added: “For the musicians who aren’t being offered work, it’s very distressing to hear that other freelance musicians are being offered the role you’ve always had and you’re having to look around for other work.”

An anonymous member of the former Northern Ballet Sinfonia told The Stage: “For reasons that have not been made clear to us, it seems that Northern Ballet is determined to rid itself of its named orchestra.”

They continued: “This comes after two years of reducing our work to almost nothing and going on tour using recorded music. Now, it is finally planning more live music but is no longer willing to commit to its loyal orchestra. Why?”

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Northern Ballet’s refusal to compile a core players list marks the continuation of a long-running dispute between the two organisations.

The MU has been protesting for almost a year against the potential job losses caused by the company’s use of recorded music and, later, a possible link-up with Opera North that could see the two organisations merge their pools of performers.

Earlier this year, the bodies’ agreement was severed altogether when the MU refused to endorse Northern Ballet’s new freelance contracts, which would see its orchestra paid 25% less. Northern Ballet has now proceeded to offer work without MU approval – a move the MU labelled “devastating” and a member of the Northern Ballet Sinfonia called “unprecedented”.

As well as a lower salary, Northern Ballet’s new non-union contacts would restrict musicians’ access to deputies (understudies) and automatically calculate their travel payments as though they were all based in Leeds, with no reference to players’ home base.

Now, more than a month later, Pohl told The Stage that relations between Northern Ballet and the MU are “friendly” and that negotiations are ongoing – but the MU would not back down on its demand for the former Northern Ballet Sinfonia to be prioritised.

“It doesn’t feel like on the agreement we’d be miles and miles apart,” she said. “We appreciate that we may have to make some compromises in order to reach an agreement with it. Obviously, we’d be consulting the musicians affected.

“But this is a principle we just can’t get on board with. We have to see the musicians get their work back. That’s been the substance of the campaign – to save the Northern Ballet orchestra.”

Responding to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Northern Ballet told The Stage: “For performances from February 2025 onwards, Northern Ballet is offering work to freelance musicians, including some who have had a long-standing relationship with the company.”

The organisation told The Stage earlier this year that the reduction in players’ salaries was an effort to help protect its live music offering.