Good riddance or sexist Yorkshiremen? Latest on Natalia Luis-Bassa's Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra walkout

Nov 17 2010 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A VETERAN violinist has spoken of the moment a conductor “stormed off” hours before a performance.

Natalia Luis-Bassa walked out on Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday afternoon and failed to show up for a concert that evening.

But another former conductor said yesterday he believes sexism among “hard-bitten Yorkshiremen” in the orchestra could be behind the row.

Ms Luis-Bassa walked out at around 2.50pm on Saturday during final rehearsal for a performance at Huddersfield Town Hall.

The orchestra decided to go ahead with the concert with three of the musicians standing in as conductors.

Yesterday Richard Bottom, who has played violin in the orchestra for 30 years, described the moment when Ms Luis-Bassa left.

He said: “Rehearsal started around 2.30pm and she walked off about 20 minutes later.

“She was unhappy with some of the playing because it hadn’t been rehearsed. There were some misunderstandings but she wasn’t giving any clear guidance.

“Someone asked her: ‘Please, Natalia, what do you want us to do?’ and she just stormed off.”

Mr Bottom, 56, of Crosland Moor was happy to see her go.

“My attitude is good riddance,” he said.

Mr Bottom, who works as headteacher at Wilberlee Junior and Infants School, thinks Ms Luis-Bassa had failed to understand the needs of an amateur orchestra.

“This has been building up for a couple of years because she’s not happy with the way the orchestra has rehearsed,” he said.

“There are some professional and semi-professional musicians in the orchestra, but a significant number of us are teachers who come to rehearsal after a hard day’s work.

“She’s not capable of working with an amateur orchestra which needs coaching, encouragement and praise.

“She was full of criticism, which is very unfair.”

But Arthur Butterworth, who conducted the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra for 31 years, said yesterday that sexism could be the reason Ms Luis-Bassa walked out.

He said: “Natalia is a brilliant conductor but there is still some resentment from hard-bitten Yorkshiremen because they don’t want a woman.”

Mr Butterworth, who was conductor from 1962 to 1993, believes the orchestra’s standards have slipped.

The 87-year-old said: “We had 95% attendance at rehearsal every week for 30 years. Why can’t this generation of musicians do the same?

“Natalia was right to insist that they should attend rehearsal. You can’t rehearse properly unless the whole team is there.”

Ms Luis-Bassa, 44, grew up in Venezuela, where she studied the oboe at the world-famous El Sistema school at the age of 15.