A Price Worth Paying
Presented by Sir John Drummond
Produced by Martin Cotton

Tx BBC Radio 3, 1999

In a series of five half-hour programmes, John Drummond, former Controller, BBC Radio 3, took a critical look at the state of opera in Britain since the Second World War.

1 A Place for Opera
In the first programme, John Drummond talked to the Earl of Harewood and Sir John Tooley, both former administrators of London’s two principal opera houses, about the post-war consolidation of the Royal Opera House, the creation of English National Opera, and the setting of standards at Glyndebourne.

2 Beyond London
John Drummond talked to some of the key figures involved in the establishment and consolidation of regional companies in Cardiff, Glasgow and Leeds.

3 The Creative Elements
In this programme, John Drummond continued his searching examination of the state of opera in Britain since 1945, looking at opera from the point of view of a composer (Sir Harrison Birtwistle), a director (David Pountney) and a conductor (Paul Daniel).

4 The Skies Darken
In this programme, John Drummond probed the contentious issue of funding. He asked administrators and critics involved in the business whether this relatively expensive form of entertainment should continue to attract public subsidy.

5 Whatever Next?
In the final programme of the series, John Drummond and key figures from the opera world reflected on the achievements of opera companies over the past half-century and their prospects for the future.