old man vs pop music

The Times reports on last night's Ivor Novello Awards for composers/songwriters, in London. It's a funny piece, centered around the speech made by 71-year old composer Sir Harrison Birtwistle when he climbed the stage to accept his prize. Most of the program had been dominated by pop music - especially this year's big winner, James Blunt's "Beautiful". Sez Birtwistle:

"Why is your music so effing loud? ... You must all be brain-dead. Maybe you are. I didn’t know so many clich�s existed until the last half-hour. Have fun. Goodbye."

Ho, snap!

Birtwistle later assured reporters that he likes some pop music, but his main example seems to be a guy who's been dead for 18 years. ("I’ve just discovered Roy Orbison — he’s a real singer.") The pop kids, meanwhile, lined up to prove that they're more open-minded. Amanda Ghost, composer of "Beautiful", said: "I listen to a lot of Wagner, Mahler and Beethoven and that influences my chord progressions."

I think she was lying.

"What did the composer say to the cream of British pop?" at The Times.