Concert blues

One of the highlights of the summer is the classical music concerts performed by the Balearic Symphony Orchestra at Bellver Castle. The venue is perfect and so is the music. It is a great shame that this series of four concerts is now hanging in the balance because of an industrial dispute involving the orchestra´s musicians and the local authorities, who pay their wages. Tomorrow night's concert at the Castle has been cancelled and it is unclear whether the remaining three will go ahead. Musicians say that their wages have been left unpaid but at the same time their workload has increased. They also accuse the local authorities of seeking to dismantle the orchestra to save money. This dispute is not good for Majorca because the Balearic Symphony Orchestra is well respected across Spain and even further afield. Hundreds of residents and tourists attend the Bellver Castle festival and it would be a great pity if this event disappeared because of an industrial dispute. These events are key to the local tourist industry. Now, I know times are hard and the local authorities desperately need to save money but the Balearic needs a Symphony Orchestra. I am sure that some savings can be made in other areas to ensure that this island continues to have a first rate orchestra. I would call for dialogue between both parties. This dispute needs to be resolved sooner rather than later before it does some major damage to the image of the island.