The 2020 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the arts. Freelance musicians are amongst the hardest hit professionals in this crisis, not only deprived of their livelihood but also of the experience of playing in front of an audience.
Some have taken to the internet to provide some sort of musical experience. They have put performances on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on. The English Music Festival did manage to take place online in May. Some performers even managed to organise ticketed events or ask for a donation.
There were also some Malcolm Arnold performances during the lockdown. It started with Peter Cigerlis performing the pre- Goodman rag on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2974272392666539
Another exciting highlight was the Hoffnung Fanfare for 36 trumpets performed by 58 trumpeters:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSL3o01kv7I
Of course, the smaller pieces like the solo instrument fan- tasies or sonatinas make up for the majority of performances. A playlist of various Arnold performances on YouTube can be found here:
www.malcolmarnoldsociety.co.uk/LockdownPlaylist/
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