Our favourite column in NRC Next is wrong today. In the zeal to check whether attendance at classical concerts in 'the region' is declining, as Melle Daamen recently claimed, they went to investigate. Well, research: from behind the desk, a few venues and orchestra directors were called, and they said it was going fan-tas-tically, and so the country's smallest quality newspaper concludes that Melle Daamen is talking poo.
Now we know that you become very popular in the arts sector if you say that Melle Daamen poop talk, but we thought we'd throw in another little survey from behind the desk anyway. On the internet. At the cbs. And what turns out: as we saw before the average number of people attending concerts is steadily declining, while the number of concerts is only increasing. Exactly the point Melle Daamen made earlier, thus proving that this firmly-phrased and much-bantered arts manager does not talk poo.
[Tweet "Now we know you become very popular in the arts sector if you say Melle Daamen talks poo, but..."]This time.
Attendance fell from 515 visitors on average at 10,421 concerts in 1999 to 427 visitors on average at 17,755 concerts in 2012. Well forward. Of course, this is not just about classical music, but about all music. So it could be that classical music is indeed doing fan-tas-tically against the trend, but let's say: that seems strong. And besides, you don't research that with a few phone calls to people who have every interest in giving favourable figures.
We therefore rate NRC Next's statement as: untrue.
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