Madam, - The Irish Times Magazine's radio listings (March 1st)made interesting reading. The page for yesterday carried a suggestion in very large type that we listen to the broadcast premiere of John Tavener's Requiem. That was an important cultural occasion.
On the same evening, at roughly the same time, Jerome de Bromhead's Second Symphony received its broadcast premiere on Lyric FM. De Bromhead is a very distinguished composer. He is what The Irish Times (and to an extent RTÉ) appear to regard as an oxymoron - an Irish composer. The broadcast premiere of his symphony, was, I suggest, a more important cultural event in Ireland than the Tavener premiere. This is not cultural chauvinism, Tavener is a very capable composer, but he has the scope of the BBC behind him. And the BBC takes music and the promotion of its "local product" very seriously.
When are The Irish Times, and RTÉ, going to start taking the same attitude to the "cultural product" of the many capable composers working in Ireland (not to mention Germany, America, and Great Britain)? - Yours, etc,
SEÁN McGOURAN,
Tollington Way,
London.