Protesters demand CBC Radio Orchestra be saved

(CBC) - About 150 people rallied in Vancouver on Tuesday, protesting the decision to stop funding the CBC Radio Orchestra.

The orchestra will cease to exist at the end of the fall concert season in November.

The rally started in front of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, moved around the block and ended in front of the CBC building.

Several of the protesters were University of British Columbia music students whose classes were cancelled so they could attend the rally.

"This is a really vital aspect of Canadian culture and the younger generation really does care about the future of this orchestra," said Janice Taylor, a UBC master's student in violin.

Colin Miles, regional director of the Canadian Music Centre, called on the crowd to keep up the pressure on the CBC to retain the orchestra.

"This is our orchestra," he said. "We demand that you rescind your decision and restore the CBC Radio Orchestra to health."

The orchestra was formed in 1938 when radio orchestras were popular and is the last of its kind in North America. The decision to disband it was a matter of economics, Jennifer McGuire, executive director of CBC English Radio, said in an interview last week.

"We can't afford it," she said. "The money we are spending on the orchestra could be used to bring more music to CBC Radio 2. In the end, it was a question of a difficult decision, but one we felt we had to make."

The CBC Radio Orchestra has 32 CDs to its credit, has helped showcase Canadian composers and recently won a Grammy award.

With files from Paul Grant, CBC Radio