So, it was the Classical Brits last night, and the great and good of the classical community, plus Andrew Lloyd Webber, though not Nigel Kennedy, amassed on the Albert Hall for the Myleene Klass hosted awards bash.
Lloyd Webber was there to pick up his previously reported Outstanding Achievement award. Other winners included operatic soprano Anna Netrebko, who won Best Female Artist for the second year running, and conductor Sir Colin Davis, president of the London Symphony Orchestra, who was named Best Male Artist. Classical boy band of sorts Blake won the Album Of The Year prize for their debut album, while 21 year old violinist Nichola Benedetti was named Young British Performer.
Aside from the winners, much media attention at the awards went to Nigel Kennedy, even though he wasn't there. It was his absence that was newsworthy - he was meant to be performing but pulled out at the last minute. Some reports say he was angry that award show producers wouldn't give him a big enough time slot to do what he wanted to do, while others say he was angry they wouldn't let glamorous string quartet Bond participate in his act. Organisers said simply that "artistic differences" were behind Kennedy's decision not to play, while the violinist himself accused said organisers of being "old farts" who interfered too much in his artistic decisions.
The Classical Brits will be shown on ITV on Thursday 15 May.