Please say sorry
Sir: Rupert Christiansen's article (Arts, 9 September) is so peppered with errors of fact that it would consume many column inches to correct. Your readers will doubt- less have reached their own conclusions about our most recent season, but I should perhaps remind Mr Christiansen that its artistic success was underlined by three Olivier Award nominations and one out- right win in the category of 'Best Opera Production'. Also, that we achieved our highest audience figures for five years.
One paragraph, however, is defamatory, both of the company as a whole and one indi- vidual working within it. It is in this instance inappropriate for a major Arts Council-fund- ed institution to waste public money pursuing legal redress, but The Spectator owes Dennis Marks, Guus Mostart, John Berl), and all their colleagues in ENO's artistic team an unqualified apology. As I understand it, not one word of the stories reported about plan- ning and casting meetings is true, and Rupert Christiansen should by now have learned to distinguish between fact and tittle-tattle. The former is still sacred, the latter seldom more than fun — and never worth printing. I rather hope, as ENO looks forward to another suc- cessful season, that such an apology will be forthcoming.
Harewood
Chairman, ENO, London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London WC2
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