A SOUND EAR II - Association of British Orchestras

A SOUND EAR II
Photo - Brian Tarr
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FOREWORD
When the Association of British Orchestras published its ground-breaking A Sound Ear: Exploring the Issues of Noise
Damage in Orchestras, written by Alison Wright Reid, in 2001, the ABO was very much seen as being in the vanguard
of providing practical guidance on noise for employers and artists. With training for symphony orchestras following in
2004, it came as no surprise that the ABO was awarded a Good Practice Award by the European Agency for Safety and
Health at Work in 2005.
Since then, the law has tightened still further with implementation of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005,
and with the two year extension granted to the music and entertainment industry coming to an end on 6 April 2008,
the time is ripe for publication of A Sound Ear II. This revised guidance updates the scientific evidence analysed in
the original A Sound Ear and looks at the lessons learnt from the training offered by the ABO in 2004 and the steps
subsequently taken by a representative sample of orchestras to deal with the impact of the legislation.
Clearly the new regulations pose a challenge for orchestras, and with the reduction in noise exposure limits this
challenge extends to the chamber orchestras as well. But nor, as proved by this publication, can anyone deny the
dangers of noise exposure to musicians. Read in conjunction with the Sound Advice guidance to be launched later in
2008, developed by the employers associations and unions in collaboration with the Health & Safety Executive, the aim
is to give the orchestral sector the tools to implement the regulations as is reasonably practicable, ensuring that the
breadth of repertoire demanded by players and audiences alike survives and thrives.
Mark Pemberton
Director