London Chamber Orchestra Players Left Unpaid for Five Months

The orchestra's payroll system was thrown into chaos after Barclays Bank closed an account without notice

Players from the London Chamber Orchestra (LCO) were left without pay for as long as five months, following a decision by Barclays Bank to freeze the accounts of certain customers.

The LCO is among a number of organizations, including charities, cultural groups, and venues such as St John's Smith Square, whose accounts were frozen at no notice. Barclays allegedly took this action as part of measures they are implementing to help prevent financial crime, but the lack of communication around the decision threw the LCO's payroll into chaos.

It took a further four months for LCO staff to resolve the issue with Barclays, during which time a number of the orchestra's musicians remained unpaid.

The Observer also reports that on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, half of the LCO's musicians walked out of rehearsal in protest at the lack of pay. However, the concert at Cadogan Hall that evening was still able to proceed. The orchestra's managing director, Jocelyn Lightfoot, says backpay has now been processed.

"We understand the monumental strain on this body of freelancers whose opportunities to work have been reduced and jeopardized due to sweeping cuts to orchestral funding," said Jocelyn Lightfoot.

"Many of these musicians have had their work curtailed due to Brexit and they are still suffering the aftermath effects of the pandemic," she added. "There is great cause for concern for these highly skilled, immensely talented players whose role and value in society is under-appreciated."

"It is a real battle working as a professional musician in this city now," one LCO musician told the Observer. "We are not paid much and so have to do other jobs, while also keeping up our hours of playing. So we certainly need to be paid when we do work."