News When Stephen Fry Met Kissy: Is Classical Music Irrelevant To Today’s Youth?

I begin my trip from London’s Liverpool Street to the grand halls of the Cambridge Union with a tentative mind. I don’t know what to expect, and try to keep an open mind for what I’m about to experience. The reason I’ve been invited to the Cambridge Union is to attend a debate, featuring Stephen Fry and Kissy Sell Out; an odd pairing, I know. The motion proposed by Kissy’s team is ‘This House believes that classical music is irrelevant to today’s youth’, with Fry opposing. Preconceptions lead me to expect a regal chamber, full to the brim with suited aristocrats, shaking their caps at Kissy Sell Out for his absurd comments. Minus the hat waggling my predictions prove true.

Fry’s opening comment is as witty and sarcastic as you would expect from the national treasure. “Dubstep is my life” he proclaims, which receives applause and cheers from the legion of union members surrounding him, who cannot believe such a ludicrous statement could come from anyone’s mouth. Fry goes on to give a passionate speech on why he has such a strong adoration of the genre. The only problem being, he’s preaching to the converted. While a large proportion of the attendants are young adults, had this event been held in Kissy’s native Essex the reception would have been far sourer. And this simple factor forms a major flaw in the arguments of all who oppose the motion. While they may not realise it, those who attack Kissy’s statement exhibit such close-mindedness, with comments regarding 19th Century operas going down a bomb with the crowd, that they ignore the youth completely.

Kissy Sell Out proclaims his love for classical music from the outset, being a strong influence on his own work. Alternately, later on in the debate the Telegraph’s classical music editor Ivan Hewett attacks the music featured on Kissy Sell Out’s Radio 1 show, passing it off as superficial and of little value compared to a piece by ‘Montiverdi’ on the same subject matter. Following a short DJing tutorial for Fry the audience get a chance to voice their opinion. What follows is a display of the demographic found at Cambridge University (need I tell you who they support?), with the only person able to pluck up the courage to support Kissy being patronised into submission and told dance music is only for ‘people who want to get pissed and drugged up.’ I’m trying not to be biased here.

Needless to say, when the motion is voted on a large majority check the ‘nay’ box, meaning classical music perseveres. However, despite the landslide victory I have a niggling thought in the back of my mind that this means nothing. Afterall what is there to music if there is a definitive answer to the motion? I wouldn’t be writing this, that’s for sure. Music is a matter of opinion, and true musical genius can only be found when multiple genres are taken into account. Take Radiohead’s alternative rock with classical arrangements woven in; does someone with a love for Radiohead also have a love for classical music? Or does someone who likes Brother also have to like Oasis? Of course not. These questions have no answer, and God help us if they ever do.