A lot more than just music took place during this year’s World New Music Days in the Faroe Islands. The International Society of Contemporary Music’s series of daily committee meetings culminated in the final vote to decide about the 2026 festival. There was only one bid: China. Not surprisingly, all things considered, there were very mixed feelings about whether allowing China to host the festival was practicable and desirable. However, China was originally going to host the festival in 2021, but due to the pandemic it had been cancelled. i’m sure i wasn’t the only person who expected the committee to overlook their very real concerns about ethics, human rights, and freedom of expression (among other things), and simply allow China a second chance to host. To cut a long and very dramatic story short – because, to be completely frank, i was asked to – the committee conclusively voted against.
China submitted the only bid for the 2026 festival, so what the ISCM has effectively decided is that they would prefer to have no World Music Days at all rather than hold it in China. It goes without saying that there’s something tragic about this. Chinese composers are obviously not to blame for their nation’s authoritarian government and its unethical attitudes and behaviour, but they will experience the consequences and detriments of this decision. Furthermore, it’s entirely possible that there might be some form of response to this rejection from the five Chinese sections of ISCM; time will tell.
It should be stressed that this decision by the ISCM is not just important, it’s historic. As things stand, there will not be a 2026 World Music Days. A quick look back through its century-long history reveals that only two events have prevented the festival from taking place: the pandemic (2020-21) and World War II (1940, 1943-5). This starkly underscores the significance of the ISCM’s decision, and the gravity of the situation that prompted it.
It seems almost unavoidable today to be cynical where politics is concerned. Goodness knows, it’s been all too easy to feel jaded and hopeless here in the UK for the previous decade-and-a-half, watching our politics slide ever more inexorably into a degraded pit of arrogance, stupidity, hatred, corruption and lies. Yet only in the last week, following our general election, everything has changed. It’s been genuinely amazing – and an incredible relief – to feel the immediate effect of this change, and to start to believe again in the possibility of some light finally shining in the darkness. So it’s to their immense credit that the ISCM committee was similarly focused on light, and what they know to be right, in coming to their decision, rather than meekly taking the path of least resistance.
It remains to be seen whether another country will now come forward with a bid, and whether there might, ultimately, be a 2026 World Music Days. Personally, i can’t help feeling there would be something glorious and poetic about Taiwan, with its rich cultural life and heritage, stepping up to host. i’m tempted to say i can’t see that happening, but if the results of this vote (and the UK’s) are anything to go by, perhaps that kind of pessimism should now be put aside. But if there isn’t a World Music Days in 2026, perhaps its silence will send an infinitely louder message than any words or music ever could.
