Hierarchical relationships are clearly essential to the proper functioning of an orchestra, but how absolute is the power of the conductor? Coverage of a recent employment tribunal case involving alleged bullying of a player by a conductor provoked the following comment from Norman Lebrecht : "The rights and wrongs of orchestras have no place in employment law, with its politically correct equalities."

If we take this opinion at face value, it suggests that the legal and artistic requirements of orchestra management are at odds. So what is the moral case for the conductor's power? And if not employment lawyers, then whose job is it to set the boundaries?

Hierarchical relationships are essential to the proper functioning of any organisation, and I do not see why conductors (and orchestras) should be exempt from normal employment law, which is designed to protect workers' rights and to ensure fair working conditions.

If such a case of victimisation happened in an office environment, it would be dealt with through a defined series of procedures. Why shouldn't orchestral players (who are 'workers', albeit in a more artistic setting) enjoy the same rights under UK employment law as any other employee?