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Dear Sir,

I write to voice my disappointment about the characterisation of the audience on the Bermuda Festival in the concluding paragraph of the piece by Sirkka Huish.  

Is it necessary or acceptable to define the audience as "white and wealthy?" - I think not. It adds nothing to the piece and ought to have been caught by you sub-editors.

It would be similarly incorrect to ridicule one of the supposed faith based tourism events, which presumeably attract a predominantly black audience. I will look for more balance in future articles.

Andrew Horsfield[[In-content Ad]]Dear Sir

I read with interest your review of the Bermuda Festival's Tango Fire in Friday's paper. However I think the last phrase - "you can count on the opening night of the Bermuda Festival to bring the island's white and wealthy out of the woodwork" - was totally uncalled for. What woodwork? Why make race a factor when your reviewer was supposed to be reviewing artistic skills? Who is Sirkka Huish and why should you, as editor, allow her to make such a snide comment. Even if it is true, which I doubt, many of those people were probably Patrons of the Festival on whose generosity the continued existence and high standard of the Festival largely depends, so that Ms. Huish and the whole of Bermuda can continue to see world class performances at reasonable cost. I suggest that you send a different reviewer to the next Festival show.

Margaret Lloyd

Editor's note: A review reflects a writer's opinions and since the audience is integral to the enjoyment of any performance it is therefore a relevant subject for comment. The phrase in question was intended merely as an observation, not to cause offence.

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