Too many musicians, Herr Mahler

[sawyl]

Charlotte Higgins has a set of wondefully crazy quotes from the culture select committee, including this gem:

...there was a rather surreal moment in which John Whittingdale, the chair of the committee, opined that Mahler "shouldn't have written works that require so many musicians" (makes it harder to cut the orchestras, you see).

Nice to know that our cultural heritage is in such considerated, well informed and safe hands.