The Baltimore Story

In the context of our search for a replacement minister, Jennie tackles the issue of women in leadership roles - hitherto the domain of men. The example she focusses on in her talk today is the career of Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra whose career saw her become a pioneer in what was then - a non-traditional area and rose to be one of the leading figures in classical music around the world.

As a young girl, Marin Alsop decided that she wanted to be a conductor. On being told women were not meant to be orchestral conductors, Marin was even more determined to become one. She became a protégé of Leonard Bernstein and went on to become the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2005, the first female conductor to head a major American orchestra. In 2009 she was named Musical America’s Conductor of the Year. She is just coming to the end of her 14 years as Musical Director.

Jennie raises the following issues:

• How do we feel about women in leadership positions - at work and in the pulpit?
• Do we judge them differently from men?
• What obligations do we have to speak if people criticise their fashion sense?
• How do we handle a mildly worded "it's just not my cup of tea!"

Listen on!