"Classical music can be experienced and appreciated across historial periods and continents, irrespective of one’s age, ethnicity or social background. But it isn’t necessarily easy. Of course, it’s possible to be carried away by great tunes and luscious sounds; the use of classical music in adverts is testament to that. But it can be hard work to really ‘get’ classical music. It takes persistence to appreciate it fully, and deliberate study to understand it really well. Even then, one’s expectations will often be confounded by genuinely new music. Consequently, there is not always a ready audience, especially for experimental music that is by its nature unfamiliar and strange."

A disctinction between 'getting' music and fully understanding ought to be made. I don't think there is a lot to the former, in the kind of initial 'work' that goes into listening to anything and taking away any kind of idea or impression or interesting things to say out of it. That is especially true for the kind of post-cageian experimental music that went on at that Rational Rec event (an evening I keep not going to).

Whereas gaining a fuller understanding of all sorts of issues behind the music is much harder but I think that goes for any music.