How narrow-minded of John Parry (March 8) to write off the Dome's re-opening season just because the programmers chose to plan an interesting, eclectic series of events - some mainstream, some more experimental - rather than a one-off gala aimed squarely at the conservative elite.

And how petty of him to sneer at Storming The Dome merely because it was performed by amateurs when that was the whole point.

Storming The Dome was never meant to be the first of the season's performances. It had that honour thrust upon it thanks to the cancellation of the previous weekend's concert.

But, in my opinion, it rose to the occasion. It may have been something of a mixed bag but it struck a tremendous note of civic pride.

Instead of sitting back and whining to be entertained, Parry-style, the 250-plus imaginative, energetic, committed Brightonians who created the event had the guts to stand up and give a bit of themselves in an open celebration of Brighton past and present. Good for them.

Mr Parry seemed to think these people had no right to grab this chance to step on to the stage simply because some of them were new to the game.

What next? What if similar criteria were applied to anybody who wanted to enjoy an event in the more usual manner?

Should the Dome allow entry only to those who can display lengthy experience of and intelligent sympathy with the performers and their repertoire?

If that were the case, Mr Parry himself would certainly have been banned, not only from Storming The Dome but also from the Messiaen concert about which he was so clumsily dismissive.

-Emma Gregg, Brighton