Where the Midas touch does not reach. On UNESCO proclamations and music

The essay traces in Sardinian perspective the events connected with the inclusion of tenor singing among the Masterpieces ofthe Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Together with information appearing in the regional media, it considers the performers reactions, with particular reference to the position of the Sardinia Tenor Association, which was founded in 2006 by hundreds of singers organised in stable quartets, the aim being to interact with "development and protection" events proposed by UNESCO. Based on these events, some basic concepts of UNESCO s intangible heritage policy are called into question, starting with the very notion of the immateriality and intangibility of music and the idea of music as a heritage. The spotlight is on the ambiguity of inventory policies and the fact that the representations proposed by UNESCO are a long way from the reality of the cultural practices considered by the ICH programme.