The Week in Light & Sound
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Through the £5m deal with Flying Music Group, DEAG will expand its activities in the UK, moving into the touring plays and musicals market. A statement from DEAG said its sales in the UK are expected to increase to more than €100m in 2018 following the acquisition of the Flying Music Group. Stuart Galbraith, chief executive of Kilimanjaro Live, said the deal was "another important step in [DEAG's] expansion into West End touring musicals and theatre".
Twins Return - Eighties boy band Bros returned to the stage for the first time in nearly 30 years and thanked fans for supporting their comeback. Twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss performed at a sold-out O2 Arena in London last Saturday. They told fans they hoped their comeback show would be the "first of many concerts".
Bros announced their comeback show in October. It sold out in seven seconds and prompted the band to expand to a full UK tour. However, they cancelled all of their concerts outside of London and Manchester due to "unforeseen logistical circumstances" - with many of the other venues suffering poor ticket sales.
Under The Hammer - The original handwritten score for the Beatles song Eleanor Rigby is to be sold alongside the grave deeds of the supposed muse. The piece of memorabilia, handwritten and signed by Paul McCartney and their late producer George Martin, is expected to fetch £20,000. The score includes notes specifying that it was to be recorded at London's Abbey Road Studio number two and that four violins, two violas and two cellos were to be used.
"Each item is fantastic, unique and of significant historical importance in itself, so to have both come up at the same time is an incredible coincidence," said Paul Fairweather from Omega Auctions, which is selling the items.
In a separate lot, the grave deeds of a woman named Eleanor Rigby, who many believe served as inspiration to the 1966 hit, will also be sold. That includes a miniature Bible, dated 1899, with the name Elenor Rigby handwritten inside - which is expected to sell for £5,000.
Barnum’s Back - The Menier Chocolate Factory is to stage a revival of Barnum this Christmas. The musical tells the story of 19th-century showman PT Barnum, and features music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Michael Stewart and a book by Mark Bramble. The production will be directed by Gordon Greenberg, with choreography by Rebecca Howell, design by Paul Farnsworth and musical direction by Alex Parker.
Tour News - Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel has confirmed media reports that his US tour with Venezuela's National Youth Orchestra has been cancelled. Dudamel said the cancellation, which came just days after President Nicolás Maduro publicly criticised him, was "heartbreaking". In May, the conductor spoke out against the government. "May God forgive you for letting yourself be fooled," Mr Maduro replied.
Dudamel is the music director of both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. He gained further fame by becoming the youngest musician to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic's annual new year's concert in 2017.
(Jim Evans)
22 August 2017
