Music

A legacy donation in excess of £3m has been left to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) and Welsh National Opera (WNO).

The organisations have said that the money, left by the late David Seligman, will be used to deliver lasting support to the training of singers and musicians and will also create future opportunities for young artists to perform on a professional scale.

RWCMD Director of Music, Tim Rhys-Evans said: "I had the very great pleasure of knowing David and [his late wife] Philippa for many years and saw first-hand their belief in young people and the power of singing to enrich young lives. 

"Their passion for opera in particular was something incredibly dear to them, and the need for this artform to be made accessible and relevant to young people of every background was a major driving force behind their philanthropy. 

"David knew the impact that legacies of any size can have, and now his exceptional gift will ensure that future generations of artists will continue to be supported for many years to come."  

WNO Youth Opera Producer, Paula Scott said: "We are incredibly grateful for this generous bequest. David and Philippa Seligman were passionate supporters of WNO Youth Opera, and we are delighted to be honouring them both by continuing our work with young artists." 

Rights management organisation PRS for Music collected a record £946m in royalties in 2022.

The result is equivalent to a 22.9% year-on-year increase and a 18.9% increase on its previous high of £810m, achieved in 2019.

The organisation paid out £836.2m in royalties in 2022, a 23.5% increase on the year prior.

Its quarterly distribution in October was in excess of £211m, the largest single distribution in the organisation’s 108-year history.

PRS for Music said the results indicate a “dramatic recovery following the global pandemic”.

CEO Andrea Czapary Martin added the organisation is “accelerating progress towards and beyond” a vision of paying out over £1 billion in royalties within the next five years.

“Through our ambitious licencing strategy and utilising our joint ventures we have maximised the value of members works at every opportunity,” Czapary Martin said.

“While our investment in new technologies and services means we can pay out royalties more quickly and accurately, delivering the best possible service to members at a market leading low cost-to-income ratio.”

Music ticket fraud increased by 529% last year, with the average victim losing £110.

The findings come from a study by Lloyds Bank, which also found scams targeting comedy and theatre tickets are on the rise, albeit by smaller amounts.

Scammers are targeting concerts and festivals where tickets are scarce or sold out more often, with scams involving fake websites, emails and social media posts increasingly prevalent.

Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Direction at Lloyds, said audiences should always buy tickets from reputable platforms, and pay by debit or credit card to give the greatest level of protection.

“With demand to attend live events soaring as the warmer weather approaches, they will waste no time in targeting music fans as they rush to pick up tickets for the most popular gigs and festivals.”

A three-day heavy metal festival has been cancelled with just weeks to go after selling only 5% of available tickets.

The 5,000-capacity Dominion Festival was due to take place on 5-7 May at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, in County Durham.

The planned line-up included the bands Skindred, Blind Guardian and Orange Goblin.

Rescheduled from its original launch date in July last year, organisers Wannasee Promotions said that to go ahead would have led to losses of more than £250,000.

A statement from the promoter said: “The only ethical decision that could possibly be made now is to accept defeat, gut wrenching though this is."

Wannasee added that to go ahead "would risk us joining the pile of promoters who have failed to refund customers after using ticket money to fund a failed show, or not paid bands or suppliers for the show – neither of which is something that we could entertain.”

A new programme of education and training for music entrepreneurs in Wales has been given Welsh Government support.

The one-year project delivered by the Music Managers Forum (MMF) hopes to boost the business skills of Welsh music managers.

Funded through Creative Wales, MMF will be working with Welsh partners including music industry organisations Anthem, Beacons and Focus Wales.

The initiative will also build on MMF’s existing partnership with the University of South Wales.

Activities will include a course on the essentials of music management, with training led by Lu Whitting, manager of the Cardiff band Himalayas.

Travel bursaries will be available to attend events and the MMF is keen that individuals from ‘diverse or marginalised backgrounds’ take part in the programme.

MMF Chief Executive, Annabella Coldrick, said: “The music scene in Wales has always been hugely exciting, and we believe this new programme will strengthen networks and benefit both existing Welsh managers and those looking to break into our profession."

A London charity concert for musicians in need has been hit by a copyright claim from the Performing Rights Society (PRS).

The event held at Cadogan Hall on 1 April was in aid of Help Musicians and starred Dame Evelyn Glennie and BBC Radio 4 announcer Zeb Soanes.

While it mostly consisted of humorous arrangements of out-of-copyright classical pieces, PRS is charging the organisers more than £1,000 for two short pieces by Earl Okin that are still in copyright.

The royalties would amount to nearly half of the charitable earnings from the night. 

The event's organiser, Rainer Hersch, said the move by PRS was “pretty shocking, especially given this concert and the beneficiary, Help Musicians, which is the backstop for freelance musicians in this country”.

Okin, meanwhile, said he does not want the money and that he will donate it to the charity if he receives it.

A PRS spokesperson said: “We are working with the composers whose works were included in the 1 April concert at Cadogan Hall to ensure that they can identify all earnings from this concert.

“From our experience, this makes onward donation simpler for all involved.

“PRS for Music works closely with Help Musicians, including recently co-ordinating efforts to support music creators through the pandemic."