Elgar is the soundtrack to VE Day celebrations — this is his story
It'll 'knock 'em flat', Elgar boasted of his stirring tune. Here was, at long last, a great British composer to rival Purcell, who gave voice to a proud nation and a swaggering empire.
Elgar's flair for pageantry and pomposity served him well. In 1897 he wrote an Imperial March for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee; in
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Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Supertramp singer must 'Give a Little Bit' to ex-bandmates, US court rules
Aug 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court said on Wednesday that British rock band Supertramp's former singer and songwriter Roger Hodgson owes three other former band members a share of songwriting royalties that he stopped paying them in 2018. In a decision sprinkled with nods to the band's music, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived, opens new tab bassist Dougie Thomson, saxophonist John Helliwell and drummer Bob Siebenberg's lawsuit against Hodgson after reversing a California jury verdict that his company had the right to end their royalty agreement. "Plaintiffs ask that Defendants continue to 'Give A Little Bit' of Supertramp's songwriting royalties until the band's songs cease generating revenue," U.S. Circuit Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw wrote for the 9th Circuit on Wednesday. "But Defendants believe that 'From Now On,' they are no longer obligated to share royalties." The appeals court sent the case back for further proceedings. Thomson, Helliwell and Siebenberg had requested nearly $1.3 million at trial, according to a court transcript. Attorneys for both sides did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision. Supertramp reached the height of its popularity with its 1979 album "Breakfast in America," which sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Hodgson and co-founder Rick Davies' company Delicate Music distributed the band's publishing royalties to its members. Hodgson left the band in 1983, but Delicate Music continued to distribute its publishing royalties until 2018. The former band members sued Hodgson and Davies for breach of contract in 2021 and settled with Davies in 2023. A jury agreed with Hodgson and his company last year that the contract could be terminated "at will, after a reasonable time." The 9th Circuit overturned the verdict on Wednesday and said Delicate Music had a continuing obligation to share the royalties with the other band members "so long as such royalties continue to exist." The case is Thomson v. Hodgson, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-2858. For the former band members: David Burg of Mandavia Ephraim + Burg For Hodgson: Robin Meadow of Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Front-runner to play James Bond takes himself out of running
An actor widely rumoured to be playing James Bond has officially denied that he's up for the role. Six years after Daniel Craig announced his retirement from the franchise, fans are continuing to wonder who will fill his shiny shoes. Former favourite Idris Elba, 52, previously ruled himself out from playing the iconic sleuth, while other hotly tipped actors, including James Norton, have not confirmed any involvement. The current front-runner to become Bond is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, while bookies have also recently given preferential odds to the likes of Henry Cavill, Jack Lowden, Tom Holland, and Callum Turner. Twisters actor Glen Powell, one of Hollywood's most in-demand heartthrobs in recent years, has also been the subject of speculation for the role. But Glen has dashed fans' hopes with a recent comment, telling The Hollywood Reporter: 'I'm a Texan.' 'My family and I joke around, I can play Jimmy Bond, but I should not be playing James Bond. Get an authentic Brit for that job. That's who belongs in that tuxedo.' Glen isn't the only actor to have ruled himself out, with White Lotus star Theo James also previously denying a connection to the role. He told The Guardian: 'Everyone's interested in that because it's a big part of British cultural identity, but that probably wouldn't be me. 'I do think there are better people for that job. And, honestly, it would be terrifying: if you do that, there's no going back. You're opening Pandora's box there.' But Aaron Taylor-Johnson, one of the most consistent favourites for the role, has left things more open-ended. The actor gave a very coy response when asked about what he'll be doing after working on 28 Years Later and its sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, back-to-back. Questioned by Deadline at the horror movie's premiere in June, he said: 'I can't talk about it.' He was already being led away before the question was asked, and offered a smile alongside his vague answer. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video All of the speculation comes after Amazon MGM Studios announced that Denis Villeneuve will helm the next James Bond film – a dramatic move marking a creative shift for the 007 franchise, and signalling a new era for Britain's most iconic spy. The Canadian director, best known for directing Dune and Dune: Part Two, as well as Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Sicario, and Prisoners, expressed reverence for the character. 'Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,' he said in a statement released Wednesday. 'I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory.' While acknowledging the enormous expectations, Villeneuve said he intends to 'honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.' He called the opportunity 'a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour.' The announcement comes during a period of major upheaval behind the scenes of the Bond universe. More Trending Amazon Studios officially purchased MGM for $8.45billion (£6.7billion) in 2022, with a new agreement over creative control meaning Bond — and whoever is next to play 007 – is entirely under the streamer's control. It is a landmark decision as family-run Eon Productions has brought Bond to the big screen since the franchise began. After decades of tight creative control, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson – heirs to the franchise through their father, original Bond producer Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli – have ceded key decision-making power to Amazon MGM Studios. But as much as things are changing for the Bond franchise, it seems a Texan James Bond is still a bit too far-fetched. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: James Bond legend, 72, would consider surprise return as 007 'in a heartbeat' MORE: James Bond legend Joe Caroff dies aged 103 after creating piece of film history MORE: Dame Helen Mirren: 'You can't have a woman play Bond — it doesn't work'
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Judge denies justice department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
The ruling on Wednesday by Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, also turned down the government's request. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. A US justice department spokesperson declined to comment. Judge Berman said the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts 'pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.' According to his ruling, no victims gave evidence before the Epstein grand jury. The only witness, the judge wrote, was an FBI agent 'who had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay'. The agent gave evidence over two days, on June 18 and July 2 2019. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Judge Berman ruled. Maxwell's case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the justice department's statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of US President Donald Trump's base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up. Since then, Trump administration officials have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts. 'The government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein file,' Judge Berman wrote in an apparent reference to the justice department's refusal to release additional records on its own while simultaneously moving to unseal grand jury transcripts. 'By comparison,' he added, 'the instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the government's possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged conduct.' Meanwhile, Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse weeks ago by US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, and the house oversight committee had also said that it wanted to speak with Maxwell. Her lawyers said they would be open to an interview but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution. In a letter Maxwell's lawyers, representative James Comer, the committee chairman, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell's appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September. Mr Comer wrote that while Maxwell's testimony was 'vital' to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance of her testimony, as was requested by her team.
