I have just been told that the Queen has honoured Neil MacGregor with the Order of Merit, the highest honour in her gift. Neil, director of the British Museum since 2002 and, before that, head of the National Gallery, had previously turned down a knighthood, which is a political gift.
In eight years, he has turned around the BM from the nation’s aunt sally to the busiest museum or earth, with a higher footfall than the Louvre and more public awareness than the Met. Some 10 million people have downloaded his History of the World in 100 Objects from the BBC.
Seldom in my experience has the order been more richly merited. Arise Mr MacGregor, OM.
I have just been told that the Queen has honoured Neil MacGregor with the Order of Merit, the highest honour in her gift. Neil, director of the British Museum since 2002 and, before that, head of the National Gallery, had previously turned down a knighthood, which is a political gift.
In eight years, he has turned around the BM from the nation’s aunt sally to the busiest museum or earth, with a higher footfall than the Louvre and more public awareness than the Met. Some 10 million people have downloaded his History of the World in 100 Objects from the BBC.
Seldom in my experience has the order been more richly merited. Arise Mr MacGregor, OM.
If Osama bin Laden were to sue Citibank for giving him false advice in a takeover deal, he’d stand a decent chance in a New York court, given the general low repute of City bankers.
No such luck for Guy Hands, the man who owns the hedge fund that owns EMI. His $7 bn court claim that he was swindled into paying over the odds for the company was thrown out in four hours by a jury, unmoved by wails that Hands had lost 70 percent of his personal fortune when EMI’s share price fell by half.
Where that leaves EMI is firmly in the knackers yard. If the company cannot meet its next debt repayment, Citibank will call in the loan and put the comany into administration.
Vultures are circling. If Warner pass yet again on the chance to pick up the oldest and deepest music catalogue on the cheap, sources at Sony and Universal say the two giants will carve up EMI between them. Neither can buy the company without facing anti-trust action. But if they cherry-pick the remains, Citibank will get repaid and the label will fade into history.
As for Terry Hands, he’s running low on friends and the high-wire case will have cost him another chunk of an already depleted fortune. So sad.
If Osama bin Laden were to sue Citibank for giving him false advice in a takeover deal, he’d stand a decent chance in a New York court, given the general low repute of City bankers.
No such luck for Guy Hands, the man who owns the hedge fund that owns EMI. His $7 bn court claim that he was swindled into paying over the odds for the company was thrown out in four hours by a jury, unmoved by wails that Hands had lost 70 percent of his personal fortune when EMI’s share price fell by half.
Where that leaves EMI is firmly in the knackers yard. If the company cannot meet its next debt repayment, Citibank will call in the loan and put the comany into administration.
Vultures are circling. If Warner pass yet again on the chance to pick up the oldest and deepest music catalogue on the cheap, sources at Sony and Universal say the two giants will carve up EMI between them. Neither can buy the company without facing anti-trust action. But if they cherry-pick the remains, Citibank will get repaid and the label will fade into history.
As for Terry Hands, he’s running low on friends and the high-wire case will have cost him another chunk of an already depleted fortune. So sad.
Georg Straka, a double-bass player with the Vienna Philharmonic, was killed while climbing Mount Fuji on Wednesday during an orchestral tour of Japan. The tour continues.
Straka, 41, had four children and played with them in a family ensemble. Six years ago, he survived a brain tumour. His climbing companion on Fuji was violinist Wilfried Ramsaier, according to fellow-players.
This is not the first time in recent memory that the VPO have lost a player on the hike. Gerhard Hetzel, an outstanding and popular concertmaster, hit his head on a rock and died while climbing near Salzburg with his wife in July 1994, early in the festival. It was said at the time that he let his head take the blow to protect his playing hand from injury.
Austria is a mountain nation and many VPO musicians are fearless climbers. But an orchestra on tour needs to maintain collective discipline and security. It may have to restrict dangerous pastimes to off-duty periods.
Georg Straka, a double-bass player with the Vienna Philharmonic, was killed while climbing Mount Fuji on Wednesday during an orchestral tour of Japan. The tour continues.
Straka, 41, had four children and played with them in a family ensemble. Six years ago, he survived a brain tumour. His climbing companion on Fuji was violinist Wilfried Ramsaier, according to fellow-players.
This is not the first time in recent memory that the VPO have lost a player on the hike. Gerhard Hetzel, an outstanding and popular concertmaster, hit his head on a rock and died while climbing near Salzburg with his wife in July 1994, early in the festival. It was said at the time that he let his head take the blow to protect his playing hand from injury.
Austria is a mountain nation and many VPO musicians are fearless climbers. But an orchestra on tour needs to maintain collective discipline and security. It may have to restrict dangerous pastimes to off-duty periods.
