Monday 18 October 2010
PRS for Music launch ‘The Art Of The Song’ auction in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust
PRS for Music, the organisation that collects and pays royalties to its 70,000 song-writing and composing members, has announced an ambitious project to raise vital funds to help young people across the UK fight cancer.
Called ‘The Art of the Song’, the project has asked some of the UK’s best songwriters and composers to donate lyrics from their greatest hits to be auctioned off at Bonhams in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.
Sir Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Jim Kerr, Sir Tim Rice, Julian Lennon and Annie Lennox are just some of the famous songwriters that have penned original lyrics from their most famous hits exclusively for the campaign. As well as raising money for Teenage Cancer Trust the project hopes to create a lasting legacy of the music and song lyrics of our generation.
Those keen to purchase the pieces will have the chance to bid on lyrics including Sting’s - Message in a Bottle, Duran Duran’s - Girls on Film and Sir Tim Rice’s – ‘Don’t Cry for me Argentina’. Chris Rea has donated his original lyrics written for ‘Road to Hell’ famously penned on the M25.
Teenage Cancer Trust funds specialist teenage cancer units in NHS hospitals that are designed to give teenagers the very best chance of a positive outcome. There are currently 17 of these units across the country, including three in Yorkshire. The charity plans to build a further 16 so that all young people needing hospital treatment for cancer across the UK have access to the dedicated, specialist support they provide.
Teenage Cancer Trust has a strong music heritage. The charity’s annual concerts have become one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the British music calendar. Now into their tenth year, the concerts were the brainchild of Teenage Cancer Trust Patron and The Who frontman Roger Daltrey CBE. Each year, the shows have featured some of the world’s biggest bands and artists.
The auction will take place at Bonhams Knightsbridge on December 15th 2010 with items available to view from the PRS for Music site www.m-magazine.co.uk from November 15th 2010.
For further information on the auction or to register interest please visit www.bonhams.com/entertainment
-ENDS-
It’s still early days but those with confirmed pieces in the auction are:
Sir Paul McCartney – Why don’t we do it in the road’
Brian May – We Will Rock You
Rod Temperton – Thriller
The Stranglers – Golden Brown
Sting – Message in a Bottle
Simple Minds – Jim Kerr – Alive & Kicking
Sir Tim Rice – Don’t Cry for Me Argentina
Barry Mason – Delilah
Duran Duran – Girls on Film
Doug Flett – Fallen Angel (from the Jersey Boys)
Status Quo – Down Down & Rain
Julian Lennon – Saltwater
Gary Barlow – Back for Good
Jethro Tull – The Locomotive
Pet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant – various
Don Black – Born Free
The Cure – Robert Smith
Chris Rea – Road to Hell
Annie Lennox – Sweet Dreams
Craig David – Walking Away
Graham Gouldman from 10cc’s – I’m Not In Love
Paul Weller – Andromeda
Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky
For more information, get in touch:
Nicola Formoy, Public Relations Manager:
nicola.formoy@prsformusic.com
02073064229 / 07539 837436
Barney Hooper, Head of PR:
barney.hooper@prsformusic.com
02073064548 / 07979 757052
PRS for Music:
PRS for Music represents 70,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK. As a not-for-profit organisation it ensures creators are paid whenever their music is played, performed or reproduced; championing the importance of copyright to protect and support the UK music industry. The UK has a proud tradition of creating wonderful music that is enjoyed the world over and PRS for Music has been supporting the creators of that music since 1914.
PRS for Music provides business and community groups with easy access to over 10m songs through its music licences. In an industry worth £3.9bn PRS for Music is uniquely placed to be a voice for music and can provide data and comment for all aspects of the business: live, broadcast, sales, online, touring and music creation and up to date analysis, research and trends about the industry.
www.prsformusic.com
www.myspace.com/prsformusic
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a UK charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people with cancer. It also has a strong music heritage, and with help from The Who’s Roger Daltrey, has been staging sell-out annual gigs at the Royal Albert Hall for the last decade, attracting the great and the good of rock royalty.
Teenage Cancer Trust believes that teenagers shouldn’t stop being teenagers because they have cancer. Usually placed on a children’s ward or with elderly patients, young people often feel very isolated when facing a cancer diagnosis, so Teenage Cancer Trust builds specialist units in NHS hospitals where young people with cancer are treated with others their own age, in an environment suited to their needs. Teenage Cancer Trust units are designed to be as close as possible to a young person’s normal life, helping them cope with gruelling treatment and long stays in hospital. They also bring teenagers with cancer together so they can support each other, and provide a medical team of teenage cancer specialists who provide clinical care, develop research, deliver professional education and ensure that standards remain as high as possible. They units are designed for young people, by young people, so you might find pool tables, games, vending machines, computers or friends chatting on webcams. It’s about giving teenagers the chance to be themselves.
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com (May 2010).