Paul McCartney has composed a 75-minute symphony to be given its world premiere at London's Royal Albert Hall in October. McCartney's office said yesterday the symphonic poem Standing Stone would be performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and chorus. His first experiment with classical music resulted in the 1991 Liverpool Oratorio, which was composed under the eye of British conductor Carl Davis but disliked by most critics.
Meat Loaf (45) is to replace Frank Bruno in the Spice Girls film, according to the Sun. Meat Loaf, who starred in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, was called in after Bruno quit. Bruno claimed the Spice Girls refused to pose for pictures with his son, Franklin (2).
The film, Spice The Movie, is due to be released on St Stephen's day.
John Mills and Donald Sinden join Sir John Gielgud (93) today as he unveils a blue English Heritage plaque at Dame Edith Evans' childhood home in London.
Dame Edith, whose career spanned 66 years, achieved lasting fame for her role as Lady Bracknell in the 1951 film version of The Importance of Being Earnest, and was considered the definitive Millament in Congreve's The Way of the World.
French tennis champion Mary Pierce had $700 stolen from her handbag while returning by plane from a match in southern France. The player, number 10 in the world rankings, noticed her bag missing after getting off the plane in Paris.
She had just flown from Nice where the French women's team beat Belgium in the FedCup semi-final.