McCartney Gets “Standing” Ovation

Paul McCartney showcased the most ambitious
musical endeavor of his career on Tuesday. “Standing Stone,” a
75-minute-long symphony which took the former Beatle four years to complete, was commissioned to honor the 100th Anniversary of the EMI Group.

Having never learned to read or write music, McCartney wrote the
symphony by playing on a keyboard that was linked to a computer
program. The symphony was held at London’s Royal Albert
Hall with the accompaniment of the London Symphony
Orchestra and was conducted by Lawrence Foster. McCartney was
called back to the stage several times by an applauding crowd. All
proceeds from ticket sales were forwarded to Music Sound
Foundation, a charity that assists and encourages young people to
get involved in the arts. The symphony moves ahead now to New York,
where it will be staged at the legendary Carnegie Hall in November.