Richard Pennycuick <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Robert Clements mentioned the Rex Foundation as a sponsor for recording.
>I recall some years ago seeing a documentary about it.  In particular,
>there were several young English composers who had been astonished to open
>the mail one day and find a very substantial cheque from the foundation, no
>strings attached, to allow them to compose without having to earn a crust
>in other ways.  There was also a story of one of the band members hearing
>a Brian symphony on his car radio and deciding that sponsorship of further
>Brian recordings was essential.  The fine print on CD covers reveals the
>foundation has provided money for all sorts of music.  Nearly anyone else
>would have insisted on top billing on the cover - this is philanthropy with
>style.

The documentary was called _The Grateful & the Dead_; & it featured a
couple of classic images...  the one which immediately sticks in my mind
is of a middle aged deadhead, well on his way to beating NASA to Mars,
revelling in the fact that money from the designated Rex Foundation concert
was going to these mysterious British composers.  As he so eloquently put:
It's all music, mannn!

(There was also Garcia admitting that people who had to turn to rock band
for help were really falling through the cracks.  Byt the way:  the tape
that inspired the Brian cycle was the Aries bootleg release of Wm.HB's
astonishing _Gothic symphony_; which the Rex Foundation, Havergal Brian
Society & Marco Polo would later assemble half of Bratislava to
rerecord...)

>I know nothing of the Grateful Dead's music but I thought this was a
>wonderful use for their extra cash.  I wondered if the foundation is still
>functioning.

Possibly; but not the way it used to.  As mentioned above:  the
foundation was funded by specific RF concerts which the massed deadheads
felt honorbound to turn up, tune in & drop out @.  Garcia's death lead to
the disbanding of the band; & therefore the RF concerts were cancelled;
although i gather the surviving members have starting boogeying together...
so perhaps a RF2 may still be on the agenda....

You might try gratefuldead.org (i think that's the URL) to confirm....

All the best,

Robert Clements <[log in to unmask]>