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Dispute over Faryl Smith HMV performance is resolved
27 Nov 2009A legal battle between HMV and a local council over a teenage singer's performance at a store has been resolved.
Earlier this week it was revealed the high street store was being prosecuted for allowing Britain's Got Talent finalist Faryl Smith to sing during an album signing at one of its stores.
The 14-year-old from Northamptonshire was signing copies of her debut album called Faryl when she started to sing a song from the record.
But the HMV store at the Newlands shopping centre in Kettering, Northants, had not applied for the entertainment licence necessary for the mezzo-soprano to perform at the event last March.
Kettering Borough Council previously said it was planning to take the company to court because it did not have the licence.
But today the council said it was happy to drop the case if HMV donated the £21 cost of the licence to charity.
The company said it would, in principle, agree to donate the money and wanted a "common-sense solution" to the situation.
Today Kettering Borough Council said: "It was always our intention that if HMV were to accept that they should have had a licence and will abide by the law in future, then the council will go no further on this occasion.
"If HMV were, furthermore, to make a donation to the Mayor's Charity equivalent to the licence fee of £21, that would - we feel - be an appropriate gesture."
An HMV spokesman said: "There does certainly appear to have been some kind of misunderstanding between the council and ourselves, as, we've not, to our knowledge, been previously presented with an opportunity to retrospectively apply for the licence.
"However, we would in principle be happy to do so and, of course, to donate the fee to the mayor's charities, although we do first have to consider some conditions that the council has attached to this offer.
"Like everyone else, all we ever wanted was a common-sense solution to this situation, and we're pleased that this appears to be at hand."
Reader views (2)
I must correct your statement that Faryl started to sing whilst signing her albums. The well publicised performance was given before she began signing her album. It was all pre-arranged with a stage set up and a professional sound crew. I was there and as the event took place and at a time when all other stores in the Newlands Centre were closed, the entire event was orderly and well controlled by extra security staff. Kettering council are renowned for pursuing trivial items which may come to their attention. But are painfully incompetent when dealing with major problems. The only reason they backed down on this is because local tax payers expressed their anger in no uncertain terms, and ridiculed the council and its barmy officers for pursuing it.
- Michael, Kettering, UK, 09/01/2010 12:13
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What a wonderful bunch of penpushers. A licence to sing in public. Whatever next, a licence to breath the air?
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 30/11/2009 08:48
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