Arena

The story of the unlikely and unpublicised relationship between a 60s American rock band and some of Britain's little-known orchestral composers. Once the icons of the San Francisco hippie scene, the Grateful Dead are still a leading touring band. But behind their continuing success, the group hide a secret cause: through their Rex Foundation, they have been anonymously - and usually to the astonishment of the recipients - funding British composers ignored or neglected in their homeland. This mysterious foundation has helped to finance recordings of Havergal Brian's 32 symphonies, for example. And it has enabled the likes of Robert Simpson, Michael Finnissey and James Dillon not only to write their music but to perform and record it as well. This film contrasts the Dead's extravagant shows with the private lives and music of the composers who benefit.