Matthew Clark to sponsor Glastonbury Abbey Classical Extravaganza
as Michael Eavis ponders the future
Matthew Clark, the Somerset based cider manufacturer, has been named as the main sponsor this year for the Glastonbury Abbey Classical Extravaganza.
Michael Eavis welcomed the involvement of a local company that he has had dealings with as a farmer for many years. "This sponsorship is a tremendous help this year. I am delighted that this major local company has joined us to ensure the Classical Extravaganza will take place at Glastonbury Abbey later this month."
"The Extravaganza is a wonderful event. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is second to none, the male choir from the Rhondda Valley is exceptional, and the production is the most lavish of any comparable event in the country. We bring the Aquatique Show International across from France to provide the choreographed water display. Andrew Fielder, who masterminds our fireworks, has provided synchronised displays for several state occasions fired before the Queen, the Prime Minister and Heads of State of Europe - and TV audiences of millions. It is such a good and professionally run event. I am sure that Matthew Clark will enjoy their involvement with the Classical Extravaganza."
However the quality of the production and performers makes the Classical Extravaganza a very expensive show to stage - and very difficult to run at a profit.
As Michael explains, "While sponsorship is vitally important to the Extravaganza, ticket sales determine the financial viability of any event. Despite a great response from the public, the Extravaganza has only just broken even on one occasion. In past years I have underwritten the costs of this event from the Glastonbury Festival, but with the added costs of running the festival itself this year that will be more difficult to arrange. We only need a few hundred extra people to buy tickets and join the thousands who have come to the Abbey in past years to make it viable. The bottom line is that if the Extravaganza does not stand on its own feet this year, I seriously doubt if I can hold it again."
"I would be so sorry if that were to be the case. David Morgan, who has now retired as the Glastonbury Abbey Custodian, and I came up with the idea of an annual concert in 1996 to bring people into the town to help local business - and I agreed that any profit would go to the Abbey and to good causes locally. It may not have generated profit yet but it has brought a lot of business to the town."
"I hope the realisation that this wonderful showcase is vulnerable will encourage those who have not yet decided to buy a ticket to join us this year and enjoy a very special night. If you have already bought a ticket, encourage your friends and neighbours to come with you. Then, with the help of our sponsors, we can all look forward to the Extravaganza having a rosy future"
Matthew Clark Cider, the major cider maker based in Somerset, is pleased to
support the Glastonbury Abbey Classical Extravaganza organised by
Glastonbury Festivals Ltd. In this instance the cider brand of Gaymers Olde English is being associated with what promises to be an excellent event.
Through the range of cider brands or in the name of Matthew Clark there is a programme of sporting and cultural support across the region that is our home and the source of our staple raw material of Somerset cider apples. Other events include the
sponsorship of Mendip in Bloom, the Taunton Flower Show, the Mendip
Ploughing Society Annual Match, the Bath and West Show and more besides. In
the sporting arena Matthew Clark Cider is a major sponsor of rugby at an elite and grass roots level.
Dougie Gillespie, senior brand manager at Matthew Clark commented: "The
Classical Extravaganza deserves to be a great success and we are pleased to
be able to support it through the association with Gaymers Olde English."
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