A two-man crew from Arena, an arts and culture programme on British Broadcasting Corporation TV (BBC TV) is presently on island to finalise work on a documentary about the legendary record producer, arranger, composer and musician, Sir George Martin.
Martin is sometimes referred to as “the Fifth Beatle” — a title that he owes to his work as producer of all but one of The Beatles’ original albums. He is considered one of the greatest record producers of all time, with 23 number one hits, an unmatched achievement.
Martin and his wife arrived on island on Sunday ahead of the crew and said he could not tell a story of his life that did not include Montserrat.
“Since 1978 Montserrat has been a major part of me and my wife’s life and a documentary would not be complete without it,” Martin explained. “We wanted to show what we love about this island and not the dismal side that many other programmes have shown.”
The crew, which arrived on Monday, has been shooting at several locations including Olveston House, which is Martin’s residence. He explained that it was first built to house band members for stars like Elton John who were recording at Martin’s Air Studios in the 80s.
Several persons from the community, including Chief Minister Reuben Meade, have been invited to be interviewed as part of the documentary.
The programme is scheduled to be aired on Easter weekend in the United Kingdom.