RFH Music Shop Closure

I just read on Twitter @se1 that the mdc music shop at the Royal Festival Hall has closed, to be replaced by 'YO! Sushi'. No problem with that per se; I just find it sad that the RFH of all places, home to four of the world's finest orchestras and arguably one of the most famous music venues internationally, should not have a music shop at all.

If a tree falls in the woods...

They always presented themselves as a cheap dvd store anyway. Good riddance.

So long as Foyles remains safe from the erstaurants. It isn't very good...but it is the only half decent bookstore South of the river.

I agree, Foyles is an excellent addition to the South Bank. It's just that the National Theatre and the BFI next door have very good specialist shops with books and DVDs aimed at readers with a serious interest in theatre and film. The same applies to the bookshops in Tate Modern and the Design Museum. It would be great if the RFH could offer something similar for classical music, perhaps in partnership with Foyles.

Are MDC keeping a presence in the RFH foyer with limited pre-concert opening hours? That was what one of the staff thought a month ago, but the sad decline of the whole MDC chain over the last couple of years makes me unsure.

Foyles will be selling CD's in the foyers before and after concerts and the Southbank Centre shops will be selling CD's relevant to each of the four Resident Orchestras.

I wonder if relocating the sore from the foyer to the river side has given it it's final push? Do the people going to concerts pass by the riverside with the restaurants?
Some maybe but I dare guessing not the majority. In the foyer their presence was much stronger I think, and the sales area much smaller and cheaper I would imagine.

I think MDC has always been badly managed, with crazy prices - who buys CD's for £15.99 any more? Not surprised they have gone. The CD shop at the Barbican is much better,

williamn wrote:

I think MDC has always been badly managed, with crazy prices - who buys CD's for £15.99 any more? Not surprised they have gone. The CD shop at the Barbican is much better,

Hasn't this gone as well? I'm sure last time I went there the shop was empty. Does anyone know for sure?

I'm not all that surprised they have gone, either. I wonder if they plan to build another shop, at any time in the future? Does the National Theatre have any music shops, does anyone know?