Sotheby's London put several significant musical items under the hammer in June. A newly discovered Piano Duet in F major by Gabriel Faure, thought to date from around 1870, was estimated to be worth f15,000-f20,000. Also up for auction was a rare autograph letter by castrato singer Carlo Broschi Farinelli valued between £4000 and £6000. The sale also featured an unknown and unrecorded Beethoven manuscript dating from his first year in Vienna, expected to reach f100,000-f 120,000.

Sound and Music—formed by the merger of the British Music Information Centre, Contemporary Music Network, Society for the Promotion of New Music and Sonic Arts Network— has launched its new website www.soundandmusic.org. Described as "a major new community hub connecting people, sound and knowledge" it will feature webcasts and installations created especially for the site, as well as archive material.