R.E.M. INFLUENCING TODAY'S CLASSICAL MUSICIANS

R.E.M. INFLUENCING TODAY'S CLASSICAL MUSICIANS

LONDON (Wireless Flash) -- You might lose your religion over this story but R.E.M. is as big an influence on today's classical musicians as Bach, Brahms or Beethoven. That's according to Michael Infante, musical director for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which has just released a CD containing classical versions of R.E.M hits including "Losing My Religion," "Shiny Happy People" and "The One I Love." The British orchestra has previously recorded classical tributes to Madonna, U2 and Oasis, but Infante says the R.E.M. recording was the most personal for most of the musicians because it brought them back to the late 1980s when most of them were students or yuppies.