As we have reported previously, Roger Waters has completed his long-awaited opera and last month we posted the press release. The latest news is that the official sites, www.roger-waters.com and www.ca-ira.com, have been updated to include the cover art of Ca Ira (and also the statement Roger made at the start of the week concerning the Live 8 reunion). The cover of Ca Ira ("An Opera In Three Acts") includes the blue-white-red of the tricolor - the French flag.

The flag itself was created a few days after the taking of the Bastille (July 1789) which is one of the themes of Roger's work, and is the combination of the royal white with the Parisian red and blue. The cover art is less rigid than the flag, with washes of the three colours across the image (the red being formalised into the shape of a formal building, perhaps a château).

The "lavish first edition digipack" will include the full opera on two hybrid SACDs (playable on normal CD players), with a bonus "Making Of 'Ca Ira'" DVD (of which we will be bringing you more details of shortly), and a 60-page four-colour booklet containing the libretto, cast credits, and original illustrations. It will be in stores on/around Tuesday, September 27th worldwide.

There is still talk that Roger will be conducting a special performance in Rome, in November this year. As yet, no details of the exact date or location (should the concert indeed happen) are available.