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³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60

Ken Bruce salutes the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra in their 60th anniversary year. This week's featured archive concert is Radio's Golden Greats from October 1997.

Celebrating 60 - Ken Bruce salutes the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra on their 60th anniversary. This week's featured archive concert is "Radio's Golden Greats" which was part of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's 75th anniversary season in October 1997. The show was broadcast from Alexandra Palace and presented by Roy Hudd recalling the music of Gracie Fields; Cavan O'Connor; Flanagan and Allen and Tony Hancock. Guest vocalists are Friday Night favourites - Joan Savage; Maryetta and Vernon Midgley and William Davies at the console of the Ally Paly organ. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra are on hand to provide light music by Haydn Wood; Eric Coates and Charles Williams.

Hailed by Sir Arthur Bliss as "a worthy instrument, ready at hand to present a brilliant new era of 'entertainment' music'" the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra are very much today a jewel in ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 2's crown. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra made its first broadcast on 11th September 1952 on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ General Overseas Service with a repeat broadcast on the domestic service three days later. But the story starts 20 years before when the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ brought together a group of players under the title the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Theatre Orchestra - their main role was to provide incidental music to radio plays - under their principal conductor Leslie Woodgate.

When not required in the drama studios, the orchestra gave light music and opera concerts. In 1949 the orchestra was renamed the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Opera Orchestra with Stanford Robinson as conductor. Its brief was to be an "opera cum second symphony orchestra.an orchestra capable to putting over the finest light music to great effect". Three years later the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ decided the time was right for a light music orchestra and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra was born.

Today, the 60 musicians who make up the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra broadcast weekly in ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night. They are equally at home playing Bach and Beethoven as accompanying Dame Shirley Bassey. In this 11-part series, Ken Bruce trawls the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra archives for some classic performances from their first 60 years.

A feast for light music fans - each week the series will broadcast a show from the orchestra archives. The series will feature archive performances from the likes of light music legends Sidney Torch; Vilem Tausky; Robert Farnon; Eric Coates; Willi Boskovsky; Stanley Black; and Ron Goodwin. Plus concert performances from Matt Monro and Dudley Moore as well as more recent collaborations with Michael Buble; Lionel Richie and Peter Gabriel.

Ken Bruce talks to the players and conductors past and present for their musical memories and tells the story of this remarkable group of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ musicians.

1 hour, 57 minutes

Music Played

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.
  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra

    Valse Serenade

    (Robinson)

    • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra – Decca.
  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra

    Donna Diana Overture

    (Reznicek)

    • Melodies For You - Decca.
  • Eric Coates

    The Dam Busters March

    Orchestra: Ron Goodwin and His Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Eric Coates.

    (Coates) The Music of Eric Coates – ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Classics

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Say It With Music

    (Various)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    News Huddlines Theme

    (Rowley)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Limehouse Blues

    (Furber/Braham)

  • Joan Savage

    Vitality (Gay's The Word)

    (Novello) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Roses From The South

    (Strauss II)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Romance – The Magic Bow

    (Paganini)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Knightsbridge March

    (Coates)

  • Vernon Midgley

    Hear My Song

    (Luckesch/Klose/Pepper) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Ziguener

    (Coward) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Sandy McPherson Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Sally

    (Haines/Leon/Towers) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    I'm Only A Strolling Vagabond

    (Runneke)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Calling All Workers

    (Coates)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Horseguards

    (Wood)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Waltz Of My Heart

    (Novello) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Devil's Galop

    (Williams)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Paradise for Two (Maids of the Mountains)

    (Tate/Harris/Valentine)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Hancock's Half Hour

    (Morley)

  • Roy Hudd

    Strollin'

    (Reader) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Reginald Dixon Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Olde Tyme Dancing

    (Addinsell) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Vernon Midgley

    One Alone

    (Romberg) (Ft. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Stanley Black (Piano)

    That Old Black Magic

    (Arlen)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Manhattan Skyline

    (Shire)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Here's To The Next Time

    (Hall) (Ft. the Ensemble)

  • ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

Broadcast

  • Fri 24 Feb 2012 20:00