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Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60

Ken Bruce salutes the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ 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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra on their 60th anniversary. This week's featured archive concert is "Radio's Golden Greats" which was part of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ'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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ 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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra are very much today a jewel in Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 2's crown. The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra made its first broadcast on 11th September 1952 on the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ General Overseas Service with a repeat broadcast on the domestic service three days later. But the story starts 20 years before when the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ brought together a group of players under the title the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ 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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ 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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ decided the time was right for a light music orchestra and the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra was born.

Today, the 60 musicians who make up the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra broadcast weekly in Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ 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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ 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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ musicians.

1 hour, 57 minutes

Music Played

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ.
  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra

    Valse Serenade

    (Robinson)

    • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra – Decca.
  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ 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 – Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio Classics

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Say It With Music

    (Various)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    News Huddlines Theme

    (Rowley)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Limehouse Blues

    (Furber/Braham)

  • Joan Savage

    Vitality (Gay's The Word)

    (Novello) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Roses From The South

    (Strauss II)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Romance – The Magic Bow

    (Paganini)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Knightsbridge March

    (Coates)

  • Vernon Midgley

    Hear My Song

    (Luckesch/Klose/Pepper) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Ziguener

    (Coward) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Sandy McPherson Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Sally

    (Haines/Leon/Towers) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    I'm Only A Strolling Vagabond

    (Runneke)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Calling All Workers

    (Coates)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Horseguards

    (Wood)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Waltz Of My Heart

    (Novello) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Devil's Galop

    (Williams)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Paradise for Two (Maids of the Mountains)

    (Tate/Harris/Valentine)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Hancock's Half Hour

    (Morley)

  • Roy Hudd

    Strollin'

    (Reader) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Reginald Dixon Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Olde Tyme Dancing

    (Addinsell) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Vernon Midgley

    One Alone

    (Romberg) (Ft. Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Stanley Black (Piano)

    That Old Black Magic

    (Arlen)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Manhattan Skyline

    (Shire)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Here's To The Next Time

    (Hall) (Ft. the Ensemble)

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ.

Broadcast

  • Fri 24 Feb 2012 20:00