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´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60

Ken Bruce salutes the ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra on their 60th anniversary. This week's featured archive concert is "Radio's Golden Greats" which was part of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra are very much today a jewel in ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 2's crown. The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra made its first broadcast on 11th September 1952 on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ General Overseas Service with a repeat broadcast on the domestic service three days later. But the story starts 20 years before when the ´óÏó´«Ã½ brought together a group of players under the title the ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ decided the time was right for a light music orchestra and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra was born.

Today, the 60 musicians who make up the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra broadcast weekly in ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ musicians.

1 hour, 57 minutes

Music Played

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - ´óÏó´«Ã½.
  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra

    Valse Serenade

    (Robinson)

    • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra – Decca.
  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 – ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Classics

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Say It With Music

    (Various)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    News Huddlines Theme

    (Rowley)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Limehouse Blues

    (Furber/Braham)

  • Joan Savage

    Vitality (Gay's The Word)

    (Novello) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Roses From The South

    (Strauss II)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Romance – The Magic Bow

    (Paganini)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Knightsbridge March

    (Coates)

  • Vernon Midgley

    Hear My Song

    (Luckesch/Klose/Pepper) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Ziguener

    (Coward) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Sandy McPherson Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Sally

    (Haines/Leon/Towers) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    I'm Only A Strolling Vagabond

    (Runneke)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Calling All Workers

    (Coates)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Horseguards

    (Wood)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Waltz Of My Heart

    (Novello) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Devil's Galop

    (Williams)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Paradise for Two (Maids of the Mountains)

    (Tate/Harris/Valentine)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Hancock's Half Hour

    (Morley)

  • Roy Hudd

    Strollin'

    (Reader) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Reginald Dixon Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Olde Tyme Dancing

    (Addinsell) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Vernon Midgley

    One Alone

    (Romberg) (Ft. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Stanley Black (Piano)

    That Old Black Magic

    (Arlen)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Manhattan Skyline

    (Shire)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Here's To The Next Time

    (Hall) (Ft. the Ensemble)

  • ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - ´óÏó´«Ã½.

Broadcast

  • Fri 24 Feb 2012 20:00