Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

麻豆社 Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60

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

Today, the 60 musicians who make up the 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra broadcast weekly in 麻豆社 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 麻豆社 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 麻豆社 musicians.

1 hour, 57 minutes

Last on

Fri 24 Feb 2012 20:00
麻豆社 Radio 2

More episodes

Previous

麻豆社 Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60

Next

麻豆社 Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60

See all episodes from Sunday Night is Music Night

Music Played

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - 麻豆社.

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra

    Valse Serenade

    (Robinson)

    • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra 鈥� Decca.

  • 麻豆社 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 鈥� 麻豆社 Radio Classics

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Say It With Music

    (Various)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    News Huddlines Theme

    (Rowley)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Limehouse Blues

    (Furber/Braham)

  • Joan Savage

    Vitality (Gay's The Word)

    (Novello) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Roses From The South

    (Strauss II)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Romance 鈥� The Magic Bow

    (Paganini)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Knightsbridge March

    (Coates)

  • Vernon Midgley

    Hear My Song

    (Luckesch/Klose/Pepper) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Ziguener

    (Coward) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Sandy McPherson Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Sally

    (Haines/Leon/Towers) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    I'm Only A Strolling Vagabond

    (Runneke)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Calling All Workers

    (Coates)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Horseguards

    (Wood)

  • Maryetta Midgley

    Waltz Of My Heart

    (Novello) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Devil's Galop

    (Williams)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Paradise for Two (Maids of the Mountains)

    (Tate/Harris/Valentine)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Hancock's Half Hour

    (Morley)

  • Roy Hudd

    Strollin'

    (Reader) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • William Davies (Organ)

    Reginald Dixon Medley

    (Various)

  • Joan Savage

    Olde Tyme Dancing

    (Addinsell) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Vernon Midgley

    One Alone

    (Romberg) (Ft. 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton)

  • Stanley Black (Piano)

    That Old Black Magic

    (Arlen)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Manhattan Skyline

    (Shire)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Robin Stapleton

    Here's To The Next Time

    (Hall) (Ft. the Ensemble)

  • 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Friday Night Is Music Night - 麻豆社.

Broadcast

  • Fri 24 Feb 2012 20:00
    麻豆社 Radio 2