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This is one of the five
surviving BBC orchestras in Great
Britain. It was founded in 1952 as the successor
of the BBC Opera Orchestra who evolved from the BBC Theatre Orchestra that
was formed in 1931. The
first conductor of the BBC Theatre Orchestra was Leslie Woodgate in 1931
and he was replaced by Stanford Robinson. They appeared on light music programmes,
gave their own concerts and provided incidental music for BBC plays. From 1937 it also worked as the
studio orchestra for operatic features and evolved into the BBC Opera
Orchestra with 63 members. The
BBC had a need for light music as well as the ballet and operatic music
that Stanford Robinson wished to concentrate on and in 1952 it was agreed
to disband the BBC Opera Orchestra and make it a smaller unit of 45 members
named the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Their first radio broadcast was on the BBC General Overseas Service
and the domestic radio shows came soon after. Sir Charles Mackerras was appointed
the conductor in 1954 and the members were increased from 45 to 54. It has been conducted by many
acclaimed composers and conductors including Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir
William Walton, Vilem Tausky,
Marcus Dods and Barry Wordsworth. Composers often arranged and wrote
compositions specifically for the orchestra, including Eric Coates, Gordon
Langford and Ronald Binge, and popular artists and soloists such as Shirley
Bassey, Yehudi Menuhin, Jose Carreras, Tony
Bennett and Dionne Warwick, have made many radio and concert appearances
with them. It currently plays
at the BBC Music Centre having moved there around 2004/5 after having
played at the Hippodrome, Golders Green. North London since 1972 and the Camden Theatre previous to that. The
public concerts are often played in the Royal Festival Hall in London
and the Chichester Festival Theatre in Southern England,
as well as in regular international tours. It continues to be heard on the
radio and TV, providing soundtracks for many BBC programmes and is possibly
best known for its performances on Friday
Night is Music Night, which saw is 50th anniversary in 2003.
Richard Addinsell
Recordings
Fire Over England
Suite
Marco Polo 8.223732 (CD:
Richard Addinsell: Goodbye Mr. Chips/A Tale of
Two Cities)
Conductor - Kenneth Alwyn
Goodbye Mr. Chips Suite
Marco Polo 8.223732 (CD: Goodbye Mr. Chips/A Tale of Two
Cities)
Conductor - Kenneth Alwyn
Invitation Waltz (from Ring Round the Moon)
Marco Polo 8.223732 (CD: Goodbye Mr. Chips/A Tale of Two Cities)
Conductor - Kenneth Alwyn
Source:
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/concertorchestra/about_us/history2.shtml
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