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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60

Ken Bruce salutes the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra on their 60th anniversary. The archive concert from 2007 features the music of Jerry Herman.

Friday Night is Music Night - Ken Bruce salutes the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra on their 60th anniversary. Tonight's archive concert from 2007 features the music of Jerry Herman with West End star John Barrowman.

Hailed by Sir Arthur Bliss as "a worthy instrument, ready at hand to present a brilliant new era of 'entertainment' music'" the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra are very much today a jewel in Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2's crown. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra made its first broadcast on 11th September 1952 on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ General Overseas Service with a repeat broadcast on the domestic service three days later. But the story starts 20 years before when the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ brought together a bunch of players under the title the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 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 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 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 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ decided the time was right for a light music orchestra and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra was born.

Today, the 60 musicians who make up the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra broadcast weekly in Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 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 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 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 Michael BublΓ©; Lionel Richie and Peter Gabriel.

1 hour, 57 minutes

Last on

Fri 9 Mar 2012 20:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2

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Music Played

  • Rae Woodland

    Glamorous Night

    ( Novello & Hassall)

    • Columbia.

  • Petula Clark

    With One Look

    (Lloyd Webber)

    • Polydor.

  • Willard White

    Some Enchanted Evening

    (Rogers & Hammerstein)

    • Sony Classical.

  • Willard White

    If I Were A Rich Man

    (Bock/Harnick)

    • Sony Classical.

  • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra CB Donald Pippin

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.

  • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra CB Donald Pippin

    Jerry Herman Overture

    (Herman)

    • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.

  • Capital Voices/Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra

    Tap Your Troubles Away

    (Herman) (Arr Phil Lang/Michael Gibson)

  • Debbie Gravitte

    Wherever He Ain't

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Clarke Peters

    Song On The Sand.

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Maria Friedman

    Before The Parade Passes by

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Capital Voices/Don Pippin)

  • John Barrowman

    It Only Takes A Moment

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Capital Voices/Don Pippin)

  • Maria Friedman & Clarke Peters

    The Best Christmas of All (From Mrs Santa Claus)

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Clarke Peters

    Movies were Movies

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Jon Barrowman & Capital Voices

    Put On Your Sunday Clothes

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • John Barrowman

    I Won't Send Roses

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Maria Friedman

    Hello Dolly

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Capital Voices /Don Pippin)

  • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra CB Donald Pippin

    Overture Milk and Honey

    (Herman) (Arr Hershy Kay)

  • Maria Friedman/Debbie Gravitte

    Bosom Buddies

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Debbie Gravitte

    It's Today

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Clarke Peters - Look Over There

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Maria Friedman

    Time Heals Everything

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Capital Voices/Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra cb Pippin

    Mame

    (Herman) (Arr Phil Lang/Donald Pippin)

  • Debbie Gravitte

    If He Walked Into My Life

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • John Barrowman

    I Am What I Am

    (Herman) (Ft. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra/Don Pippin)

  • Company/Capital Voices/Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra cb Pippin

    The Best Of Times

    (Herman) (Arr Jim Tyler/Donald Pippin)

  • Company/Capital Voices/Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra cb Pippin

    We Need A Little Christmas

    (Herman)

  • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra CB Donald Pippin

    High Adventure

    (Williams)

    • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.

Broadcast

  • Fri 9 Mar 2012 20:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2