91福利社 Concert Orchestra Celebrating 60
Ken Bruce salutes the 91福利社 Concert Orchestra on their 60th anniversary, re-visiting a Franz Leh谩r centenary concert which was recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in 1970.
Ken Bruce continues to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the 91福利社 Concert Orchestra. The second programme features another treat from the 91福利社 archives: a concert celebrating the birth centenary of the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Leh谩r, which was recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall on 2 May 1970.
It is conducted by Vilem Tausky and features the English soprano Elizabeth Harwood, the Welsh tenor Rowland Jones, and the Polish-born violinist Jack Rothstein. The repertoire includes music from Leh谩r's operettas The Merry Widow and The Count Of Luxembourg.
Hailed by Sir Arthur Bliss as "a worthy instrument, ready at hand to present a brilliant new era of 'entertainment' music'" the 91福利社 Concert Orchestra are very much today a jewel in 91福利社 Radio 2's crown. The 91福利社 Concert Orchestra made its first broadcast on 11th September 1952 on the 91福利社 General Overseas Service with a repeat broadcast on the domestic service three days later. But the story starts 20 years before when the 91福利社 brought together a bunch of players under the title the 91福利社 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 91福利社 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 91福利社 decided the time was right for a light music orchestra and the 91福利社 Concert Orchestra was born.
Today, the 60 musicians who make up the 91福利社 Concert Orchestra broadcast weekly in 91福利社 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 91福利社 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; 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 Bubl茅; 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 91福利社 musicians.
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Music Played
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91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Barry Wordsworth
High Adventure
(Charles Williams)
- Friday Night Is Music Night.
- 91福利社.
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Elizabeth Harwood
Opening Chorus & Vilia (Merry Widow)
(F. Lehar) (Ft. 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky)
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Elizabeth Harwood & Roland Jones
Love Unspoken (Merry Widow)
(F. Lehar) (Ft. 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky)
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Jack Rothstein
Concertino
(F. Lehar) (Ft. 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky)
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91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
Entracte (Frasquita)
(F. Lehar)
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Ensemble & 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: VilemTausky
Finale 鈥� Guiditta
(F.Lehar)
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91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
Overture - Eva
(F. Lehar)
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Rowland Jones
O Maiden My Maiden (Frederika)
(F. Lehar) (Ft. 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
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Elizabeth Harwood
Love Live Forever (Pagini) Rule My Heart
(F. Lehar) (Ft. 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky)
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Elizabeth Harwood & Rowland Jones
You're In Love (Gipsy Love)
(F. Lehar) (Ft. 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
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Johan Rothstein
Magyar brnd 鈥� Hungarian Fantasy
(F. Lehar) (Ft. 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky)
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91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
Fairy Tale from 1001 Nights
(F. Lehar)
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Ensemble & 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
Carnival (Count of Luxembourg)
(F. Lehar)
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91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
Gold and Silver Waltz
(F. Lehar)
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Ensemble & 91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Vilem Tausky
Selection 鈥� Land Of Smiles
(F. Lehar)
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91福利社 Concert Orchestra Cb: Barry Wordsworth
High Adventure (Sig Tune)
(Charles Williams)
- Friday Night Is Music Night.
- WMEM.
Broadcast
- Fri 27 Jan 2012 20:0091福利社 Radio 2