The BBC Concert Orchestra
Of the five orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Company, the BBC Concert Orchestra is the most oriented toward light music, popular music, and jazz. The orchestra's name is somewhat inaccurate: although it does often perform live concerts, the group's most important tasks are connected to radio broadcasting.
The BBC Concert Orchestra grew out of the BBC Theatre Orchestra, which was formed in 1931 and was later renamed the BBC Opera Orchestra. In 1952, that group was reorganized as the BBC Concert Orchestra. The following year, it became the house orchestra for the BBC program Friday Night is Music Night, which as of the late 2010s, remained on the air as the world's longest-running radio program. The orchestra performed a variety of other light music on BBC programs, accompanied popular singers, sometimes teamed with the BBC Big Band, and at times performed operatic and symphonic works. For two decades, the group gave live concerts at London's Camden Theatre, moving to the Hippodrome in North London in 1972. The orchestra's first conductor was Gilbert Vinter. Subsequent conductors have included Charles Mackerras (1954-1956), Vilem Tausky (1956-1966), Marcus Dods (1966-1970), Ashley Lawrence (1970-1989), Barry Wordsworth (1989-2006), Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart (2010-2017, remaining as the principal guest conductor), and Bramwell Tovey (2018-). Composers associated with the BBC Concert Orchestra have sometimes been associated with popular music spheres; they include Radiohead guitarist and keyboardist Jonny Greenwood, who became the orchestra's composer-in-association in 2004. The orchestra's other responsibilities have included recording jingles for BBC News programs.
The BBC Concert Orchestra has a large catalog of recordings, many of them covering British light music, film music, and symphonic music that has not been recorded elsewhere. Many of their recordings have appeared on the Bainbridge, Excalibur, Dutton Laboratories (which has issued a lengthy series of light music/easy listening recordings), Chandos, and Somm labels. In 2019, the orchestra issued an album on Regent of music by its new composer-in-residence, Dobrinka Tabakova.
© James Manheim /TiVo
-
Coates: Under The Stars - 17 Orchestral Miniatures
The BBC Concert Orchestra, John Wilson
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gordon Jacob - Complete Music for Viola and Orchestra
Klassik - Erschienen bei Dutton Epoch am 14.03.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Power and the Glory (Live)
Gazelle Twin, The BBC Concert Orchestra, André de Ridder
Klassik - Erschienen bei NMC Recordings am 04.10.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint Nicolas, Op 42: Nicolas Comes to Myra and Is Chosen Bishop
Crouch End Festival Chorus, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Mark Le Brocq
Klassik - Erschienen bei Signum Classics am 07.10.2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Braunfels: Symphonic Variations / Sinfonia Brevis
Klassik - Erschienen bei Dutton Epoch am 02.02.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The BBC Concert Orchestra Performs Musicals
Original Soundtrack - Erschienen bei MD Chapel Music am 05.02.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lionel Sainsbury & Haydn Wood: Violin Concertos
Klassik - Erschienen bei Dutton Epoch am 01.03.2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leigh: Jolly Roger
Oper - Erschienen bei Lyrita am 01.05.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Her Song: Orchestral Songs and Arias
Klassik - Erschienen bei Dutton am 01.06.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of The Silver Screen 4 - The Epic
Original Soundtrack - Erschienen bei Plaza Mayor Company Ltd am 01.03.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of The Silver Screen 3 - The Hollywood Musical
Original Soundtrack - Erschienen bei Plaza Mayor Company Ltd am 01.03.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The BBC Concert Orchestra: The Epic
Jazz - Erschienen bei Platinum Collection am 10.01.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The BBC Concert Orchestra: The Hollywood Musical
Jazz - Erschienen bei Platinum Collection am 10.01.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of The Silver Screen 1 - The Adventure Film
Original Soundtrack - Erschienen bei Plaza Mayor Company Ltd am 01.03.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sword from the Stone (Radio 2 House Music Show)
Passenger, The BBC Concert Orchestra
Folk - Erschienen bei Black Crow Records am 30.04.2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classic Melody
Klassik - Erschienen bei Plaza Mayor Company, Ltd. am 25.04.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of Swing
Jazz - Erschienen bei Big Eye Music am 01.08.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Greatest Hits
Original Soundtrack - Erschienen bei Big Eye Music am 01.09.2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BBC Concert Orchestra Plays Songs from "Crazy for Gershwin"
Lounge - Erschienen bei Marathon Media International am 30.07.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo