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
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The BBC Concert Orchestra Performs Musicals
Film Soundtracks - Released by MD Chapel Music on Feb. 5, 2015
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Lionel Sainsbury & Haydn Wood: Violin Concertos
Classical - Released by Dutton Epoch on Mar. 1, 2010
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Amore
Joseph Calleja, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Steven Mercurio
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 2013
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Be My Love - A Tribute To Mario Lanza
Joseph Calleja, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Steven Mercurio
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 2012
Stereophile: Record To Die For16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leigh: Jolly Roger
Opera - Released by Lyrita on May 1, 2015
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Her Song: Orchestral Songs and Arias
Classical - Released by Dutton on Jun. 1, 2009
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The Age Of The Silver Screen 4 - The Epic
Film Soundtracks - Released by Plaza Mayor Company Ltd on Mar. 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of The Silver Screen 3 - The Hollywood Musical
Film Soundtracks - Released by Plaza Mayor Company Ltd on Mar. 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The BBC Concert Orchestra: The Epic
Jazz - Released by Platinum Collection on Jan. 10, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of The Silver Screen 1 - The Adventure Film
Film Soundtracks - Released by Plaza Mayor Company Ltd on Mar. 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of Swing
Jazz - Released by Big Eye Music on Aug. 1, 2009
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Greatest Hits
Film Soundtracks - Released by Big Eye Music on Sep. 1, 2008
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BBC Concert Orchestra Plays Songs from "Crazy for Gershwin"
Lounge - Released by Marathon Media International on Jul. 30, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo