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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British Light Music
The BBC Concert Orchestra, Philip Martin, Roderick Elms, Kenneth Alwyn
Clásica - Editado por Marco-Polo el 25-06-2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dialogue for Piano and Orchestra: II. Allegro moderato
The BBC Concert Orchestra, John Andrews, Martin Jones
Música concertante - Editado por Resonus Classics el 24-02-2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
John Foulds, Vol. 4
Ronald Corp, The BBC Concert Orchestra
Clásica - Editado por Dutton Epoch el 21-07-2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Seth Lakeman Live with the Bbc Concert Orchestra (Live)
Seth Lakeman, The BBC Concert Orchestra
Folk - Editado por Proper Records el 29-12-2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Robert & Clara Schumann: Piano Concertos
Lucy Parham, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth
Clásica - Editado por Decca (UMO) el 01-01-1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Age Of The Silver Screen 2 - The Love Story
Bandas sonoras de cine - Editado por Plaza Mayor Company Ltd el 01-03-2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wild Arabia (Original Television Soundtrack)
Barnaby Taylor, The BBC Concert Orchestra, William Goodchild
Bandas sonoras de cine - Editado por Silva Screen Records Ltd el 29-04-2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Showtime - 25 years of the BBC Concert Orchestra
Clásica - Editado por Dutton Epoch el 01-11-2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Toivo Kuula - Songs and Orchestral Music
Clásica - Editado por Dutton el 20-06-2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Shadow Left by the Invisible Man (Arr. by Davide Mantovani)
Seckou Keita, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Mark Heron
Clásica - Editado por Claves Records el 12-05-2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Simply Beautiful Miro (Arr. by Davide Mantovani)
Seckou Keita, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Mark Heron
Clásica - Editado por Claves Records el 21-04-2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
F. d'Erlanger: Concertos & Orchestral Music
Clásica - Editado por Dutton Epoch el 01-04-2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs: Odysseus & George Dyson Four Songs for Sailors
Clásica - Editado por Dutton Epoch el 25-03-2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brian: Symphony No. 1 "The Gothic Symphony"
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Clásica - Editado por Hyperion el 25-11-2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best Soundtrack 2
Bandas sonoras de cine - Editado por Plaza Mayor Company, Ltd. el 30-05-2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maw: Hymnus; Little Concert; Shahnama
Nicholas Cleobury, Britten Sinfonia, Nicholas Daniel, Oxford Bach Choir, The BBC Concert Orchestra
Clásica - Editado por Decca (UMO) el 01-01-1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les Musiques de film de Stanley Black
The BBC Concert Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth
Música concertante - Editado por Chandos el 01-04-2005
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Foulds: Undine, Chinese Suite & Miniature Suite
Clásica - Editado por Dutton Epoch el 02-12-2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Korngold: Die Kathrin, Op. 28
The BBC Concert Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins, Unknown Artist
Ópera - Editado por CPO el 27-10-1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sir Edward Elgar (The Sketches, Drafts And Recordings Of His Piano Concerto)
The BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers
Clásica - Editado por Dutton el 01-02-2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo