BBC - Concert Orchestra

"The formation of the BBC Concert Orchestra has created a worthy instrument, ready at hand to present a brilliant new era of 'entertainment music' " SIR ARTHUR BLISS

From its humble beginnings as a radio orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra has grown into one of the world's most respected and versatile orchestras, with an enviable reputation in the fields of light music, opera, ballet and musicals, on radio, television and in the concert hall.

In The Beginning
The BBC Concert Orchestra was formed in 1952 from its predecessor the BBC Opera Orchestra. A direct descendant of this was the BBC Theatre Orchestra, formed in 1931 as "an auxiliary to dramatic production". The first conductor, Leslie Woodgate, was replaced within the year by Stanford Robinson who remained as conductor until 1946. As well as providing incidental music for BBC plays, the orchestra performed its own light music concerts and appeared on variety and other programmes.
By 1937 its work as the studio opera orchestra had become prominent and it was occasionally called the BBC Opera Orchestra. Then based at Bedford, the orchestra contributed greatly to wartime entertainment, giving many public concerts. In October 1943 it was decided to increase the number of players from 31 to 57 to be at the same time an 'opera-cum-second-symphony-orchestra' and 'an orchestra capable of putting over the finest light music to great effect'. This dual nature lead to difficulties over the balance of the orchestra's repertoire and in August 1949 the orchestra, augmented to 63 became the BBC Opera Orchestra, again under Stanford Robinson.

Name Changes
This new orchestra became known as 'the plain man's symphony orchestra'. It was intended to perform light music concerts, with emphasis on ballet and opera, as well as operatic performances on the Third Programme (forerunner of BBC Radio 3). The name of Opera Orchestra was insisted upon by Stanford Robinson to limit the amount of light music played but in fact the need of the BBC at this time was for a light music orchestra. Hence the decision in January 1952 to disband the Opera Orchestra and form from it a smaller light music unit, the BBC Concert Orchestra.

A Popular Brief...
The number of players in the new BBC Concert Orchestra was reduced from 63 to 45. Stanford Robinson was retained as a regular guest conductor and a permanent conductor, Gilbert Vinter, was appointed on 1st September 1952. The first Radio broadcast was made on 11th September 1952 on the BBC General Overseas service, with its domestic Radio debut taking place on 14th September 1952. The music to be played was to be of 'proven popularity for' or 'likely to have an immediate appeal to' a mass audience. The orchestra started uncertainly and a general reconstruction took place in March 1953. Gilbert Vinter resigned and was not replaced by a permanent conductor until Sir Charles Mackerras was appointed in March 1954.
In 1955 the numbers again increased from 45 to 54. The orchestra's brief was 'that of a light music orchestra in the highest sense of the term'. The orchestra had many very popular and long running series; the most famous being Friday Night is Music Night (which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2003). Its public concert commitments were greater than many other of the BBC Orchestras; it toured England and Wales, and also took part in short tours abroad. It participated for the first time in the lighter of the Proms, making its debut appearance conducted by Sir Malcom Sargent; regularly played in the Light Music Festival in London and in similar festivals abroad, and continued to accompany opera on Radio 3. The range of music played was very wide - from Wagner to Cole Porter - and adapted to suit current tastes.

Continue to History Part Two

History of the BBC Concert Orchestra