The feature in our last issue about 'Jan Berenska' certainly intrigued several members, with letters, emails and telephone calls criss-crossing the country!

Ken Wilkins was certainly very interested, partly because he lives in Leamington Spa where Jan Berenska used to broadcast from the famous Pump Rooms. Ken writes:

I was interested in the article by John Smith trying to trace the life and times of Jan Berenska as he and I have been in contact by telephone and email on this very subject. Unfortunately he wrote his article before I'd managed to unearth a few facts about JB.

Most of the references John wrote about refer to Charles Bye when in fact Frederick Charles Bye was Jan Berenska and born in 1905. Here I must thank Peter Worsley of Evergreen and This England magazines for sending me a print of a page from a 1997 edition of Evergreen which included information and a photograph of Jan Berenska and was published in response to a reader's request as to what happened to him.

Considering the number of concerts and broadcasts he made from the Pump Rooms here in Leamington and elsewhere, there's not a lot of information available about him. So I turned to Google with not a lot of success, but three videos of one of his compositions being performed, Taps in Tempo, are available on YouTube and a very catchy number it is too. A xylophone solo with a brass band backing, two of the videos have young men, teenagers by the look of them, the first being accompanied by I think the Birmingham Schools Brass Band at an outdoor concert, possibly in Bruges. The second, also with a young man was taped in a theatre - again abroad I think - but the third is played by a young woman (not Evelyn Glennie, at least it doesn't look like her from the distance photographed) but the express speed which she played the piece, accompanied by Kingdom Brass, takes the breath away.

Still with Google, mention is made of a Jan Berenska broadcast concert as John points out from the Roxy Cinema, Ross-on-Wye on September the 26^th 1943. But for the most unexpected reference I found I needed to click on to The Straits Times of Singapore of the 7^th of May 1935, and there in the radio broadcast lists was a relay from the Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa at 10:35 to 11:20 (followed by a speech made by Rudyard Kipling). Amazing what a PC turns up.

After all this the trail seemed to be petering out, so I returned to our library where I had been before but this time I managed to speak to a local historian who worked there. For some time I'd had the nagging thought that Cubbington, a village now joined to Leamington by development, had something to do with JB and so it turned out. The lady library historian said, quite out of the blue, that he was buried there.

Without further ado I drove straight to Cubbington Church and after about twenty minutes' search I found the grave with the inscription "Frederick Charles Bye" and underneath his name Jan Berenska, passed away on 20^th December 1968. He was 63. and had died in hospital.

Also interred with him was "his beloved wife Mary" who died in 1974 aged 53. Whether they had any children I don't know, but a cutting from the Leamington Courier of that time that the library historian obtained for me only mentions he left a widow and sadly the grave looks rather neglected.

One other thing I found out thanks to the library was a cutting from the Coventry Evening Telegraph dated the 28^th of May 1947 which states that 'Mr Jan Berenska has issued a writ for slander and libel against Leamington Borough Council" and it mentions that the amount of money involved "is believed to be considerable". I've yet to find out what this libel action was about but the Council couldn't have held it against him because some years later a new road was named after him, Berenska Drive.

Harold Rich, pianist and conductor of the BBC Midland Light Orchestra, had a surprise when he read about Jan Berenska in Journal Into Melody. He tells us:

During the thirties, and the war years, I listened avidly on the radio (sorry, wireless!) to the orchestras of Harry Fell (Aston Hippodrome), William Pethers (Coventry Hippodrome) William Hand (Dudley Hippodrome) - the latter of course became a member of the BBC Midland Light Orchestra, and was my leader when I conducted the MLO in the series "Barry Kent Sings". Another musician I enjoyed was that wonderful musician and multi-instrumentalist. Jan Berenska. I believe he once made a recording, playing violin, cello and piano! He mainly broadcast from the Pump Rooms in Leamington Spa, a venue I grew to know very well over the years.

I only met Jan once, towards the end of his life, in rather unusual circumstances. I had taken a band engagement at a hotel in Birmingham (playing truant from the MLO!) and when I mentioned this to my good friend Norman Parker, he said that he was playing that evening for the Frank Carter band in a hotel on my way home, and as my gig finished an hour earlier, why didn't I call and meet Jan, who was deputizing for Fred Kelly.

This I did, and was promptly invited up on to the stage. However that wasn't all. Frank said "Why don't you and Jan play a duet for the next quickstep?" which we duly did, Jan insisting that I played "up the top"! But imagine my amazement when we had finished, and there was a lull before the next dance, when Jan turned to me and said "I like that arrangement of yours (Butterflies In The Rain) which I heard on the radio last week", then proceeded to play it, giving a commentary on my instrumentation .... "This part you gave to the brass, this to the woodwind" ... and so on. What a musician!

However, to conclude. What completely astonished me, on reading John Smith's article, was to learn that in all my years, and having been a friend of Freddie Bye (he was the librarian of the MLO when I joined, and for years after) I never ever knew that his brother became Jan Berenska.

Editor : from Harold's comments about his friend 'Freddie Bye', is it right to assume that both of the Bye brothers called themselves Freddie, although 'Jan Berenska' gave up being a 'Bye' very early on?

Sheila MacKellow also has fond memories of Jan Berenska. She writes:

This is such a familiar name to me! I remember listening to his orchestra on the radio as far back as the 1930s when he used to play a regular lunch-time concert from the Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa. I was only a child at the time, so he must have been one of the first orchestra conductors whose name I got to know. Later on, in the 1940s, he often played in "Music While You Work" – according to Brian Reynolds' book JB played 82 editions of the programme.

He had a pianist who used to play solos with the orchestra – Jack Wilson, who later became better known as "Jack Wilson and his Versatile Five"; I believe Jan Berenska himself played violin with the Five. There was also a soloist who played the xylophone – his name was Vernon Adcock, and he also later on had an orchestra of his own which used to play on an afternoon programme called "Thé Dansant" (Tea Dance). I always liked the xylophone, so I used to listen to that too!

Jan Berenska had a very fine light orchestra, not just a dance band, but I don't know if he ever made any records, as so many orchestras in those days did not do so.

This article first appeared in 'Journal Into Melody', issue 188 dated June 2011

TREVOR DUNCAN

The Autobiography That Only Just Started

When Trevor Duncan died on 17 December 2005 aged 81, the world of Light Music lost a great composer, and we in the Robert Farnon Society mourned the passing of a true friend.

He liked to be known as 'Treb' and his birth name was Leonard Charles Trebilco. He adopted 'Trevor Duncan' when his music started to become popular, as it avoided problems with favouritism while he was still working at the BBC.

RFS Secretary David Ades first met Trevor at his home in Enmore, Somerset, in April 1994 when he was commissioned by Marco Polo to write the notes for a new CD of his music. This started a friendship that was to last for the rest of Trevor's life, and which resulted in him attending a summer meeting of our society in Somerset, culminating in his grand participation in a splendid London meeting in April 2004 when he was Guest of Honour in celebration of his 80^th birthday year.

Soon afterwards Trevor told David that he wanted to write about those periods of his life which made the greatest impact upon his success as a composer. He did not envisage anything as grand as an autobiography, but he felt that some reminiscences might shed some light on the influences that would shape his future career. Later on he hoped that he could concentrate on the years when his gift of composition was at its peak, and how he hoped that he would be able to progress into other areas – such as a popular 'opera' which occupied him in his last years, but largely due to lack of interest from potential collaborators it failed to make any real progress. He was also disappointed that no one had ever commissioned him to write a ballet score.

Treb started making some pencil notes during 2004, and sent them to David. It was planned that a series would begin in Journal Into Melody when he had reached the time in his life, around 1950, when his career as a light music composer really began to take off.

Sadly the first set of notes was to be the last. Soon afterwards Trevor was taken ill, and after several months he died in Taunton hospital.

In fond memory of Trevor we feel that the time is now right to publish those notes, even though they are often fragmented and tend to concentrate on his Royal Air Force experiences during the Second World War. He never had the opportunity to revise what he had jotted down, but only minor editing has been applied, and it is hoped that the impressions Trevor wished to convey have been faithfully preserved.

This is Trevor Duncan's own story.

Born 1924 [the exact date was 27 February 1924]. Joined BBC straight from school in 1941 as Junior Programme Engineer, also called Studio Manager. JPEs played records (like seawash, thunder, engines etc and did 'spot' effects like door opening, telephone handset noises, horses hooves).

Did sound FX [effects] on ITMA (from Bangor, North Wales), Merry-go-round, Much Binding In The Marsh and others from BBC Studios in Lower Regent Street, London. Also worked below ground at 200 Oxford Street for the BBC Imperial Service. When playing Lili Bolero I never knew that it was followed by coded messages to the resistance workers in France.

1943: Joined the Royal Air Force as wireless operator, air crew. ITW (Initial Training Wing) then sent to No. 4 Radio School (Madely). Learned morse [code], and elementary servicing of 1154 and 1155 transmitter and receiver. First flying communication in D.H. Dominies, trying to hear signals through all the mush, and practising D.F. [direction finding] with loop aerials, taking turns with a few other students at the receiver.

In June/July did a gunnery course at No. 8 Gunnery School, Evanton near Inverness in Ansons.

August 1944: OAFU in Ansons WT cross country.

November: 81 OTU (Operational Training Unit) – map reading, cross country low flying, formatting in Whiteleys.

December: circuits and landings, glider lifts (Horsas).

1945 – February: Stirling IV. Heavy Conversion Unit. Crewed up, Circuits and landings. Day and night cross-country flying (find Rockall!).

March: ORTU. Glider flights, exercises cross-country and sea, and some operations including towing Horsas over the Rhine (Operation Varsity 24.3.45).

April: 196 Squadron, B Flight, Shepherds Grove. Glider lifts cross-country. Transporting prisoners, petrol, etc.

May: Transporting troops, prisoners, petrol to Norway.

June: Group exercises with gliders. Ferrying Stirlings to Maghdaberry (Ireland).

July: Transporting petrol to Norway.

August & September: Transporting Czechs from Prague, men, women and children. RAF personnel from Copenhagen.

October: To India 1588 Heavy Freight Flight. In Stirling V (IV converted to civil transport).

1946: St Mawgan, Castilo Benito, Lydda, Shaibah, Karachi, Santa Cruz. Flew back to England and to India a few times. Based at Santa Cruz, near Bombay, India. Moved freight all around Middle East, Madras, Calcutta (Dum Dum), Pegu (Burma), Butterworth (Malaya), Phapham, Bamrauli, Chakeri, Palan, Delhi, Allahabad, Kollang, Mingaladon, Hmawbi, Mauripur.

20 May 1946 Stirling V withdrawn (the Dakota was more efficient).

June: Posted to Dum Dum airfield (Calcutta). Did ground jobs. Receiving signals – mostly for met. Mapping, also worked on 'approach control' – ETAs and number of dinners required, etc. Later did signal briefing for aircraft crews, radio beacon information etc…

1947: Demobbed. Came home by ship on the Arundel Castle with large bunch of bananas.

Rejoined the BBC.

There was an examination waiting. To the amazement (and probably annoyance) of my colleagues, I took it right away.

It was a test of everything I knew and had learned from curiosity; and was indeed what every balance engineer should know.

Musical instruments and their transpositions, acoustics (frequencies, absorbtion, echo and reverberation). Simple circuits such as oscillators and rectification, microphones, loudspeakers etc.

I took the exam, passed and was put straight away on to balance and control of orchestras – Light Music Department.

This was when I first met Ernest Tomlinson! I balanced all those lovely little bands for which Ernest arranged Leroy Anderson's compositions.

[At this point Trevor jumps ahead to 1954, but we know from other sources that he continued to work as a balance engineer at the BBC during this period. He has credited Ray Martin as being the conductor who encouraged him to compose, resulting in his first big success High Heels as the 1950s dawned.]

1954: I applied for the job of music producer in the Variety Department. I got the job because I didn't really want it! I loved the balancing job... I loved it very much, but the salary and status of producer was higher. I had begun composing and had a few pieces published. The future looked promising, so I resigned. I shall never forget the reaction of my boss Jim Davidson. He was horrified! 'What are you going to do?'

Compose.'

But it's hell outside.'

He did not know about my work, but 'Trevor Duncan' was already marked as 'staff' and his compositions were being denied performances on the radio, so I went.

Editor: no doubt 'Treb' was planning to embellish these notes before publication, and it would have been nice to learn more about the years between 1947 and 1954 since they were so important in establishing his credentials as a leading composer of production music. I hope readers with knowledge that I lack will forgive any spelling mistakes in the list of places that Trevor visited during his RAF service.

This article first appeared in 'Journal Into Melody' issue 188, June 2011

When you appreciate a composer’s work, it is always disappointing to discover that your admiration is not always shared by members of his or her family.

There have been many instances in recent years where we have been contacted by grandchildren (and even a great-grandchild in one case) who suddenly discovered that they had a famous ancestor in music circles. Quite why their parents hadn’t told them often remains a mystery.

Happily this is not the case with David Rose, one of the greatest Light Music composers and conductors of the last century. We were delighted to learn recently that celebrations are planned throughout his centenary year, and the following information has been kindly supplied to us by Barry Smith, of SWPR Group, Studio City, California.

In honour of the late David Rose’s 100^th birthday on June 15, 2010, David Rose Publishing Company has launched a year-long salute to the award-winning composer and his works.

This centennial year will focus on a variety of projects, including the recording of a series of previously unexploited works, the first-time release of new tracks of Rose’s more popular themes and the continued promotion of his works for licensing and performances.

While the music of David Rose was created decades ago, it remains popular today in film and television and with orchestras of all sizes.

"Even 20 years after my father passed away, it’s great that his music is still requested and performed. We are regularly licensing his music and renting his scores," says Angela Rose White, chief operating officer of David Rose Publishing, and daughter of David Rose. "As part of his Centennial celebration, it’s also really exciting to take his music into the digital age. I think he would be thrilled that we are opening up his music to even more generations who can enjoy and be inspired by it."

Through digital distributor BFM Digital, David Rose Publishing’s year-long birthday celebration kicked off with the release of a new recreated master of Rose’s television theme "Little House on the Prairie" (1974). BFM also will distribute an EP digital release showcasing four separate tracks of Rose’s original television show theme "Highway to Heaven" (1984), including long and short instrumental versions and vocal recordings featuring lyrics by Hal David.

The centennial coincides with the first commercial recording of Rose’s composition "Le Papillon," written in 1980 especially for the expertise of one of the most widely heard classical flutists, Louise DiTullio. She has performed the piece live on very limited occasions during the past 30 years, and has now recorded it for the first time as part of her new CD, "The Hollywood Flute of Louise DiTullio," released in 2010 by Cambria and distributed by Naxos.

According to White, plans during the Centennial year celebration include the promotion of the David Rose rental catalogue to orchestras Rose guest-conducted during his 60-year career, and those that have rented his scores over the last two decades. Additionally, the company is working with ASCAP to launch a tribute in recognition of Rose during his Centennial year celebration.

Rose (1910-1990) helped establish the golden age of American instrumental pop and few artists have managed to equal his output in terms of innovation, diversity and volume. Dubbed "The King of Strings," Rose created his signature employment of pizzicato strings and melodic octave doubling over block chords which is clearly audible in his most popular works.

Rose is best known for his massive hits "The Stripper" (1958) and "Holiday for Strings" (1942), the latter serving as the theme song for Red Skelton’s long-running television show. Rose had a lucrative 23-year association with Skelton, writing numerous leitmotifs of Skelton’s many characters, including the clip-clop theme for Freddy the Freeloader that Rose titled "Lovable Clown."

In addition to Skelton, Rose enjoyed a long-term relationship with Michael Landon, working on three of Landon’s popular television series ("Little House on the Prairie," "Father Murphy" and "Highway to Heaven") and two Landon films. Rose’s scores for "Bonanza," "Little House on the Prairie" and "The High Chaparral" series have been regarded as some of the finest in television history and serve as a benchmark for all contemporary Western themes.

Composing music until his death on August 23, 1990, the British-born composer recorded over 5,000 hours of music and 50 albums, scored 36 films and composed the background music and themes for 24 television shows. In addition, he received four Emmy Awards and nine nominations, three Grammy Award nominations and two Academy Award nominations, as well as one gold record, two bronze records and several recognitions of repeated performances from ASCAP. He was also honoured as one of the original 1500 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and "Holiday for Strings" also was inducted into the NARAS Hall of Fame in 2004.

To this day, Rose's music is at the forefront of Hollywood's consciousness as evidenced by its most recent use in TV shows such as "Two and a Half Men" (2009), "Ugly Betty" (2010) and "Scrubs" (2003), and films such as "Hot Tub Time Machine" (2010) and "The Full Monty" (1997) and among countless others. His legacy lives on not only through his brilliant compositions, but also through his innovation in the field of sound recording as he pioneered the use of the echo chamber and 21 channel separation in orchestral recording.

The Robert Farnon Society was proud to count David Rose as one of its members towards the end of his life. Today his music continues to appear on new CDs, especially in the Guild "Golden Age of Light Music" series where the following recordings are currently available:

DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA

American In Paris, An (George Gershwin) (GLCD5120)
Bad And The Beautiful, The (Raksin) (GLCD5105)
Bewitched (From "Pal Joey") (Richard Rodgers / Lorenz Hart) (GLCD5123)
Bordeaux (David Rose) (GLCD5146)
Butterfly And The Alligator, The (David Rose) (GLCD5174)
Christmas Tree, The (David Rose) (GLCD5169)
Come Rain Or Come Shine (from the musical "St Louis Woman") (Harold Arlen) (GLCD5158)
Concerto (David Rose) + Don Ferris (Piano) (GLCD5173)
Dance Of Fury (Nacio Herb Brown) (GLCD5142)
Dance Of The Spanish Onion (David Rose) (GLCD5101)
Deserted City (David Rose) (GLCD5112)
Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead (from "The Wizard Of Oz") (Harold Arlen; E.Y. Harburg) (GLCD5174)
Falling In Love With Love (From "The Boys From Syracuse") (Richard Rodgers / Lorenz Hart) (GLCD5123)
Fiesta In Seville (David Rose) (GLCD5161)
Firebird Ballet : Dance Of The Princesses; Dance Of Kastchei; Berceuse & Finale (Stravinsky, arr. Rose) (GLCD5172)
Flying Horse, The (David Rose) (GLCD5114)
Holiday For Trombones (David Rose) (GLCD5154)
How High The Moon (Hamilton, Lewis) (GLCD5156)
Humoresque (Antonin Dvorak) (GLCD5171)
I Get A Kick Out Of You (From "Anything Goes") (Cole Porter) (GLCD5127)
I’ll Take Romance (Ben Oakland / Oscar Hammerstein II) (GLCD5170)
Intermezzo From "Escape To Happiness" (Souvenir de Vienne) (Provost) (GLCD5124)
It’s Only A Paper Moon (from the film "Take A Chance" 1933) (Harold Arlen) (GLCD5152)
Last Night When We Were Young (Harold Arlen) (GLCD5133)
Laura (From the film "Laura") (Johnny Mercer / David Raksin) (GLCD5114)
Liza (I & G Gershwin / Kahn) (GLCD5103)
Majorca (David Rose) (GLCD5165)
Manhattan Square Dance (David Rose) (GLCD5102)
March Of The Pretzels (David Rose) (GLCD5162)
Moon Of Manakoora (Alfred Newman / Frank Loesser) (GLCD5151)
October Mist (Fiorito / Webster) (GLCD5145)
One Love (David Rose) (GLCD5136)
Pam Pam (David Rose) (GLCD5177)
Peppertree Lane (from "Hollywood Bowl Suite") (David Rose) (GLCD5174)
Roman Holiday (David Rose) (GLCD5161)
Satan And The Polar Bear (David Rose) (GLCD5105)
Stars Shine In Your Eyes (from "La Strada") (Nino Rota) (GLCD5160)
Sweet Sue (Will Harris / Victor Young) (GLCD5133)
That Old Black Magic (Harold Arlen) (GLCD5119)
Waltz Of The Bubbles (David Rose) (GLCD5103)
What’s Good About Goodbye? (From the film "Casbah") (Leo Robin / Harold Arlen) (GLCD5114)
Why Do You Pass Me By (Hess / Misraki / Carter) (GLCD5155)
Why Was I Born (Jerome Kern) (GLCD5148)

MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Dance of the Spanish Onion (David Rose) (GLCD5139)

MORTON GOULD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Holiday For Strings (David Rose) (GLCD5120)

VICTOR YOUNG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
My Dog Has Fleas (David Rose) (GLCD5143)

CHARLES WILLIAMS AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Parade of the Clowns ((David Rose) (GLCD5104)

PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Stringopation (David Rose) (GLCD5135)

DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA on Vocalion
Autumn Leaves; Music from "Gigi" (Vocalion CDNJT5206)

This feature originally appeared in ‘Journal Into Melody’, December 2010

JOHN WILSON’s RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN PROM CONCERT IN 2010
Special Reports by Hamish Maclean and Tony Clayden

This was another resounding success for the John Wilson Orchestra.

The Prom was given to commemorate the death of Oscar Hammerstein 11 who died 50 years ago on the 23^rd August 1960. London’s Royal Albert Hall was absolutely packed and to give you an idea how difficult it was to get tickets I went on the website just after 8:00am when booking opened, and I was in a queue of just under 4,000. I cannot say whether they were all after the Rodgers and Hammerstein Prom, but when I finally got through all I was offered was the quite poor seats in the upper circle. I have since heard all seats were sold by 12:00pm

Last year it was MGM; this year it was the turn of 20^th Century Fox who produced nearly all the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals for the silver screen – in many cases the huge screen of the Todd-AO process using 70 mm film.

The spotlight was firmly on the 20^th Century Fox Music Department and their director, the legendary Alfred Newman. Apart from ‘Oklahoma’ and ‘The Sound of Music’ the musical scores were adapted by him and a team of brilliant orchestrators – Edward B. Powell, Gus Levene, Pete King, Herbert Spencer and Bernard Mayers.

‘Oklahoma’ was adapted by another legendary figure, Robert Russell Bennett who wrote the original orchestrations for the Broadway pit orchestra and then was asked to expand them for a full Symphony Orchestra for the 1955 film. For ‘The Sound of Music’ Irwin Kostal wrote brand new arrangements, with the approval of Richard Rodgers, for the 1965 film directed by Robert Wise.

The Prom started with selections from ‘Oklahoma’ and concluded with the ‘The Sound of Music’. In between we had further selections from ‘Carousel’, ‘South Pacific’, ‘The King and I’ and ‘Flower Drum Song’.

The superb singers were Kim Criswell, Anna-Jane Casey, Sierra Boggess, Julian Ovenden and Rod Gilfry who all gave outstanding performances.

A special mention must be made of the Maida Vale Singers. They provided excellent soloists for June is Bustin’ Out All Over, I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outa My Hair, There is Nothing Like a Dame and Grant Avenue and their choral singing in Bali Ha’I and The Sound of Music’ was out of this world.

What can I say about the John Wilson Orchestra? Superlatives fail me but I am pretty sure of one thing: this Orchestra must be amongst - if not the best - in the world at playing this type of music. A friend who was with me at the concert could not believe the commitment they had to give of their very best - a point picked up by several press reviewers who commented several major international orchestras this season have failed to muster half the energy and commitment John drew from his players. The strings at one point I thought were going to take off along with the woodwind and the Big Band break in Grant Avenue made my hair stand on end.

The concert took place on Sunday afternoon, 22 August 2010 and it was broadcast ‘live’ on BBC Radio 3. For the TV transmission the following Saturday evening the BBC cut two wonderful songs from the programme – This Nearly Was Mine from ‘South Pacific’ and You Are Beautiful from ‘Flower Drum Song’ both sung by Rod Gilfry. I would be pretty furious if I was him, for he sung them beautifully and with such feeling. And why were they cut from the concert? Believe it or not they were removed to make way for another of the endless repeats of ‘Dad’s Army’. You couldn’t make it up.

The BBC should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, but I do have suggestions to make that would go some way to making amends. Offer The John Wilson Orchestra and singers their own series on TV and Radio so that we could all hear a lot more from this world beating ensemble and PLEASE release a DVD of this Prom before the end of the year. OK!

 

Tony Clayden was also present in the Royal Albert Hall:

People are still talking enthusiastically about John Wilson’s 2009 Prom concert, (reputedly the most popular of the whole season!), when he presented a programme of music from the MGM musicals. Most of that material had to be painstakingly transcribed by John by listening to the film soundtracks.

After a great clamour, the BBC have finally bowed to public pressure and released a DVD of the concert, as reported in JIM 185.

It came as no surprise, therefore, that this year’s JW Prom concert was sold out within a couple of days of the tickets becoming available. My partner, Lyn, and I had ruled out any possibility of being there, but we had an amazing stroke of luck; Lyn won a prize in a local charity raffle! The prize in question was offered by a family who have a permanent box at the Royal Albert Hall, and we could select a concert of our choice - provided that the family didn’t wish to use their box on that particular day. The lady donor thought it was strange that we wanted to go to "an afternoon performance of Film Music", but yes, it was available and we ‘grabbed it with both hands’ before she changed her mind!

So it was that the afternoon of July 22^nd found Lyn and I, together with David and Lillian Snell, and John Thompson, (who helps me set up the technical facilities at our London meetings), in a rather cramped box, bang in the middle of the hall, diametrically opposite the organ! The view of the orchestra was tremendous; the downside was that it became rather hot as the afternoon wore on. Still, we were much more fortunate than the poor Prommers who had to stand for a full two hours – there was no interval!

There was hardly an empty seat anywhere, (the only vacant spaces being a couple of unoccupied boxes), as John Wilson took to the podium, accompanied by a rousing cheer from the audience. This time, the programme was assembled mostly from scores which still exist – (these didn’t get binned, unlike the MGM music). The concert was planned to coincide with the 50^th anniversary of the death of Oscar Hammerstein, and celebrated his partnership with Richard Rodgers, which lasted from the 1940s until Hammerstein died in 1960.

John’s aim was to present his favourite hits from the film versions of the R&H musicals; his hand-picked studio orchestra, led by Andrew Haveron, is modelled on the Hollywood Studio orchestras, which John considers to have employed the best players in the world. He chose the film - rather than the stage – versions, because he says they are more ‘opulent’ – some reviewers have commented that perhaps the sound is a bit too opulent!

The six shows featured were presented in chronological order.

The proceedings commenced with the Overture to Oklahoma! followed by Oh What A Beautiful Morning and People Will Say We’re In Love. This was then followed by three items from Carousel, which was reputedly R&H’s favourite. Following the famous Waltz, we were treated to If I Loved You and June is Bustin’ Out All Over and finally Soliloquy.

Next up were some numbers from South Pacific, which was 1958’s highest grossing film – it was also marked the first time that R&H became their own producers. The titles were I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair, Bali H’ai, There Is Nothing Like A Dame, Unspoken Thoughts and finally Some Enchanted Evening.

We then heard the Overture from The King And I. This show posed new challenges for R&H, because it was their first production containing no American characters.

The next two items were from Flower Drum Song and I believe that in this case John had to transcribe the music by ear, as the scores were not available. The 1961 film was totally overshadowed by West Side Story and this may be one of the reasons why it is much less well-known than its predecessors. The two numbers were I Enjoy Being A Girl and Grant Avenue.

The sixth and final selection was from their great enduring success, The Sound Of Music. The Main Title music segued into The Nuns’ Chorus and this was followed by two numbers which were written especially for the film version after Hammerstein’s death and for which Rodgers provided the lyrics – I Have Confidence In Me and I Must Have Done Something Good. The finale was Climb Ev’ry Mountain.

John then brought the proceedings to a rousing finish with his encore – the finale to Oklahoma!

The whole concert went extremely well, aided no doubt by the excellence of the solo performers, Sierra Boggess, Anna- Jane Casey, Julian Ovenden, Roger Gilfry and Kim Criswell, (although, in my opinion, was sometimes slightly outside her comfort zone). They were well supported by the Maida Vale Singers with some excellent ‘step-out’ soloists, including Sharon Eckman, who really deserves to be a full soloist in a concert of this kind.

Judging by the terrific response of the audience, and the many favourable comments overheard as we were leaving , this production was every bit as successful as the 2009 concert - I can do no better than quote from the Daily Telegraph, whose reporter described it as "An Enchanting Evening at the Proms with Rodgers and Hammerstein".

Let’s hope the BBC will be a little quicker off the mark this time and will release a DVD soon and let’s also hope that John Wilson will be asked back again for the 2011 Prom Season!

 

These reports originally appeared in ‘Journal Into Melody’, December 2010

THE ROBERT FARNON CD THAT NEVER WAS

By David Ades

On 30 & 31 October 1995, Robert Farnon was once again at the CTS Studios in Wembley, London, recording the orchestral backings for a new CD with the great American popular singer Eddie Fisher.

In a feature in JIM 125 (February 1996) it was hoped that this would be one of the most exciting new CD releases of standard repertoire that year. Eddie Fisher was reported to be full of eager anticipation for this project, which was expected to relaunch his career in a big way!

The JIM article continued: Eddie is now managed by Tino Barzie, who readers will recall recently guided the career of Pia Zadora, resulting in several superb albums which made sceptical critics eat their words.

It is hardly a similar situation with Eddie Fisher, who has been a big star for over 40 years. However he would probably agree that he has not exactly pushed himself to the forefront of the entertainment scene in recent years, but this new album is likely to do just that!

Vincent Falcone, previously Sinatra’s MD, is working closely with Eddie, and his great experience, plus Fisher’s undoubted talent, makes a combination hard to beat. Add Farnon’s brilliant scores, plus four swinging charts by Sammy Nestico, and you have a winning formula that can hardly fail.

Eddie Fisher was at the CTS Studios to listen in and guide the orchestral backings. As each score appeared on the music stands his enthusiasm grew, and the rich, warm Fisher tones could be heard soaring above the magnificent orchestra. The vocal tracks are being added in Los Angeles.

The basis of the Robert Farnon Orchestra this time is the London Philharmonic, leader Duncan Riddell ... 14 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 2 French horns and harp. Added to that are the cream of London session players: Kenny Baker, Guy Barker, Steve Sidwell and Simon Gardner on trumpets; Don Lusher, Gordon Campbell, Bill Geldard, Mark Nightingale* and Cohn Sheen* on trombones; Roy Willox, Peter Hughes, Tommy Whittle, Duncan Lamont, Denis Walton* and Eddie Mordue* on saxes and woodwinds; Jim Lawless on percussion; Louis Stewart on guitar; Chris Lawrence on bass; and Jack Parnell on drums. Vincent Falcone was on electric piano. (*These players were not present on every session.)

The first three-hour session began at 2:30pm on Monday 30 October, and featured Robert Farnon conducting his arrangements of It Never Entered My Mind, April Showers, Oh my Papa and Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me. The evening session started with another run-through of Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me, followed by The Very Thought 0f You, My Shining Hour (this may well be the title track of the album), and My Funny Valentine. On the Tuesday afternoon Bob conducted My Foolish Heart, Love’s Been Good To Me and What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? The rest of the Tuesday sessions were taken up with Vincent Falcone conducting the Sammy Nestico arrangements: Crazy On A Slow Boat to China, I Remember You and a medley comprising Wish You Were Here and Any Time.

……………………..

Fifteen years later we are still waiting for the CD to be issued. At the time we heard rumours that the producers were delaying its release until Eddie Fisher was available to undertake a tour of radio and television stations in the USA to promote the album, but it seems he was unwilling to commit to it.

Now that he has passed on (his obituary appears on page xx of this issue) is it possible that the CD may finally reach the record stores? It is well known that the death of an artist seems to result in an upsurge in interest of their work. The producers must have invested a lot of money in the original sessions – perhaps they may now be considering recouping it.

When he heard the test results (after Fisher’s vocals had been added in the USA) Robert Farnon confided to us that he was a little unhappy with the way in which some choral passages intruded on his original arrangements. Also it has to be said that Fisher’s voice had passed its prime.

The results could have damaged his reputation, which possibly was the real reason why these sessions produced "The CD That Never Was".

This article originally appeared in ‘Journal Into Melody’, December 2010

BBC ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS FAILED TO MAINTAIN ITS APPEAL TO MANY OLDER LISTENERS

Last February BBC Radio 2 was told to do more to appeal to older listeners - particularly over-65s.

In a major review of the station, the BBC Trust said Britain's biggest network should find a "more varied and challenging selection of programmes" - even if this meant losing some of its audience. The review, which began nine months earlier, said Radio 2 needed to be more "distinctive" and more ambitious in its "non-music" programmes in peak-time. The station targets over 35s with 82% of its audience within that age range with the average audience member of 50. But it said Radio 2 must do "more to target those over 65 years of age". The Trust concluded that Radio 2 was highly regarded by audiences but should use its scale to be more distinctive.

Other recommendations today included: Providing peak-time audiences with more content they could not hear elsewhere, refreshing comedy and arts programmes; Reaching more ethnic minority groups. BBC Trustee David Liddiment, who led the review, said: "Radio 2 has a large audience who clearly love its output, but the review showed it must break out of the routine with its programming, in particular to be more distinctive during peak time. We're aware of concerns about Radio 2 targeting a younger audience. The current average audience age of 50 is well within the station's target audience, but the Trust is clear that this must not fall any further, and we would like to see Radio 2 work on its appeal to over 65 year olds."

For years the Robert Farnon Society has criticised the music output of Radio 2. Although there are a few notable exceptions (such as "Friday Night Is Music Night" and shows presented by Russell Davies, David Jacobs and Desmond Carrington), the music played in most Radio 2 programmes can be heard elsewhere on countless radio stations, both local and national commercial. Older listeners who enjoy light music and the kind of repertoire generally classified as 'popular' (rather than 'pop') are poorly served. Even if a change of music policy results in Radio 2 losing some of its younger listeners, it could well find that the older generation will start listening in once again. Programmes appealing to more mature listeners should be broadcast during the daytime when they are at home to listen; it does not seem sensible to target daytime programmes towards a younger audience which is either at school or at work, as seems to be the case now.

First evidence of a possible change occurred in mid-April when Desmond Carrington’s weekly show was moved to 7:00 pm on Friday evenings, immediately before "Friday Night Is Music Night" which now occupies the 8:00 to 10:00pm slot. There is also talk of a ‘special’ in the summer bringing back "Legends of Light Music" – if this happens it will be announced on the Latest News page of the RFS website. This seems to be the best opportunity in years for those of us who would like to see a more enjoyable mix of music on Radio 2 to make our feelings clear. Every letter helps, and is more seriously considered than petitions by the powers-that-be.

BBC Trust publishes review of BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music

15 February 2010

A BBC Trust review published today concluded that Radio 2 was highly regarded by audiences but should use its scale to be more distinctive, while 6 Music was distinctive and well-liked by its listeners, but needed to reach a bigger audience.

The review looked at the performance of Radio 2 and 6 Music - including usage, quality, distinctiveness and value for money.

BBC Trustee David Liddiment, who led the review, said:

"Radio 2 has a large audience who clearly love its output, but the review showed it must break out of the routine with its programming, in particular to be more distinctive during peak time. In contrast, 6 Music has a distinctive approach, but the review concluded that it needed to grow its audience base without losing its USP.

"We're aware of concerns about Radio 2 targeting a younger audience. The current average audience age of 50 is well within the station's target audience, but the Trust is clear that this must not fall any further, and we would like to see Radio 2 work on its appeal to over 65 year olds."

Key findings and recommendations

Radio 2

The Trust's review found that Radio 2 was popular with listeners, who believed the station was distinctive - eight out of ten felt that Radio 2 offered something that could not be easily found elsewhere. This finding was supported by analysis of Radio 2's output which found that, in a typical week, most tracks played were unique to the station. The Trust's review welcomed the lack of music overlap between Radio 2, Radio 1, 6 Music, and comparable commercial radio stations. It concluded, however, that the station should become more distinctive by adopting a more ambitious approach to non-music content in peak time.

Radio 2's remit is to appeal to all ages over 35. Its under 35 audience has grown significantly over the last 10 years, albeit from a low base, but since 2004 this growth has stabilised. Today some 82 per cent of Radio 2's listeners are over 35, and the average audience age is 50. The review concluded that Radio 2 should maintain this stability but also protect the interests of its older audiences - specifically doing more to target those over 65 years of age.

Radio 2's listeners are loyal to the station, with nearly five million listening to no other BBC radio, and around two million listening to no other radio at all. The review concluded that Radio 2 should use this scale and popularity to make a greater contribution to the BBC's public purposes. The review's key recommendations were as follows:

• Radio 2 should provide the peak time audience with more content that the licence fee payer couldn't hear anywhere else. This meant, for example, refreshing comedy and arts programming and using some of this material in peak time

• As an entertainment station, Radio 2 should aim to preserve the aspects of the station which made it popular but we accept the risk that some loss of audience may be a consequence of a more varied and challenging selection of programmes

• It should also seek to address variances in reach between audience groups - for example the Trust's research showed that ethnic minorities in particular were less likely to listen

• The station should seek to promote the benefits of new technology so that hard to reach groups, such as the over 65s, did not get left behind.

Gene Lees, Jazz Critic and Great Supporter of Robert Farnon, has died aged 82

Eugene Frederick John Lees, born on 8 February 1928, in Hamilton, Ontario, the eldest of four children of an expatriate British couple, Harold Lees and the former Dorothy Flatman. He died at his home in Ojai, California on 22 April 2010, After dropping out of the Ontario College of Art, he worked as a newspaper reporter in Canada before moving to Kentucky to become music editor of The Louisville Times in 1955. He was the editor of Downbeat magazine from 1959 to 1961 and went on to write about music for The New York Times and other publications.

Gene Lees was a prolific jazz critic and historian who approached his subject with a journalist’s rigour and an insider’s understanding. The author of numerous books, Gene was not just an observer of the music scene, he was also a participant. The Robert Farnon Society was proud to count him as a valued member for almost fifty years, and he regularly kept in touch with news of his latest assignments.

He was also an accomplished lyricist whose credits included Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars, the English-language lyric for Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Corcovado, which was recorded by Frank Sinatra, Astrud Gilberto and many others. He was also a vocalist, with several albums to his credit.

That experience, and the friendships he built over the years with musicians, singers and songwriters, informed the project that had been his primary focus since 1981: publishing (monthly at first, later at irregular intervals) the subscription-only Gene Lees Jazzletter, mostly as an outlet for his own biographical and historical essays.

"The beauty of this thing," Gene said of his journal in an interview in The New York Times in 1987, "is that it has permitted me to write what I want to write, not what editors want me to write. And the beauty of it for the other contributors is that they’ve got total freedom. No money, but total freedom."

The Jazzletter, published out of his own home, carried no advertising, and its circulation was small, although it included readers whose names any jazz fan would recognize. He initially financed it with income from his book "The Modern Rhyming Dictionary" (Cherry Lane, 1981), and his book and songwriting income helped keep it going. It was reported after his death that his wife of 38 years, the former Janet Suttle, planned to continue publishing it.

Gene was steadfast in his contempt for rock music, calling it "junk" produced by "illiterates."

Mr. Lees supported his strong opinions with strong research. At times that research took him far afield of his ostensible subject. The first chapter of another essay collection, "Singers and the Song" (Oxford, 1987), for example, was a history of the English language from the 10th century to the present.

In addition to seven collections of Jazzletter essays, Mr. Lees’s books include biographies of Woody Herman, Oscar Peterson, Johnny Mercer and the songwriting team Lerner and Loewe. He was also a co-writer of the composer Henry Mancini‘s autobiography and author of two novels. At the time of his death he was working on a biography of Artie Shaw.

Editor: while Gene was editing the US ‘Downbeat’ magazine, in 1961 he published an article on Bob Farnon which caused quite a stir. I make no excuse for repeating it once more, partly for the benefit of newer RFS members, but also to remind us all of the importance of Robert Farnon in the development of decent popular music during the second half of the last century.

Afterthoughts – by Gene Lees

From Downbeat Magazine, 16 February 1961

This issue is more or less devoted to arrangers and composers, particularly Gil Evans.

Evans, you'll note, was born in Toronto, Canada.

Now it happens that Toronto produced another remarkable arranger and composer about the same time, a man named Robert Farnon. Evans left Canada (during his late adolescence) for the United States; Farnon went to England. (Famous two brothers, Dennis and Bryan, came to the U.S. Bryan is now a television music director and Dennis is a well-known west coast arranger.)

If you're a hippie, you've probably never heard of Farnon. He's not the type that the esotericists write about; probably they don't even deign to listen to him. But if your tastes are not insular, and you have any insight at all into the art of orchestration, chances are very good that you're a member of that small group of devotees that I've dubbed the Robert Farnon Irregulars. For they are certainly as zealous a breed as the members of the Baker Street Irregulars, those Arthur Conan Doyle fans who know the Sherlock Holmes novels inside out. Farnon Irregulars are that way about Farnon's charts.

I consider myself one of the ranking members of the group. Dizzy Gillespie, who is another Farnon wig remembers that Bob used to be "a hell of a trumpet player." (Farnon says he gave up trumpet after hearing Gillespie.) But I claim to outrank even Dizzy: when I was a kid, I used to listen to Farnon playing on an otherwise dismal broadcast from Toronto called The Happy Gang. So there, Birks!

André Previn is a Farnon fan, and once said he considered Farnon "the best living string writer." Barney Kessel in turn proudly claims to have introduced Previn to Farnon's music. Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and Quincy Jones are Farnon fans. And arranger Marion Evans is not only a Farnon admirer, but has synthesized the Farnon sound better than anyone I've heard. In fact, there is a whole group of New York arrangers who are in love with Farnon's writing, and have been influenced by it. They constitute a special subchapter of the Irregulars, and are known as the Disciples. (They, in turn, refer to Farnon as "the Guv'nor.") I suspect, from listening to his charts, that Nelson Riddle is also a member of the Irregulars.

Chicago bassist Johnny Pate turned out to be a Farnon Irregular. I was very smug about having two Farnon EPs he didn't have - until I found he had three that I didn’t have. We're negotiating.

Al Cohn is a Farnon fan too and Donald Byrd just walked off with two miniature scores of Farnon compositions that I got from the Guv'nor's Own Hand in England a couple of years ago. (Note to Al; hit Byrd for them. Then I WANT THEM BACK!)

Farnon’s reputation in America rests largely on a series of mood music albums he did for English Decca, and some light classical originals, including Canadian Impressions. (Note to other Irregulars; that falling woodwind figure in Lake of the Woods is a simulation of the cry of a loon. And the angular lines in Alcan Highway are meant to be evocative of the Rockies of British Columbia.) All these albums were released in the U.S. by London, with four now available on the subsidiary Richmond label. I urge that you listen to them, particularly Canadian Impressions and Pictures in the Fire.

After you've listened to the "conventional" writing of Farnon for a while, you find that he is an incredibly subtle orchestrator with a rich imagination and superb skill with voicings. There's so much happening in his charts.

For an example, during a passage of fill in the bridge of a pop tone in one of the mood albums, Farnon leaps the orchestra up into another key, then modulates back gracefully to the original key with a lovely figure, leaving you a little breathless; it is as if you had just seen a gust of wind lift autumn leaves, swirl them around in a dancing vortex, and then let them tall gently to earth. And that’s just one bar of fill!

Farnon gave up writing music of that kind a couple of years ago. Having earned a good bit of money doing movie scores for both British and U.S. movies (he also scored a Broadway show, but didn't dig the gig and went back to England), he moved to Guernsey in the Channel Islands and is now writing strictly classical music. Efforts by several jazz musicians to get him to write albums for them has been fruitless - until now.

For in March of this year, Farnon Irregular Gillespie is going to Europe to record the Guv’nor’s nearly-completed Suite for Trumpet and Orchestra, probably with a German symphony orchestra. Farnon is writing it specially for Dizzy. At the same time, Oscar Peterson will record another Farnon work, with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen integrated into the symphony orchestra. The two works are to be released by Verve on one LP.

Watch for this album. I hope it turns out to be all that Farnon and Peterson and Dizzy want it to be.

Then maybe the Farnon Irregulars will net a batch of new members.

Chords and Discords - Downbeat Magazine, 30 March, 1961

Fair Farnon Fanfare

Add another Farnon fan to your list. I think he is largely responsible for bringing the fresh air of enlightenment to the BBC in London during the late 1940s and early '50s. I thank you for informing me that Bob is appreciated by so many people in jazz. Ridgewood, N. J / Ron Eyre

Funny you should mention Bob Farnon. My girl and I are great English-movie goers, and in many a good picture there seeps through some good jazz band backing. Even the B English pictures have some fine charts. The vast majority have been by Farnon. I'm sorry to say that as a "Farnon Irregular" I've been quite irregular; I haven't a single LP. That will be corrected. Brooklyn, N. Y. / A. J. Smith

Footnote from Gene Lees: It's getting rather hard to be a Farnon Irregular. London Records has never recognized the value of the property they have in the Farnon discs, and they are hard to get. Several have been turned indifferently over to London's secondary line, Richmond, and no attempt has been made to make the public aware of their existence.

Editor: as RFS members will know, the special projects mentioned by Gene (especially with Dizzy Gillespie) never materialized, and happily for us Bob did not turn his back on composing and arranging light music in favour of ‘strictly classical music’.

Twenty years ago "Journal Into Melody" celebrated its 100^th issue – increased in size to 56 pages for the special occasion! The September 1990 issue was actually number 100, and in his editorial the Editor (guess who it was) wondered if we might reach issue 200 in 2015. It could actually happen in June 2014, but we won’t cross our bridges just yet.

Among the special features back in 1990 was a detailed report on the Robert Farnon sessions at CTS, Wembley, when Bob accompanied Eileen Farrell in the first of three CDs they made together. The album was called "This Time It’s Love" and it was released on Reference Recordings RR-42CD in 1991. The orchestral recordings took place at CTS on 30 April and 1 & 2 May 1990. Eileen sang with the orchestra on four of the tracks, but for the remainder her vocals were dubbed later back in the USA.

Twenty years on we are pleased to let you see many photos from the sessions, never previously included in JIM, together with the reports that appeared in our magazine:

EILEEN FARRELL & ROBERT FARNON

SPRING 1990 SESSIONS AT CTS WEMBLEY

The omens were good. Monday 30 April, according to the weather forecasters, was likely to be one of the warmest April days on record in England. It was. It also proved to be a day on which some of the finest Robert Farnon sounds ever were to he heard at the CTS Studios in Wembley.

After originally being scheduled for San Francisco, then switched to New York - the eagerly awaited Farnon sessions with Eileen Farrell finally transferred to London’s CTS Studios on 30 April and 1 & 2 May 1990. The results delighted every one concerned - performers, producers and privileged onlookers, including those members of the Robert Farnon Society who were able to get along to the Studios.

To kick-off our reports on the Wembley sessions, we’ll hear from our first man on the pitch ... VERNON ANDERSON:

On a beautiful late Spring morning I made my way to the CTS Studios, for what was to be my second visit there both to see and hear Robert Farnon in action before a large orchestra. Today he would be recording with Miss Eileen Farrell, well-known in the United States of America for her operatic singing, but more recently venturing into the realms of popular music with some fine recordings of a selection of favourite "standards" in the jazz idiom.

The day’s session was not due to begin until 1 pm, but I arrived early so that I could experience all the work that precedes an occasion such as this. This decision proved well worth the effort. I made myself known to the Receptionist, who just happened to be talking to Miss Farrell’s Production Manager for the sessions. I was greeted warmly and made to feel very much at home. Studio No. I was the venue for today, so I made my way downstairs to see how the preparations were going, drawn by the sound of some not unfamiliar phrases being worked out on a piano. On reaching the doorway I had quite a surprise. I recalled that on the occasion of my last visit in May 1986 the studio had been partitioned off into small compartments, each containing different sections of the orchestra. Now, all this had gone, so as to provide one large space. The orchestra’s chairs were set out in a large semi-circle facing towards the right-hand wall and centred on the conductor’s rostrum, which was a raised platform ensuring that all would see him and he could see everyone else. Suspended above were the microphones and lights, with some floor standing microphones suitably placed around, The rostrum also housed a control panel with an audio link to the main control room upstairs, whose large soundproofed tinted glass window overlooked the studio.

The recording engineers were busying themselves, monitoring the piano to get the right sound balance in audio link from the control room to the pianist, with various instructions and comments passing between them and these beautiful musical phrases rippling around the studio. I just stood and listened, trying to take it all in.

I made my way up to the control room and there was introduced to other members of the production team and the recording engineers. Lastly to Miss Farrell, who proved to be a delightfully down to earth lady, who proceeded to tell me about her journey over from the States the previous day, her hotel etc., but most of all how much she was looking forward to meeting and making this recording with Robert Farnon, a man whose music she much admired. I asked her what her favourite piece of Farnon music was and immediately she recalled the "On Target" album which Bob recorded with jazz pianist George Shearing. In particular she loved his rendition of "Song Bird", a piece composed by her accompanist Loonis McGlohon, the gentleman I had seen in the studio. He joined us in the control room and I was delighted to be introduced to him. A very modest man, quietly spoken, who was also much looking forward to working with Robert Farnon. He, too, was delighted with Bob’s arrangement of "Song Bird".

So with a sense of anticipation, we made our way down to the studio, Miss Farrell wanting to get the feel of the place and see where she was to be positioned, etc... The recording booth was immediately to the left as one entered the studio, with glass fronted partition, but open each side, complete with chair, music stand, headphones and microphone.

While all this was going on, I heard a familiar voice followed by first the feet and then the familiar figure of the man himself, as he came down the stairs to the studio. Robert Farnon greeted me warmly and asked whether David Ades had arrived. I assured him that David was on his way and I hoped he would be joining us for lunch. Bob asked if I would be writing an article on the sessions for the magazine, and I said I would. He was then introduced to Miss Farrell, who was immediately at ease with him, and they talked about the day’s programme. Then Bob met Mr. McGlohon. They discussed the schedule, which was to include another piece composed by him called "Everything I Love". Bob also met the recording engineers who discussed the layout and sound balance with him. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Robert Farnon will know that he has this marvellous reassuring nature, is very unassuming and has a great sense of humour. These qualities revealed themselves as the day’s programme progressed. But it was now time for lunch, so I made my way upstairs to the restaurant on the second floor. This has a bar, and a long balcony with views west to the Conference Centre and beyond. The weather was fine, sunny and unusually hot for the time of year. I met Derek Boulton, Bob’s agent and manager, who generously treated me to a lunch. He asked me to join him at a table with Miss Farrell and Mr. McGiohon but I declined, saying that I thought Bob would want to discuss arrangements with them, so I sat at a table adjacent to them and started my meal. Bob Farnon came over with his lunch and said "I don’t like to see you eating by yourself, mind if I join you?" That is typical of the man, and that gesture made my day. We were joined by Bob’s son David, who would be assisting in the production and also playing with the orchestra in several pieces. Altogether a very enjoyable meal.

The lunch over, we made our way first to the control room, where we were joined by David Ades and then to the studio where the musicians were assembling ready for the afternoon session.

In true Farnon fashion, the rehearsal began at 1 pm sharp, the first piece on the stands "My Romance" with Eileen Farrell ‘singing in’ with the music. A lovely arrangement by Bob, and what a joy to hear the full orchestra playing it live. David Ades and I were standing just inside the doorway adjacent to Eileen’s booth, catching every note and colour. The stuff that dreams are made of.

The second piece - "Alone Together’ by Arthur Schwartz opened with a trombone solo from top session musician (and bandleader in his own right) Don Lusher, with a reference at beginning and ending to Bob’s orchestral score on the "Something To Remember You By" album of the 1950s.

No. 3 - "More Than You Know" by Vincent Youmans. This time a vocal intro, with the verse played by orchestra and solo from Don Lusher. The closing bars made reference to Bob’s "Prairie Sunset" (also known as "Almost A Lullaby").

No. 4 - "Everything I Love" by Loonis McGlohon: a new piece, with an intro, by Bob reflecting "Something to remember ..." and closing with a reference to ‘Pictures In The Fire". A beautiful arrangement.

At 2:45 No. 5 - "My Foolish Heart" was on the stands, with the intro, reflecting Bob’s earlier orchestral arrangement and closing passage from "Lake Of The Woods" with flute solo, followed by

No. 6 - "The Nearness Of You" by Ray Noble. Bob made an orchestral recording of this one back in the 1950s and later with vocalists Ray Ellington and Sheila Southern. Today we were treated to a new arrangement of this ‘standard’ which was very beautiful.No. 7 - "Easy To Love" with a hint of Bob’s ‘Hits Of Sinatra’ album’s "Second

Time Around". An up-tempo number with the great Lenny Bush on rhythm bass and Martin Taylor on guitar.

The time 3:40 and No. 8 — "The More I See You" was on the music stands. A marvellous up-tempo arrangement by Bob which had Eileen Farrell swinging along, showing how well she can sing in the jazz idiom. I particularly enjoyed her phrasing on this one.

3:49 - and it was time to start recording. So with take 1 Bob swung the orchestra and Eileen into "The More I See You" again. I noted a particularly fine tenor solo from Tommy Whittle. By the time everyone was satisfied, it was time for tea in the restaurant, where David Ades and I were joined by Bob and son David. Bob seemed quite pleased with the way the sessions were going. There was even time to enjoy the afternoon sun on the balcony.

At 5:00 pm the sessions resumed with "My Romance’. The fourth take commencing at 5:30 was fine and, as the expression goes, ‘in the bag’. At this point I’ll hand over to David Ades to tell you about the remaining magical moments of the evening session. VERNON ANDERSON

Vernon’s report above graphically conveys the atmosphere at the studios, and the business-like way in which the sessions proceeded. My overwhelming impression of that first afternoon was the sheer joy of hearing that magnificent orchestra (all hand-picked session musicians) glide almost effortlessly through no less than eight stunning new Farnon arrangements within three short hours. There is very little I can add to Vernon’s comments, except to tell you that I detected Bob’s First Symphony briefly appearing in "The Nearness Of You"; he also used the same theme in his "New Horizons".

Although there were a few changes on the final day, on most numbers the orchestra comprised: 10 first violins (leader, Raymond Cohen); 8 second violins; 6 violas; 3 bass; 3 french horns; 2 trombones; 4 woodwind; harp; piano; bass and guitar.

Now to return to the evening session on the Monday. Following "My Romance", at 5:32 the orchestra played "Alone Together". Certain instrumentalists need their own headphones so that they can hear the singer, and ensure that their own solos or accompaniments fit in neatly with the rest of the orchestra. During this number certain problems arose in this respect for the harp, and Martin Taylor’s guitar passage at the end. But in typical Farnon fashion all such matters were quietly resolved with good humour, and by 6:00 the orchestra were ready for the next tea-break.

By 6:35 the orchestra were gently swinging "Easy To Love", much to everyone’s enjoyment. Bob suggested that they should up the tempo a little, which made the arrangement really sparkle. But while the increased tempo sounded fine from the orchestra, it didn’t really suit the singer; it was decided that this number should proceed at a more leisurely pace, and the final result was much to every one’s satisfaction.

Soon after 7:00 they went back to "Alone Together" because it was felt that they could still improve on earlier efforts. Not infrequently the crew think that a number sounds fine - until Bob declares that this and that were not quite right, and invariably he is proved correct. By 7:22 they were happier with the results, and Bob then turned his attention to the new Loonis McGlohon number "Everything I Love". Given the necessary exposure, this lovely melody could well become a modern standard. This performance was given added poignancy by the composer’s participation at the piano. By 8 pm everyone agreed that the long day had been a great success; in particular Eileen Farrell and her American companions seemed knocked out by Bob’s arrangements.

May Day dawned, with more temperature records being broken. Fortunately minor problems with the air conditioning were quickly corrected! And some new faces appeared at the studios. On the Monday, Frances Carder had looked in during the afternoon, and Tuesday saw the arrival of Beryl Antony, Don Furnell and Cab Smith joining the RFS ranks. Cab has reported on the remaining sessions for us (below) so I’ll close my own remarks with just a few observations. We were a little surprised at first on finding that the orchestra did not include any trumpets or percussion. Bob decided that they were not essential, and "Easy To Love" in particular illustrates that an orchestra can swing without them - at least, in Bob’s hands. On the technical side, the sound engineers used only a small part of the elaborate facilities available to them in the CTS Studios. Remember, these are the same studios where John Williams and many other leading film composers have recorded their soundtrack scores, needing state-of-the-art technology. But the experts at Reference Recordings like to use their own equipment, which even extends to employing different circuitry for CDs and vinyl, to match the differing requirements of digital and analogue sound. The intention was that Eileen Farrell would sing each number in the studio with the orchestra, rather than weeks or months later in a remote studio elsewhere. Unfortunately her booth caused relationship problems between herself and the orchestra which her headphones could not adequately remedy. It is likely that she will dub in a few of her vocals which did not satisfy her high standards. "My Foolish Heart" was one number where Eileen was particularly unhappy with the results being achieved. DAVID ADES

Now let’s read CAB SMITH’s impressions on his two days at Wembley:

Once again I had the great pleasure of attending another of Bob’s recording sessions, which took place at C.T.S. Wembley over three days from Monday 30 April - although we rounded off at 12:30 on the Wednesday.

The event was a series of popular songs from the past, sung by a charming lady from the States who sang with a most pleasing voice which came over most clearly on all of her songs. If I recall correctly, she sang in a similar style to Kate Smith, who I used to hear on some of her radio shows aired on A.F.N. in Germany back in the late l940s. Eileen did admit that she had been around singing after the war, so you can gather from that she has covered a great number of songs in her time.

Unfortunately I could not attend the Day 1 sessions, but I could not wait for Day 2 (Tuesday 1 May) to arrive. So after travelling for an hour and three-quarters, on a journey that usually takes about forty minutes, I finally made it - NOT the fault of my Lada, as some people may have thought!

I arrived at 10:15 am and made my may to the control room, where I was greeted by David and Don Furnell and, of course, the Guv’nor himself looking very well. It was also good to meet David Farnon again, who had his hands full keeping tabs on the cue sheets, etc... I just arrived as they were listening to the playback of a song from the 1930s "More Than You Know". It was originally featured in the film "Hit The Deck" with Jack Oakie, with a remake in 1955 by MGM. After three takes everyone seemed happy with the result, Then on to the next number "The Nearness Of You" by Ned Washington and Hoagy Carmichael, from the 1938 picture ‘Romance In The Dark". Again, this was very nicely sung.

 

The following piece was entirely new to me , "What Is There To Say" ... once more, a beautiful performance by Miss Farrell after three takes.

Song No. 4 "Love Panic", I must admit, was completely new to me as well. But again it was nicely put over by Eileen. Throughout the session, at times Don, David and myself would go down on the studio floor and sit at the rear of the orchestra. What a treat, being among the cream of the orchestral world Raymond Cohen, first violin; Don Lusher, trombone; Lennie Bush, bass; Roy Willox, Tommy Whittle, reeds; Martin Taylor, guitar; along with around 50 session personnel. This is where the real atmosphere of the orchestra was! And I mustn’t forget Bob, out in front conducting his wonderful arrangements which clearly appealed to the musicians on that enjoyable session.

Then the lunch break arrived, so most of us trooped off to the studio restaurant, to enjoy a first class meal, at their price!

Two o’clock arrived, and we returned to the control room to await the next ballad to be rehearsed. It was a number that became a big hit way back in 1949 "My Foolish Heart", composed bv Victor Young with words by Ned Washington. This took a little longer to rehearse, as by now Eileen Farrell’s voice was starting to get tired, so she decided to sing it again the following day. She tried out the next number on the schedule, which she seemed to handle better - "His Is The Music That Makes Me Dance". Eileen performed this with great feeling and after four takes this led us up to 4:55pm. Everyone seemed to be happy with what had taken place, so after our farewells to all concerned my next move was to head the Lada for home.

Wednesday 2 May: Day 3. I arrived a little late for the final session, and greeting me as I entered the control room was Bob’s arrangement of "The More I See You" with Eileen handling the lyric with ease. This number was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the Billy Rose film "Diamond Horseshoe" starring Dick Haymes and Betty Grable in 1945. By 10:30 the song was in the can, as you might say, and then came a lovely ballad which Frank Sinatra used to sign off his radio show back in the 1940s. "Put Your Dreams Away", again very nicely put over, and after a few takes everyone was satisfied.

Break time came for twenty minutes, giving us a chance to check the weather outside which was still outstanding for the time of the year. Then back to the control room to hear another run-through of "My Foolish Heart", postponed from the previous day. After another take it was decided to record an orchestral track only, so that Eileen could add her voice later if she wished.

About 12:15 the session came to an end, For me it was a most enjoyable two days listening to a great lady of song, whose diction is so clear that every words of the lyrics comes through. As for today’s vocalists ... you often wonder just what they are singing! My thanks to Bob and David Farnon for letting us sit in at the sessions, and let’s not forget Bob’s manager Derek Boulton for helping to make it all possible.

An afterthought: looking through my ‘Hollywood Musicals’ book I see that, in 1955 MGM produced a film called "Interrupted Melody". It was the biography of Marjorie Lawrence, a well-known opera singer played on screen by Eleanor Parker co-starring Glen Ford. The entry states that Eileen Farrell dubbed the songs for Eleanor Parker, and from reports she was rated very highly for her valuable contribution towards the film’s success.

CAB SMITH

The photographs in this feature were taken on 1 May 1990.

In January 1972, Tony Bennett and Robert Farnon began recording a series of television programmes from London’s ‘Talk Of The Town’ in Leicester Square. A few Robert Farnon Society members were able to attend the rehearsals and the actual recordings, and their reports were published in the May 1972 issue (No. 36) of ‘Journal Into Melody’. The following feature (with some minor editing) is based on those impressions of some memorable Sundays almost forty years ago.

TONY BENNETT AND ROBERT FARNON AT ‘THE TALK OF THE TOWN’

DAVID ADES REPORTS ON THE TV RECORDING SESSIONS

Everyone seems happy with the finished result of the Tony Bennett / Robert Farnon Television Shows recorded at London’s "Talk Of The Town" during the first three months of this year.

Tony Bennett is certainly very happy!

For the first time he is doing exactly what he wants to do on television, and virtually the whole free world will be seeing the result. Even before all the programmes were recorded he was making plans for doing a further 13 shows in London later this year. And, of course, Robert Farnon will be with him. Tony told us that having someone like Bob in charge of the orchestra is a wonderful help and comfort to him. "You know that everything will be all right. There’s no doubt that Robert Farnon will be famous within a year — and rightly so".

Robert Farnon must be happy with the superb 38-piece orchestra assembled under his baton for each of the 13 shows. Just consider these star names:

Kenny Baker and Stan Roderick (trumpets); Don Lusher and Bobby Lamb (trombones); Kenny Clare (drums); Eric Allen (percussion) and Marie Goossens (harp). The orchestra leader is Lionel Bentley.

Judging by the enthusiastic response from the audience each time, there is no doubt that they are happy with the entertainment provided on that particular Sunday evening when they have been lucky enough to he present. And finally, we in the RFAS should be happy — and delighted — that Robert Farnon is at last going to get world-wide publicity for his talents.

Each show includes a film sequence showing Tony Bennett in various parts of the country. These are accompanied by a different Farnon composition and full credit is given on the screen. The following have been included:

Melody Fair, En Route, Strolling Home, Blue Theme, Journey Into Melody, Gateway To The West, Portrait Of A Flirt, A Summer Love, A Star Is Born, To A Young Lady, Little Miss Molly, Down Home, Proud Canvas and State Occasion.

To fit in with the length of each film (and to allow a brief appearance of the orchestra at the end of each number) a few alterations had to be made to some of these pieces. Melody Fair is played in the original version (never recorded) which has a longer ending; at Chappell’s request this was shortened - unfortunately! Both En Route and Journey Into Melody have main themes extended and repeated - but the biggest ‘change’ of all is for A Summer Love. This is played when Tony Bennett wanders among the Spring flowers near Bob’s home in Guernsey; for the TV show it has been retitled A Promise Of Spring! The problem now is what to call the real A Promise of Spring if they wish to use it in the next TV series. Perhaps A Summer Love?!

[Editor: sadly the hoped-for second series did not happen. This had a familiar echo: while Farnon was recording with Sinatra in June 1962 they talked about a second LP, but it turned out to be just talk.]

The same setting is used for each show. The orchestra are at the back of the stage, with Tony and his guest stars performing in front of them. Members who have visited The Talk Of The Town (or who have seen other TV shows from there) will know that the stage extends into the theatre so that the audience is seated on three sides of it. It is certainly one of the most popular places in London for ‘outside’ TV shows. The predominant colour is gold, and most programmes use a large dark backcloth covered in stars.

[Editor: ‘The Talk Of The Town’ began life as The London Hippodrome which was originally designed as a circus when it opened on 15 January 1900. In 1909 it was redeveloped as a theatre which could also screen films, and its location in Leicester Square, at the heart of London’s theatreland, meant that it would stage many top shows over the next fifty years. In 1958 it became a theatre restaurant as "The Talk Of The Town" which thrived for 25 years. In 1983 it was transformed into a nightclub, which brought its share of problems, eventually leading to its closure. There are plans to reopen it as a Casino in 2010.]

All the shows - except two (when Sacha Distell failed to turn up!) - have guest stars in the second half, and the famous names include: Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Matt Monro, Annie Ross, Tommy Leonetti and Cleo Laine.

During the run of this series, Bob has been working to a very busy schedule. This has given him barely 48 hours at home each week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are taken up with arranging and doing vocal rehearsals with Tony and the guest stars. 10:00 am on Sunday morning sees the start of the band rehearsals which break at noon. At 2:00 pm begins a complete run-through of each show (two were video-taped each week, except the first) and finally at around 6:00 or 6:30 there is a final break until the audience arrives and the first programme starts at around 7:45.

At the start of the show there is a short film sequence showing a newspaper van driving past and a bundle of papers thrown out. Newspaper headlines proclaim that Tony Bennett is in London at The Talk Of The Town, and the lights of the theatre then announce the show. At the same time the orchestra is playing an up-tempo version of Robert Farnon’s A Star Is Born. This reaches a climax ... there is a drum roll, and Bob’s voice (on tape) announces "Ladies end Gentlemen, from London — meet Mr. Tony Bennett!" To great applause, Tony steps down from a revolving door and rushes down the steps on to the main stage to start the show!

Now let’s have some reports from several members who have been along to the recordings.

‘Cab’ Smith went on 23 January - the first show to he taped:

On entering the showplace of the stars we were shown to our table for six, which was near the stage. Awaiting us were two bottles of ‘champagne’, as for the grade, I couldn’t tell you, but by the time the show ended we found it most enjoyable - and free at that! It was kindly supplied by Thames Television who were recording the first of their thirteen half-hourly shows in colour of their TV spectacular of Tony Bennett, with Robert Farnon and his Orchestra, John Bunch ah the piano, and Tony’s special guest star Tommy Leonetti.

While we waited for the show to start, we gazed around to see the Who’s Who in Show Business, and quite a few familiar faces could be seen near-by. On stage appeared the session men, among them Kenny Baker and Don Lusher. Then the ‘Guv’ appeared which made the group complete. About 7:40 the show got under way with Bob’s up-tempo arrangement of A Star Is Born, then on came Tony Bennett in his amicable style, singing What The World Needs Now, followed by a couple at other numbers.

After this he announced his first special guest star — Tommy Leonetti, who sang most pleasantly. Tony joined him in a duet with a second helping of What The World Needs Now, which ended the first half.

During the interval a few more familiar faces appeared, among them Tony Bennett’s wife Sandie, and Sheila Southern who were sitting at a table a few feet from us.

Part two commenced with Bob’s composition and fine arrangement of Strolling Home, which was a treat to hear and watch. Thanks, Bob.

Tony’s San Francisco had to be sung in the first show. This he sang in his superb way, followed by I Want To Be Happy with John Bunch giving out some grand chords on the 88s.

By this time the show was at an end and Tony came forward, smiling in his usual way and still full of bounce and zest to thank everybody present for being such a grand audience and to say "Goodnight folks".

I must say he puts a lot of feeling and ‘go’ into his numbers, just like he did at the Royal Albert Hall in the early part of last year with Bob. The time went so quickly, but what we saw and heard made a memorable evening, so our thanks to Thames TV for the invitation.

Three RFS members reported for JIM on the 6^th February shows. First here are Margaret Foreman’s jottings:

We found our visit to The Talk Of The Town one at the most exciting nights we can remember. The evening was divided into two halves - each half representing one half-hour show when it is televised in Britain later this year. Tony Bennett’s performance was, as usual, faultless, and I feel that he and Mr. Farnon deserve each other.

Each half had its own guest star, the first was Cleo Laine and the second Annie Ross, surely two of Britain’s best singers. They each sang two songs solo and shared a third with Tony Bennett. A short piece of film was also included in each show - familiar London scenes, the Changing Of The Guard and a boat trip along the Thames. As these were shown on the monitors around the theatre they were accompanied by a Bob Farnon composition, although regrettably no mention was made to the audience of the composer or the title.

The orchestra was superb especially the rhythm section - the same group, I believe, that augmented the London Philharmonic Orchestra that Robert Farnon conducted at the Royal Albert Hall in January 1971.

The final pleasure came at the end when it was announced that a technical fault had been discovered and some of the second show had to he repeated thus giving us another chance to hear Tony Bennett and Annie Ross sing, and Mr. Farnon accompanying the Changing Of The Guard with State Occasion.

If Robert Farnon’s association with Tony Bennett means that we see and hear more of this kind of music presented, long may it continue. I, for one, will not complain!

Jimmy Gibbs was also present on 6 February:

I really enjoyed the shows … they were superb! The highlight for Farnon fans was the orchestra playing Gateway To The West to a film of Tony sailing up the river admiring all the landmarks. Cleo swung through On A Clear Day and a duet with Tony.

In the second show the highlight was Bob Farnon’s State Occasion which we were lucky enough to hear twice, as the first recording had been faulty. As Tony said: "We can listen to it again and again – I don’t mind, and I don’t suppose you do." We certainly didn’t!

All through this we sipped ‘champagne’ – on the house, of course! I liked Bob’s smooth casual approach to it all, and his parting remark to the orchestra "same time next week!" shows what a friendly get-together of superb musicians this was. How Kenny Clare enjoyed those drums! And what a laugh there was when the orchestra was recalled for the retake and one of the violinists (a big man) came puffing back with his violin already packed in its case!

It all seemed so informal. Everyone stood around chatting while the tape was checked. Yes, it was superb!

Finally a few more comments on the same show from George Fraser:

We were seated downstairs about thirty feet from the stage and were able to see and hear everything with the maximum of comfort. The orchestra was, of course, superb – as regards the guests this, of course, is a matter of personal preference. I realise that Cleo Laine is very highly regarded in the music profession as a very accomplished singer and stylist. She sang two songs, On A Clear Day and a modern pop song Making It With You but, quite frankly, she didn’t make it with me!

On the other hand I really did enjoy the singing of Annie Ross. No vocal gymnastics, she sang two good tunes – both very much with a jazz flavouring – and as luck would have it they had to be repeated.

I could have sat there all night listening to the orchestra and the two singers; it was a great experience.

David Ades reported on the 13 February shows:

Billy Eckstine guested on both these shows, looking quite different from his usual public image, but with the great voice still there. However the duet with Tony – My Favourite Things – caused as much trouble in the evening as it had during the afternoon rehearsals!

Bob’s compositions in the two filmed spots were Down Home (with added strings) and the ever-beautiful Melody Fair. Two particularly nice Bennett songs were Summer of 42 and Street Of Dreams, the latter with a splendid Bob Farnon arrangement. Also watch out for a long and unusual performance of It Had To Be You – quite a tour de force by Tony Bennett with lovely piano playing by John Bunch.

Barbara Bunfield was present on 27 February:

The orchestra straggled spasmodically on to the stage, as do orchestras all over the world; the chandeliers dimmed and the big arc lights over the stage blazed. The conductor walked on to the stage, picked up his baton and an expectant hush fell over the waiting audience. This is the sort of scene that happens nightly all over London, but, to us, this evening held a particular interest ... it was not just any conductor, this was Robert Farnon and this television recording at The Talk Of The Town was giving us an all too rare opportunity to see (and indeed hear) the master in action.

The strains of San Francisco announced the appearance of Tony Bennett, the star of the show, who gave his own particular magic to such differing songs as Wave, Get Happy and The Shadow Of Your Smile, not forgetting Bob Farnon’ s own hauntingly beautiful composition How Beautiful Is Night (With You). The guest artist was Matt Monro, who I think must be rated as the best British singer of recent years, particularly since he seems to have picked up some of the suavity and polish of American performers whilst visiting those shores.

Our president led the orchestra in his own inimitable compositions Portrait Of A Flirt and To A Young Lady and here we come to my one criticism of the presentation: both of these pieces were played as background to some extremely appealing film of Tony Bennett and his small daughter shown on the monitor screens. Now this was explained to us, but what was not mentioned was that recording of the music was still taking place and therefore most of the audience seemed to look upon this as a diversion staged for their benefit and seized the opportunity to chat amongst themselves, which, as you can imagine, annoyed Peter and myself intensely.

The high spot of the evening was, for me, a Farnon arrangement of Georgia On My Mind sung by Matt Monro; this took me back nostalgically to my youth and my love of Dixieland jazz when this was a favourite piece, but nostalgia didn’t feature at all in this arrangement - a more swinging big band sound would he hard to imagine coming right down to the romantic strings that only Mr. Farnon is complete master of. I bet Matt Monro could hardly believe his luck. I know I couldn’t!

May I digress here to mention the outstanding acoustical properties at The Talk Of The Town ... I only hope the quality comes over on the television so that we can all enjoy it together.

David Ades reported on the 5 March shows:

Blue Theme and a lengthened En Route were the Farnon specials for this Sunday’s recordings. Also a lovely Farnon arrangement of Here’s That Rainy Day. During the afternoon rehearsals I told Tony Bennett that the chattering of the audience during the film sequences was most annoying, and I said that I hoped that the microphones were not picking it up. The following week, as soon as I arrived at the theatre, Tony came straight up to me to say that he had taken my ‘complaint’ seriously, and checked some of the shows already recorded. I’m pleased to report that everything sounds fine, with no noticeable chatter on the soundtrack.

The final two shows were recorded on 12 March, and David Ades completed his impressions of a memorable series:

The last two programmes to be recorded merely featured Tony Bennett and the Robert Farnon Orchestra. As far as I was concerned they were the best of all. Not that Tony can’t face up to competition from guest stars - he most certainly can, but after all it is his TV series, and each show only lasts 24½ minutes in total. I understand that guest spots in the next series may feature instrumentalists, rather than singers. [Editor: as already mentioned, this series did not happen.]

Bob’s pieces in these final shows were Journey Into Melody and A Summer Love (retitled A Promise Of Spring on screen). Journey had the main theme repeated to increase its length; it had been hoped to use the original Chappell version, but the scores were so badly spoilt (in the Chappell fire several years previously) that they could not be rewritten in time.

We could go on forever praising these TV shows, but this article must end somewhere! May I thank all the members who have shared their ‘evening out’ with us. One point needs emphasising - the order in which the shows were recorded will not necessarily be the order of their transmission.

[Editor: the shows were eventually broadcast on ITV in Britain, but not in all parts of the country and occasionally at different times. In those days the UK’s only commercial TV broadcaster was split into many regional companies who often ‘opted out’ of the programmes being screened elsewhere. The shows were also shown overseas, and at the start of each programme a separate opening sequence was recorded especially for the USA.]

Under the headline "FARNON: THE GUV’NOR" the prestigious British weekly music newspaper Melody Maker printed the following article on 11 March 1972.

American musicians of the calibre of Quincy Jones and Nelson Riddle call him "the guv’nor."

That, of course, in Stateside parlance is the ultimate accolade. "Not," says Robert Farnon, with a self deprecatory smile "as it means here - the boss, in the usual context of the word."

Yes, in one sense, Bob Farnon is the "boss man" when it comes to the specialised job of conducting a 38-piece orchestra for Tony Bennett.

The fact that Bennett chose Farnon to front and conduct his accompanying orchestra is itself enough testimony to his qualities. Yet, to the public at large, he remains a somewhat shadowy figure less well-known to those who listen to Tony Bennett on TV and concerts than some fairly lightweight talents who bounce into the spotlight via the album or singles charts.

Farnon is no dyed-in-the-wool reactionary who dismisses rock/pop with contempt. He pays tribute, in fact, to predecessors who’ve done much to break down the ‘snob’ barriers between the ‘legit’ and pop idioms.

"We owe a lot to people like Andre Previn and Leonard Bernstein for bridging the gap," he says.

America, of course, was always more flexible in its musical attitudes than Britain.

"But I think the gap started to close when Tutti Camarata (once a trumpeter with Benny Goodman) came to Britain and formed an orchestra of our top symphonic men and jazz musicians for the ‘London Town’ movie."

The gulf between the American and British ‘feeling’ for jazz is still closing.

That had a lot to do with Ted Heath’s tours of America in exchange for the Stan Kenton Band, which came here. This presented British musicians with an opportunity to see and hear American musicians at first hand.

"American musicians were not such good readers as the British musicians, but they phrased the music better, and in the case of pop and jazz music, they made a nice sound on their horns."

In his 38-piece orchestra accompanying Tony Bennett on his TV series, Robert Farnon now includes such jazz talents as Don Lusher and Bobby Lamb (trombones), Kenny Baker and Stan Roderick (trumpets), Kenny Clare (drums) and Arthur Watts (bass).

Robert arranged for Ted Heath, Geraldo and recorded on Decca, accompanying such topliners as Vera Lynn. He moved into film work, and has some 40 films to his credit.

"I first met Tony Bennett 20 years ago" he recalls. "We decided then we’d get together one day to do an album and some concert work."

Farnon has now done three Bennett albums: ‘Snowfall’, an album of the TV show with the London Philharmonic at London’s Royal Albert Hall, and Tony Bennett With Love’. - LAURIE HENSHAW.

[The Melody Maker article was reprinted in ‘Journal Into Melody’ by kind permission of the Editor.]