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?!

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.

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.

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.

ROBERT FARNON’S BASSOON CONCERTO RECEIVES ITS WORLD PREMIERE IN MALVERN
CONCERT REVIEW
Romancing the Phoenix (Robert Farnon) : World Premiere
DANIEL SMITH, Bassoon
CHANDOS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by MICHAEL LLOYD
Sunday 13 September 2009

When an amateur orchestra in a provincial town is offered the opportunity to perform the world premiere of a new work it is bound to create a certain degree of excitement. And when the composer happens to be someone that many people regard as the world’s finest light music master of the second half of the 20^th century – and the soloist is also recognised as a world leader on his chosen instrument, the musical establishment starts to sit up and take notice. And rightly so.

The venue was the Forum Theatre in historic Malvern, an idyllic town famous not only for its mineral water, but also because of its association with Sir Edward Elgar. The Malvern Hills, often quoted as the inspiration for much of Elgar’s magnificent music, are an overwhelming presence - but comforting, rather than threatening. One could almost imagine the great composer nodding in approval as the fine orchestra dealt competently with a wide ranging selection of music aptly described in the concert’s title "The Lighter Side of Classical".

As expected the local press recognised the importance of the event. In the Birmingham Post on 7 September Peter Bacon alerted his readers to a "Rare outing for exotic bassoon":

Bassoons – you wait years for one to come down the jazz road and then two come at once! ….it’s getting a real prestige outing at Malvern. As a composer and arranger, the Canadian-born English resident Robert Farnon worked with Frank Sinatra, was admired by Andre Previn and influenced Quincy Jones. The last work he wrote before he died in 2005 was a concerto for bassoon and jazz trio, but it has never been performed - until now.

The piece, called "Romancing The Phoenix", is in the programme being performed by bassoonist Daniel Smith (its dedicatee) and the Chandos Symphony Orchestra at the Forum Theatre in Malvern on Sunday.

Daniel says of Romancing The Phoenix, "Robert Farnon’s bassoon concerto was not bound by any commissions, deadlines, financial obligations, or anything else; just written to fully express himself as a composer.

"I was honoured that he dedicated the piece to me and he told me it was the best piece of music he’d ever written. As the only piece of music written by Robert Farnon which has never been performed in public, this concerto premiere will be a fitting tribute to the memory of one of the 20th century’s greatest composer/arrangers."

Daniel is a leading pioneer of the bassoon with a repertoire from Baroque concerti to jazz, ragtime and crossover. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall and the Lincoln Center.

On 10 September, under a heading "Robert Farnon’s ‘light music’ not to be sniffed at", Christopher Morley wrote a second pre-concert piece in the Birmingham Post:

A recent depressing correspondence in the Radio Times spluttered that MGM film music had no place at the BBC Proms, where it was allocated a concert this year, and that Henry Wood and Malcolm Sargent would be spinning in their graves. To be honest, I don’t care if they do. MGM had the services of some of the world’s most expert composers and arrangers (many of them refugees from the Nazis), and the scores they created remain classy examples of the film-composer’s art.

I wonder how many of our "respectable" composers would be capable of instantly providing an extra 13 seconds of music to complement a take where the actors had gone on too long? And I don’t think John Wilson, the gifted young conductor who has devoted so much time and energy into reassembling these film scores, and who this season conducts concerts of both film music and "proper classical music" with the CBSO, would have any truck with such musical fascism.

Michael Lloyd, conductor at both English National Opera and in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s publicity-grabbing production of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium, is obviously of a like mind. On Sunday he programmes an entire concert of light music with the Chandos Symphony Orchestra in Malvern’s Forum Theatre, a venue which more frequently resonates with all the sounds of Elgarland.Selections of music by the great film composer Ron Goodwin (how CBSO players who performed under his baton revere him) and the brilliant Leroy Anderson are included, as well as the whimsical Symphony 5½ by Don Gillis, subtitled A Symphony for Fun. Possibly the most serious part of the evening comes with Malcolm Arnold’s Four Cornish Dances, but the undoubted curiosity is the world premiere of the bassoon concerto Romancing the Phoenix by the elegant Canadian light-music composer Robert Farnon, with American bassoon virtuoso Daniel Smith as soloist.

Smith is a versatile player whose repertoire ranges from the baroque – he has recorded all 37 of Vivaldi’s concertos for his instrument for the ASV label – to jazz, where his playing has prompted comparisons with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. His discography includes music by Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and many other jazz notables. He also gave the American West Coast premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and crossover pioneer Gunther Schuller’s Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra, one of only a handful of concertos written for the contra.

Farnon’s concerto is heavily influenced by jazz, incorporating passages of free improvisation. The bassoon has to be amplified, Smith points out, to be heard above the rhythm section, let alone the rest of the instruments. "In the score you can see passages where the bassoon plays the role of a lead saxophone, with three bassoons underneath in the scoring, just as in a saxophone section," says Smith. "There is also a lot of percussion used and in many sections, the winds act as a sort of wind band within the full orchestra – Farnon described this as ‘a big band within a full symphony orchestra’."

In the final movement there is a section where both orchestra and "big band" sit back and the soloist is left to improvise on an up-tempo blues with a rhythm-section of piano, bass and drums. This passage is open-ended, and at the soloist’s moment of choosing the conductor brings the orchestra back in, beginning with the percussion. After several more passages involving improvisation, the concerto culminates in what Smith describes as "a really startling ending which simply flies all over the place and ends on a bang."

Farnon did not live to hear the piece played in public, and Daniel Smith reveals that the composer declined the chance to have it previewed. "He had the opportunity for one movement to be premiered with the BBC Concert Orchestra but turned it down because they would have used their own bassoonist (he would have had to write out any improvised solos of course), and he would not allow this to happen until I did the actual premiere. Which was very kind of him."

There was a pre-concert conversation between Daniel Smith and Michael Lloyd, chaired by Birmingham Post music critic David Hart. Daniel explained how he had become involved with Robert Farnon, and he made it clear that there had been detailed discussions during the final stages of composition to ensure that the work was right for the instrument. Michael Lloyd spoke about his wide career in music, most recently in London’s West End, and his love of light music. He was especially pleased to be conducting Don Gillis’s Symphony No. 5½.

Daniel Smith is widely regarded as the leading pioneer of the bassoon with his many critically acclaimed award-winning recordings and live performances. As the most recorded bassoon soloist in the world, his repertoire spans music ranging from Baroque concerti to contemporary music including jazz, ragtime and crossover. He is the only bassoonist performing and recording in both the jazz and classical fields. Daniel Smith's unique career has been profiled in Gramophone, the New York Times, Fanfare, Classical Music, Musical Heritage Review, American Record Guide, Classic CD and many leading European publications including The Times in England. In the USA, his career was highlighted on PBS's "All Things Considered'. In the UK, one of his recordings was the 'signature tune' for BBC radio 3 while BBC radio 4 recently showcased his career.

Daniel Smith's performances include jazz with his quartet 'Bassoon and Beyond', classical recitals with piano, concertos with orchestra, and highly popular programs divided between classical and jazz, with music ranging from Vivaldi, Elgar, Mozart and Verdi to Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie. Described as a 'phenomenon', he has been called the 'Gerry Mulligan of the Bassoon' in the world of jazz and the 'Galway' and 'Rampal of the Bassoon' in the world of classical music, bringing his unique sound and style to concert series, festivals and jazz clubs.

His historic and unprecedented 6 CD set on ASVof the complete 37 Vivaldi bassoon concertos was chosen as 'Best Concerto Recording of the Year' by the Music Industry Association and awarded the Penguin Guide's coveted *** rosette rating as well as inclusion in Fanfare's annual 'Want List'. These concertos, recorded with The English Chamber Orchestra and I Solisti di Zagreb, firmly established Daniel Smith as a leading soloist on his instrument. His recordings with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Caravaggio Ensemble for the ASVWhite Line label produced innovative crossover albums, with unique renditions of ragtime pieces, opera excerpts, and popular standards. In the world of jazz, his albums on the Zah Zah label, 'BEBOP BASSOON' and 'THE SWINGING BASSOON' showcase the music of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and many other legendary jazz artists. Other recordings of Daniel Smith are available on Vox, MHS, KemDisc, Pearl, Spectrum, Cambria, Regis, Crystal and Forum labels.

His performances have included many firsts: The American West Coast premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gunther Schuller's 'Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra'; the world premiere of Steve Gray's 'Jazz Suite For Bassoon' with the Welsh Chamber Orchestra; solo concerts at New York's Lincoln Center and the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, and also five appearances at London's 'Pizza On The Park' with his jazz quartet. Other major venues where he has performed include New York's Carnegie Recital Hall (two appearances) and the Merkin Concert Hall. In London, the Wigmore Hall (three times), St.John's Smith Square, and the BBC Concert Hall. His many recordings are heard throughout the world on classical and jazz radio stations, National Public Radio in the USA, major airlines for in-flight listening, and featured with leading book and record clubs as well as the Muzak network. In 2003, Daniel Smith was designated as 'Ambassador for the Bassoon' by Youth Music in the UK.

In 2008 the International Jazz Journalists Association voted him as finalist for 'player of the year' in their category of "Instruments rare in jazz'. Starting at the end of 2009 and thereafter, his new jazz album 'Blue Bassoon', will be heard world-wide on leading jazz radio stations.

Warner Chappell recently published the score and parts of "Romancing The Phoenix" with Robert Farnon's dedication to 'The American virtuoso Daniel Smith' on the title page.

The conductor Michael Lloyd, BA, ARCM, also has an impressive cv: read music at the University of East Anglia; postgraduate studies at RCM. Career includes: Scottish Ballet (company pianist and professional conducting debut);  Staatstheater Kassel where he switched from ballet to opera, Württembergisches Staatstheater, Stuttgart; ENO 1985-2003, conducting new productions, revivals and performances in a wide range of repertoire (in 1989 appointed Assistant Music Director, in 1998 Senior Resident Conductor).  Conducted frequently in New Zealand (opera, concerts and ballet), in Japan, Korea, Singapore and Macau.  Regular conductor with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and English National Ballet and made his debut with the Ulster Orchestra and with Opera Holland Park in 2005.  Has returned regularly to ENO since 2003.  Music Director of the Chandos Symphony Orchestra, Malvern and the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra.

David Hart’s report on the concert was printed in the Birmingham Post on 15 September. He began:

Although conductor Michael Lloyd is not a complete stranger to ‘light’ music, for the Chandos Symphony Orchestra this concert was a new experience, and one I’m sure they will want to repeat.

In addition to introducing these part-time players, who for tonal quality and precision could easily be mistaken for full-time professionals, to the delights of miniature classics by Leroy Anderson, Ron Goodwin and Don Gillis (and on a more elevated level Malcolm Arnold’s Four Cornish Dances), it also gave us the world premiere of Robert Farnon’s bassoon concerto "Romancing the Phoenix".

Completed just before Farnon’s death in 2005, the work was written for the American bassoonist Daniel Smith, a multi-talented performer equally adept in classical music, jazz and crossover. And it’s these qualities which shape and inform the concerto, by integrating and contrasting the bassoon with full orchestra and a jazz trio.

At times it seems an uneasy combination. Smith’s note-bending, although elegiac in its way, on Sunday sounded rather at odds with the lyrical opulence and lush string writing of the opening Andante Moderato; but when it lifted off into brass-led big band territory with jazz bass and drums, everything fell into place.

The slow movement also started reflectively, though less purposefully, again reserving its big moment – with the amplified soloist pitted against full brass – until the end.

As did the finale, although there were jazzy excitements along the way, including a very punchy improvised cadenza. The best moment, however, came in the concluding bars, with a flying scamper of bassoon and orchestral woodwind culminating in a glorious Mahlerian tam-tam clang. If only there had been more of that sort of thing earlier.

As many RFS members will no doubt agree, Robert Farnon’s serious works become considerably more enjoyable when heard several times. His writing is often so complex, and his harmonies frequently unexpected, that a first encounter does not always reveal a new work in its full splendour. An audience accustomed to the works of Beethoven, Wagner and Mozart must have found the experience in Malvern that Sunday evening something of a cultural shock, although the applause at the end indicated that many people present were very glad to be there.

Daniel Smith certainly rose to the occasion magnificently. His mastery of the bassoon is beyond question, and his careful preparation for the premiere was evident. The work is based on the "Saxophone Tipartite" from 1971, but Farnon has added some nice touches, including a sensitive introduction lasting around two minutes before the full, rich orchestral sound fills the concert hall so dramatically.

The climax of the work finds the bassoon supported by a jazz trio – Sean Whittle on keyboard, Russell Swift bass and Steve Smith who was outstanding on drums. The audience clearly wanted to hear more from this impressive quartet, and Daniel obliged with three titles from his latest CD "Blue Bassoon", ending with the Mercer Ellington classic "Things Ain’t What They Used To Be".

Amazingly some members of the orchestra (particularly the strings) managed to sit through this jazz session without any sign of the rhythms reaching their bodies. How they could sit there without even the slightest movement of even a gently tapping foot was astonishing. Of course, the brass, woodwinds, percussion and notably the french horns were certainly caught up in the excitement of the occasion – as was the audience!

Our president David Farnon was present to witness the premiere, and it was good to meet several other RFS members as well, including John Bladon, David Corbett and Eric Smith.

Thanks to Daniel Smith’s persistence, the concert was previewed in the magazine Classical Music on 29 August, and it made the Bassoon Concerto its ‘Premiere of the Fortnight’ with a report covering two-thirds of the page and photos of both Daniel Smith and Robert Farnon. Chris Elcombe’s report went into some detail about the meetings between performer and composer:

The timing of Farnon’s death helps to explain the premiere’s delay until 2009 as Smith explains: "When he died unexpectedly early in 2005 it fell on my shoulders to follow up and try to get premieres and performances lined up, which was not an easy task starting from scratch". Fortunately though, there had been enough time for composer and soloist to discuss the piece together in the final weeks of Farnon’s life. "When I first flew to Guernsey he showed me a work in progress and I offered input and ideas. Within a very short time he had it all finished. I had the opportunity to fly again to Guernsey (this time to meet him at the hospital where he was recovering from surgery) and I played the entire piece for him. He gave me a good idea of how the piece was to be performed. Within a month or so of this meeting he died in his sleep, and this was the only opportunity to find out what he had in mind in regard to his concept of the concerto".

Daniel Smith is now concentrating on getting more performances of this work, both in Europe and his native USA. He also hopes that other UK orchestras will follow the lead of the Chandos Orchestra and include it in future programmes.th gave an exclusive interview to ‘Journal Into Melody’ about his meeting with Robert Farnon – published in issue 165, September 2005.

JOHN WILSON CELEBRATES THE GLORIOUS MGM MUSICALS AT THE PROMS

For over 2 hours the Royal Albert Hall became the MGM Concert Hall in Culver City where John Wilson and his incredible hand picked 92 piece orchestra took us through all those wonderful arrangements of Conrad Salinger, LLoyd 'Skip' Martin, Adolph Deustch, Lennie Hayton etc, from the classic MGM Musicals.

The hall was packed and the atmosphere was 'electric' and when John gave the down beat for the MGM Jubilee Overture we all knew we were in for a very special evening. The Orchestra sounded out of this world with marvellous string playing, wonderful swinging brass and reeds and they really did produce that unique 'MGM Sound'. It really felt the musicians on stage were enjoying themselves as much as the audience and to be able to be part of this orchestra, to play these classic arrangements , so painstakingly reconstructed by John, was indeed an honour.

The handpicked soloists - Kim Criswell, Sarah Fox, Sir Thomas Allen, Curtis Stigers and Seth MacFarlane and the Maida Vale Singers really pulled the stops out in their numbers and just could not believe their luck in having such a marvellous orchestra backing them . It was indeed Technicolor for the Ears!

The Prom was carried 'live ' on BBC Radio 3, BBC 2 and the BBC HD Channel. Unfortunately the BBC 2 television transmission had Clive Anderson as compere with Debbie Wiseman and neither acquitted themselves very well I am afraid. They had not researched the subject thoroughly and they got many of their facts wrong. It really should have been done by Edward Seckerson who used to present the much lamented 'Stage and Screen' on Radio 3. The Radio 3 introductions were handled better by Petroc Trelawny.

The BBC TV transmission had an audience of over 2 million - exactly double the Proms Opening Night. It is interesting to read the concert reviews on the BBC Proms Website. Most Proms have 5 or 6 comments - the MGM Prom had 69 with over 95% asking "why can't we have more of this type of music programme?" A lot of correspondents wanted to know when it was going to be repeated and also if it was coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray.

I think the BBC may have opened a 'Pandora's Box' with this Prom after so many years completely ignoring Film and Light Music. I feel sure we will be seeing much more of the John Wilson Orchestra in the future after the outstanding success of this Prom, and he is to be congratulated for all his hard work in reconstructing theses scores that have been now enjoyed by millions.

Hamish MacLean

Programme

MGM Jubilee Overture (Singin’ In The Rain, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Broadway Melody, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Temptation, Be My Love, The Trolley Song, On The Atchison Topeka And The Santa Fe, The Donkey Serenade and Over The Rainbow)
The Trolley Song (from "Meet Me In St Louis")
Over The Rainbow ("The Wizard of Oz")
Steppin’ Out With My Baby ("Easter Parade")
The Heather On The Hill ("Brigadoon")
Wonderful. Wonderful Day & Barn Dance ("Seven Brides For Seven Brothers")
Stranger In Paradise ("Kismet")
More Than You Know ("Hit The Deck")
I Got Rhythm ("Girl Crazy")
Main Title & Love Is Here To Stay ("An American In Paris")
Get Happy ("Summer Stock" – in UK "If You Feel Like Singing")
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, You’re Sensational & Well Did You Evah ("High Society")
Title Song ("Gigi")
One Kiss & Lover Come Back To Me ("Deep In My Heart")
I Like Myself ("It’s Always Fair Weather")
Singin’ In The Rain & Broadway Melody Ballet ("Singin’ In The Rain")
Encores
That’s Entertainment ("The Band Wagon")
Boy What Love Has Done To Me ("Girl Crazy")(heard on Radio-3 but not included in television broadcast)

John Wilson’s glorious MGM Musicals Promenade Concert on 1 August generated the biggest postbag ‘Journal Into Melody’ has received for many years. The following is an edited representative sample of the comments: apologies if your message is missing, simply because it repeats what others have written.

I wish to offer my congratulations on the concert given by John Wilson and his Orchestra, and singers. Over the years my wife and I have enjoyed many Promenade concerts, but we cannot recall any one which gave us more sheer pleasure. In our younger days Light Orchestral music formed a prominent and much appreciated part of the BBC’s output. It was a rare day indeed when, for instance, some composition by Eric Coates was not played over the air. Even into the television era such programmes as Robert Farnon’s Sunday afternoon concerts, and Roger Moffat introducing The BBC Northern Dance Orchestra (with Sheila Buxton) were highlights of the television week. The MGM Musicals Prom reaffirmed that such music, performed with enthusiasm by musicians who really appreciated the works, provides superb entertainment. It is music which deserves to be lifted out of the pit of neglect into which it has been consigned. Although most of the Corporation’s house orchestras have long gone, in The BBC Concert Orchestra there is still a magnificent interpreter of such music. (It is ironic that the Concert Orchestra’s recently released CDs of the orchestral works of Leroy Anderson carry the Radio 3 logo, when Radio 3 never broadcasts anything by Anderson!) The success of John Wilson’s concert suggests that it might be time to incorporate more Light Music into the Prom’s schedule, or even, in the weeks preceding the Proms, revive the Light Music Festivals which for so many summers brought delight to the airwaves. Some influential people seem to believe that the genre of beautifully crafted Light Music which flourished during the middle decades of the Twentieth Century has appeal only to those of us who are were contemporary with it. Even if that belief were true, it would not in itself be reason for our tastes to be ignored. But it is manifestly not true; the youthful enthusiasm of John Wilson, and the exuberance of his musicians, demonstrates that. HORACE BENNETT, England.

Great Prom, although I thought there were too many vocals in the second half. What a fantastic orchestra - pity about presenter Clive Anderson! ALAN BUNTING, Scotland.

I wish to thank all concerned for the magnificent Prom concert on Saturday devoted to Hollywood musicals. This was the kind of enterprise that only the BBC could afford to mount, and it was worth every penny. The conductor John Wilson deserves a knighthood! His orchestra appeared to enjoy playing the wonderful arrangements as much as the audience enjoyed hearing them without the distraction of visuals. It was a chance to pay tribute to the skills of those MGM orchestrators rather than the actual composers of the melodies. I loved it and only wish I had been in the Albert Hall.

ANTHONY WILLS, England.

Hope all RFS members caught the John Wilson Prom - wasn't it magical?! JEFF HALL, England.

We're still reeling from that superb John Wilson Prom on Saturday evening. Yes some of the singers were a bit naff and as for Clive Anderson - yuck!!! It seems to have gone down very well; on a late night phone-in on London's LBC on Saturday evening the first caller was waxing lyrical about it, and even Paul Barnes thought it top-class. I would like to know the programme viewing figures. ALBERT KILLMAN, England.

Let me still tell you how excited I was to listen on the first day of August via internet radio to the fantastic BBC Proms Concert with John Wilson conducting the reconstructed MGM musical scores! Probably the greatest concert I have ever heard. My deepest respect to this young highly talented conductor and his incredible and excellent job. Let us hope one day this big event will be available on DVD. This concert was also broadcast last week (5 September) on the German radio channel Bayern 4 Klassik from Munich. As far I know the reaction of many listeners was enthusiastic! ALEXANDER SCHATTE, Berlin, Germany.

 I enjoyed the latest magazine which arrived yesterday, especially the little bit about John Wilson. What a terrific conductor. I speak for many when I say his MGM Prom was just brilliant and I love his new CD of John Ireland's Music also! MARTIN MILLER, England.

Predictably the musical snobs could not resist complaining about ‘their’ Proms being taken over by something likely to appeal to a far greater audience. One woman wrote to the Radio Times saying that Sir Henry Wood and Sir Malcolm Sargent would be turning in their graves. Clearly she was ignorant of the history of the Proms. Sir Henry Wood envisaged an annual music festival that would appeal to the masses, and the music performed in its early years did just that. It is only in recent decades that the BBC has turned it into an elitist event, with its new commissions clearly intended to foster admiration from non-musical souls who wouldn’t recognise a melody if it jumped up and bit them.

Happily other correspondents to Radio Times put that stupid woman firmly in her place. As well as reminding her of Sir Henry’s original vision, one gentleman who knew Sir Malcolm Sargent, stated categorically that he would have loved the MGM Prom.

 Sir Michael Parkinson also contributed a wonderful article to Radio Times. Under the headline "Cloth-eared zealots who complain are to be pitied", Sir Michael wrote:

The Proms, which I often presented, are one of the great cultural achievements of the BBC. The Prom concert featuring music from 75 years of MGM musicals (1 August BBC2, Radio 3) made me feel, for the first time in a long while, that all was well with the world. John Wilson, the conductor, not only reconstructed the scores of the original orchestral parts destroyed when MGM’s library was demolished, but assembled a big, big band to create a sound that can only be described as glorious. Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper and Les Dawson were regularly on telly the last time I felt as happy watching the box.

There have been sniffy comments from the usual cloth-eared zealots who complain about "dumbing down". They are to be pitied if they don’t understand that the music from the Great American Songbook will last as long as any in the classical canon; and if people extol the genius of Alfred Brendel while dismissing Oscar Peterson, then they know nothing.

It was best illustrated many years ago on Parkinson when we brought together Yehudi Menuhin and Stéphane Grappelli. Menuhin was fascinated by the other man’s talent for improvisation, Grappelli in awe of the other’s reputation. "He is a maestro, I am a fiddle player," he said. They rehearsed for the first time and afterwards Grappelli’s face was creased in a joyous grin. "Good rehearsal?" we asked. "Three minutes into Lady Be Good, tell me, who is the maestro?" he said. It was the start of a working relationship that produced a few records and a long friendship between two men from different worlds, but who shared a genius for making music.

There have been other Prom concerts featuring film music, but why not make a celebration of an incomparable 20th-century art form — which is what the Great American Songbook is — a regular part of the season? It’s too important to be ignored, as it is nowadays, by all of TV and most of radio, including those BBC stations that ought to know better. I speak, of course, of Radio 2, which should be the guardian and promoter of the golden treasury that John Wilson unforgettably presented to us at the Proms. I have a better idea: make John Wilson head of music at Radio 2.

This feature appeared in the December 2009 edition of ‘Journal Into Melody’.

TOM WALSH – FOLLOWING IN GRANDPA’S FOOTSTEPS!

Robert Farnon began his professional musical career as a trumpeter, and his grandson Thomas Walsh seems to be following in his footsteps. His proud mother Judith keeps us informed of his progress, and we recently received the following newspaper report from the Suffolk Evening Star (26 October 2007) by Stephen Foster of BBC Radio Suffolk:

"This Sunday the ever-popular Horn Factory make their fourth appearance at the lpswich Jazz Club. Led by Gill Burgoyne from the saxophone section, this 17 piece outfit were formed nearly a decade ago to give local musicians the chance to play in a big band setting.

Among the current members is highly-rated trumpet player Tom Walsh from Manningtree. Tom’s 16 and now plays regularly with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Earlier this week he told me how he came to join NYJO: ‘I look back on it now and think its quite embarrassing. I was busking in Colchester and the well known jazz bass player Eddie Johnson heard me and suggested I get in touch with NYJO who I’d never heard of before. It’s great because you don’t hare to audition. You just go along and if you can play well you’re in!’

Tom started playing with the orchestra two years ago but has only been gigging regularly with them since the summer. It was at around the same time that Tom linked up with Horn Factory and won Young Musician Of The Year at the Bures Music Festival.

Tom’s short term goal is to secure a place at the Royal Academy of Music. Believe me this young man is going places."

At another concert with the NYJO Tom was featured on Harry South’s portrait of Dizzy Gillespie, appropriately called "Dizzy". He used a trumpet with an almost vertically pointing bell, in true Gillespie style. He coped with all the high notes easily, and it is reported that he created some memorable music in so doing.

This report appeared in ‘Journal Into Melody’ March 2008