ARTIST PROFILE: Robert Farnon
Posted by Radiocafé on 29 May 2010 at 12:34 pm |
Category: 3. Light & Easy
It’s hard to summarise the incredible contribution that Robert Farnon has made to music. Many consider him to be the greatest composer of light orchestral music to have ever lived, and it is difficult to argue against this conclusion. In a career which spanned over six decades, he penned and arranged some of the most beautiful music ever created.
We have therefore decided to defer to the experts, and a fantastic profile of Robert Farnon appears on our full review page, a link to which appears at the foot of this… Continue reading
(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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The BBC has published the results of its 2009 consultation on audience views on Radio 2 and 6 Music. The good news for many of us is that it recognises that Radio 2 is not serving the needs of older listeners. It also highlights that music from the 40s, 50s and 60s are no longer sufficiently featured in Radio 2’s programming.
10 November 2009: We are sad to learn that Maclolm Laycock passed away on 8th November 2009. Malcolm was one of the finest broadcasters, and has been greatly missed from the airwaves since his recent departure from BBC Radio 2. We are so very sorry to hear of this news, as Malcolm was a true gentleman and pioneer of the dance band cause. We were fortunate enough to meet him a few years ago, which was a privilege for us. There were few broadcasters with his vast knowledge and experience and we wish to… 
(18 votes, average: 4.22 out of 5)
BBC radio currently fails to offer anything for a large and significant population: older listeners. While music preference should be independent of age, it is evident that the BBC provides handsomely for the youth audience: they get Radio 1, 1Xtra, 6 Music and the BBC Asian Network. And while Radio 2’s offering is aimed at the over-35s, much of the music offered is in fact aimed at attracting a younger audience. Much of it is completely unattractive to the over-70s.
David Jacobs is worthy of every superlative. He is quite simply one of the finest broadcasters we have ever produced; his weekly BBC Radio 2 show remains one of the few, true gems on air. He has been broadcasting for over half a century, and his charm, knowledge and professionalism make every show completely special.
(6 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
Now here is a timely treat for lovers of Real Music. Just when mainstream broadcasters have decided that anything made before 1965 is out, and music companies assume we all want low quality MP3s of even lower quality pop music, along comes a superb new double CD to show quite how it should be done. Pennies From Heaven, entitled “44 original songs from the golden era of music“, is just that - golden nuggets from a time when music was melodic, tuneful and crafted with love.
For lovers of light music, many of the recordings of the Longines Symphonette Society are among the finest ever made. In particular, the items that feature on the six record “Evening Serenade” box, produced in the 1960s by the “Symphonette Strings”, set standards for quality and production that have never been bettered.
Neil Richardson is the man behind some of the most evocative arrangements and compositions of all time. Neil ranks up there with the best arrangers this country has ever produced. He created much of the BBC Radio Orchestra’s output during the 70s and 80s, and has worked with many of the leading orchestras in the world, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 
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