Rare radio special to be repeated. - 10th February 2012

[Rmoore]

I have just received this notification:-

"A fabulous Ron Goodwin concert from July 1982 part of the BBC Concert Orchestra's 60th anniversary celebrations. The venue was Fort Regent in Jersey and the guests were Moira Anderson and Matt Monro. Repeat date is Friday, 10th February 2003-2200 on Radio 2 - presented by Ken Bruce"

This has taken me by surprise because over the last year or so I have been trying to find the masters for this concert. Being from the 1980's it had more chance of survival than others (The only other known surviving BBC concert is with Billy May and that only survives in the National Sound Archives).

Where this has suddenly turned up from I have no idea. The last I heard it was not in the national archives or the BBC Radio Jersey archives, but it's great news! I shall have to do some hunting now just incase the Beeb found something else when this was found!

Richard

[paul jh]

This is exciting news. I'll be listening next Friday. I've never heard of those other two people, but I'll be listening for Matt Monro. Please don't tell us what he sings Richard, so we can be surprised.

[Rmoore]

Until i look it up can't remember anyway!

Richard

[mariana44]

That sounds exciting--looks like I may have to do some jiigling about on my sky +, so that I can tape it, as I am always out on a Friday night.

Paul, Moira Anderson is a lovely singer from Scotland, and I believe at one time she had her own tv Show--she was one of George's favourites, and I still have one of her lps-"The Ivor Novello Songbook"

[karl]

And Ken Bruce is a Scottish radio announcer who has his own show every morning Monday-Friday, I enjoy his shows. He also comperes many Friday Night Is Music Nights and I saw him some years ago at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow when he hosted a show with the BBC Big Band and the wonderful Madeline Bell who is a dear friend of mine.

[Marian]

Is there another concert featuring Billy May, Richard? As I'm absolutely convinced that I have one among my collection.

[Rmoore]

There is only one BIlly May concert Marian and this is quite common amongst collectors, but none match the quality of the original tape, which I have heard during a visit to the British Library. The problem is that the BBC didn't keep a copy of the concert themselves. The programme was produced by broadcaster Alan Dell and he edited the concerts himself. He kept the original tape and sent a broadcast master to the BBC.

Thankfully he kept the tape in his archive and specified that the archive was to be placed with the National Sound Archive in his will. The copyright belongs to the BBC but the tapes don't - Legally they are jointly owned by the NSA and the Dell estate. This has menat trying to deal with three parties to try and get this released. This hasn't happened yet, but hopefully one day!

Richard

[Marian]

Thank you Richard. I hope you will one day be able to get your hands on it.

[maureen & harry]

Thanks Richard for telling us about the Ron Goodwin Concert - we will certainly be listening and will be able to make a better copy for our collection this time. Hopefully the same will apply to Billy May sometime in the future.

[Lena & Harry Smith]

I mistakenly posted about this programme a few days ago on the "Lounge" thread but at least didn't name the songs that Matt sings. I think the TV show was Moira Anderson Sings, and she signed with Decca in 1970. We have some nice CDs with her duetting with Harry Secombe, unfortunately not with Matt.

[Lena & Harry Smith]

We have just listened to Friday Night Is Music Night and what a treat it was.
What can we say after an hour of the Ron Goodwin Orchestra, one of the finest composer's, arranger, conductor ever, the concert introduced by John Craven and of course listening to Two wonderful singers, Moira Anderson who sang songs made popular by Deanna Durbin and Ivor Novello and our Matt being the highlight of the show and singing Seven of his best songs from the movies.
His final song "Somewhere" took us back to the first Matt Monro meet-up when Michele treated us to a full screen video of Matt singing this beautiful song to a packed room where you could hear a pin drop and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.
Really enjoyed the whole show

[Rob H]

I was working when the concert was broadcast last night but, I was able to catch the whole show. Matt 's voice was wonderful and Ron Goodwins filmusic took me back to my childhood in the 60's. Hello to all my friend's on 'The Forum', sorry for being off the radar for so long...my father -in-law passing away recently and work have taken up all my time!! It's good to be back!

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Nice to see you back Rob, and so sorry to hear about your Father-In-Law passing away.
The concert brought an extra bonus to us, as we had only read of Three of Matt's classic songs that he would be singing, so that made it all the more enjoyable.
We thought John Craven, as presenter ( who is still on our screens today)was a little bit expressionless, and audiences in those regular Friday Night programmes, even from those years back although just as appreciative, were more contolled and didn't applaud and whoop it up as much as they do now, but we did get up and dance and join in with "South Of The Border."

[mariana44]

I am so cross with myself, I had ir set to copy on sky plus, as I was going out-and radio has to be set amnually--however, I managed to copy BBC2 instead of Radio 2---the trouble is for radio, you have to put the code number 0102, and I think I missed off the first "0"--I have never done that before !

[karl]

Don't worry Marian I do that frequently. I sat watching a Pierce Brosnan film last night and never saw the end, there were so many commercials that it obviously over-ran and the machine cut off - I was less than happy as I was starting to enjoy it and wanted to know the ending.

I must remember always to add on at least ten minutes past the end time.