Eric Coates

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2007

Singing For Your Supper

20071224

Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music. For five decades Eric Coates's music seemed to pervade the national consciousness, stirring the war effort, celebrating the Dam Busters and defining some of the nation's best loved radio and television programmes.

1/5. Singing for Your Supper

A revolver at the Royal Academy and a premiere at the Proms, Coates's student years proved to be startlingly memorable.

BBC Television March

Sydney Torch and His Orchestra

Ballad for Strings

East of England Orchestra

Malcolm Nabarro (conductor)

Four Old English Songs

Richard Edgar-Wilson (tenor)

Eugene Asti (piano)

Stonecracker John; Reuben Ranzo; A Dinder Courtship

Brian Rayner Cook (baritone)

Raphael Terroni (piano)

The Mill o' Dreams

I Heard You Singing

Thomas Allen (baritone)

Symphonic Rhapsody on I Heard You Singing and Bird Songs at Eventide

London Philharmonic

Barry Wordsworth (conductor)

Symphonic Rhapsody on a Song by Richard Rodgers, With a Song in My Heart

2007

Suites For My Sweetheart

20071225

Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music.

2/5. Suites for My Sweetheart

Coates is forced into a dramatic decision about his future, but suite success is not far away. Donald Macleod also talks to Desert Island Discs host Kirsty Young, who reveals how the show's title music, Coates's By the Sleepy Lagoon, continues to inspire her.

Miniature Suite

BBC Philharmonic

Rumon Gamba (conductor)

From the Countryside Suite

The Merrymakers Overture

London Symphony Orchestra

Charles Mackerras (conductor)

Valse (The Three Bears)

Four Ways Suite

Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

Andrew Penny (conductor)

Donald Macleod explores Coates's By the Sleepy Lagoon, used today in Desert Island Discs.

2007

Eric Coates Goes To Town

20071226

Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music.

3/5. Eric Coates Goes to Town

As he moves into several addresses in and around London, thanks to his wife's hobby as an early property developer, Eric Coates falls in love with the city.

London (London Everyday)

Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava)

Adrian Leaper (conductor)

London Bridge March

Royal Artillery Band

Maj Geoffrey Kingston (conductor)

London Again Suite

London Symphony Orchestra

Charles Mackerras (conductor)

Saxo-Rhapsody

Jack Brymer (saxophone)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Charles Groves (conductor)

The Seven Seas

As he moves into several houses in and around London, Coates falls in love with the city.

2007

On The March

20071227

Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music.

4/5. On the March

As war is declared, Coates's stirring marches came into their own. And he pays musical tribute to the three Elizabeths of English royalty, music that came to be associated with another famous family.

The Enchanted Garden

Calling All Workers

Adrian Boult (conductor)

Over to You

Royal Artillery Band

Maj Geoffrey Kingston (conductor)

London Calling; The Eighth Army

The Three Elizabeths Suite

East of England Orchestra

Malcolm Navarro (conductor).

2007

05 LAST

Sound And Vision

20071228

Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music.

5/5. Sound and Vision. Coates wishes he hadn't given up cigarettes, flirts with politics and royalty, and starts his film career at age 68. And to finish the week, a rare foray into chamber music and the composer's own favourite work.

Holborn; The Unknown Singer; The Green Land; Sweet Seventeen

The Dam Busters

BBC Philharmonic

Rumon Gamba (conductor)

Impression of a Princess

High Flight

Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

Andrew Penny (conductor)

First Meeting

Michael Ponder (viola)

Eugene Asti (piano)

The Jester at the Wedding

Orchestra conducted by Coates.

Coates flirts with politics and royalty, and starts his film career at age 68.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2007	01	Singing For Your Supper	20071224	Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music. For five decades Eric Coates's music seemed to pervade the national consciousness, stirring the war effort, celebrating the Dam Busters and defining some of the nation's best loved radio and television programmes. 1/5. Singing for Your Supper A revolver at the Royal Academy and a premiere at the Proms, Coates's student years proved to be startlingly memorable. BBC Television March Sydney Torch and His Orchestra Ballad for Strings East of England Orchestra Malcolm Nabarro (conductor) Four Old English Songs Richard Edgar-Wilson (tenor) Eugene Asti (piano) Stonecracker John; Reuben Ranzo; A Dinder Courtship Brian Rayner Cook (baritone) Raphael Terroni (piano) The Mill o' Dreams I Heard You Singing Thomas Allen (baritone) Symphonic Rhapsody on I Heard You Singing and Bird Songs at Eventide London Philharmonic Barry Wordsworth (conductor) Symphonic Rhapsody on a Song by Richard Rodgers, With a Song in My Heart
2007	02	Suites For My Sweetheart	20071225	Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music. 2/5. Suites for My Sweetheart Coates is forced into a dramatic decision about his future, but suite success is not far away. Donald Macleod also talks to Desert Island Discs host Kirsty Young, who reveals how the show's title music, Coates's By the Sleepy Lagoon, continues to inspire her. Miniature Suite BBC Philharmonic Rumon Gamba (conductor) From the Countryside Suite The Merrymakers Overture London Symphony Orchestra Charles Mackerras (conductor) Valse (The Three Bears) Four Ways Suite Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Andrew Penny (conductor) Donald Macleod explores Coates's By the Sleepy Lagoon, used today in Desert Island Discs.
2007	03	Eric Coates Goes To Town	20071226	Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music. 3/5. Eric Coates Goes to Town As he moves into several addresses in and around London, thanks to his wife's hobby as an early property developer, Eric Coates falls in love with the city. London (London Everyday) Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava) Adrian Leaper (conductor) London Bridge March Royal Artillery Band Maj Geoffrey Kingston (conductor) London Again Suite London Symphony Orchestra Charles Mackerras (conductor) Saxo-Rhapsody Jack Brymer (saxophone) Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Charles Groves (conductor) The Seven Seas As he moves into several houses in and around London, Coates falls in love with the city.
2007	04	On The March	20071227	Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music. 4/5. On the March As war is declared, Coates's stirring marches came into their own. And he pays musical tribute to the three Elizabeths of English royalty, music that came to be associated with another famous family. The Enchanted Garden Calling All Workers Adrian Boult (conductor) Over to You Royal Artillery Band Maj Geoffrey Kingston (conductor) London Calling; The Eighth Army The Three Elizabeths Suite East of England Orchestra Malcolm Navarro (conductor).
2007	05 LAST	Sound And Vision	20071228	Donald Macleod salutes a composer with a unique ability to match a national mood with music. 5/5. Sound and Vision. Coates wishes he hadn't given up cigarettes, flirts with politics and royalty, and starts his film career at age 68. And to finish the week, a rare foray into chamber music and the composer's own favourite work. Holborn; The Unknown Singer; The Green Land; Sweet Seventeen The Dam Busters BBC Philharmonic Rumon Gamba (conductor) Impression of a Princess High Flight Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Andrew Penny (conductor) First Meeting Michael Ponder (viola) Eugene Asti (piano) The Jester at the Wedding Orchestra conducted by Coates. Coates flirts with politics and royalty, and starts his film career at age 68.