Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Jack Payne And Henry Hall | 20110301 | Following last year's celebration of the golden age of British dance bands, Brian Matthew charts the rise and fall of the BBC Dance Orchestra and profiles two very different leaders - Jack Payne and Henry Hall. In Britain, the shifting of dance music from the ballroom to the radio studio began with the institution of the BBC Dance Orchestra, playing under the leadership of Jack Payne from 1928, and then, Henry Hall. Brian looks at the bandleaders, their particular attributes and foibles, and their musical achievements. This programme draws on archive recordings; the written memoirs of Payne, Hall and Sir John Reith; the newspaper pundits of the day; and the thoughts of current BBC Big Band maestro, Barry Forgie. We hear how the two leaders' styles differed and listen-in to a live music broadcast - complete with acrobatics! Henry Hall's famous microphone technique is examined, as he introduces Johnny Mercer to the British public; and we find out how he learnt from Sir John Reith that the band was no longer wanted. The singer and Coronation Street actress Betty Driver also shares memories of touring with Henry's post-BBC orchestra. Brian Matthew charts the rise and fall of the BBC Dance Orchestra and its two leaders. Brian Matthew celebrates the golden age of British dance bands. |
| 02 | Carroll Gibbons And Ray Noble | 20110308 | Brian Matthew continues to celebrate the golden age of British dance bands, throwing the spotlight on bandleaders Carroll Gibbons and Ray Noble. Carroll Gibbons was an American who came to Britain in the 20s and made his life in Britain as leader of London's Savoy Hotel Orpheans. Ray Noble, on the other hand, was a talented British bandleader and composer who, after success in the British recording studios, crossed the Atlantic. Here, he forged a new career in New York and Hollywood, on radio with George Burns and on film with Fred Astaire. Both men were elegant sophisticates, both led HMV's New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, and both composed successfully. Brian Matthew tells their sometimes intertwined stories with the help of music; the archive words of Noble and others; and observations from Michael Law, the leader of today's Piccadilly Dance Orchestra which continues to keep the music of Gibbons and Noble alive. Brian Matthew celebrates the bandleaders Carroll Gibbons and Ray Noble. Brian Matthew celebrates the golden age of British dance bands. |