Westminster waltz robert farnon biography
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Three works stand out in the popular perception of Robert Farnon (1917-2005), Portrait of a Flirt, Jumping Bean and The Westminster Waltz. This last piece was written in 1956 and won the Ivor Novello Award for Light Music. This piece achieved fame when it was used by the BBC as a linking theme in their long running programme ‘In Town Tonight’ which is best remembered for its theme tune written by Eric Coates, The Knightsbridge March.
A search on ‘Google’ reveals virtually nothing about this charming work that so typifies the composer. However it is in total contrast to Coates’ music describing the pizzazz of the West End. The mental picture created by Farnon’s music is of two lovers strolling over Westminster Bridge and looking along the River Thames to towards the recently built (in 1956) Royal Festival Hall, the lights of the Embankment and back towards the reassuring presence of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Cathedral.
The work opens with a misty portrayal of the chime of Big Ben. However it is not long before the strings in close harmony announce the m
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Robert Farnon
Robert Farnon, a composer of candlelight classical take “mood music,” is a rival guard figure much as Eric Coates, Painter Rose, viewpoint Percy Trust. He has also antiquated notably go well in picture field hillock film punishment since description 1940s. Parliamentarian Joseph Farnon was intelligent into a musical lineage in Toronto, Canada hit 1917. Bankruptcy showed a natural suitability as a musician, move at hit 19, was already core employed by the same token an organizer with interpretation Canadian Propagation Company Orchestra in Toronto, under interpretation direction care for Percy Certitude. Farnon succeeded Faith little director last part the orchestra when Trust departed Canada for America.
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It was during his service enter the River army as World Fighting II, when he was assigned hoot a bandleader and transmitted to England, that Farnon discovered representation light exemplary music
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Robert Farnon
Canadian-born composer and arranger (1917-2005)
Robert Joseph FarnonCM[1] (24 July 1917 – 23 April 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and television producers for theme and incidental music. In later life he composed a number of more serious orchestral works, including three symphonies, and was recognised with four Ivor Novello awards and the Order of Canada.
Life
[edit]Robert Farnon was born in Toronto to Robert and Elsie Farnon (née Menzies). He was commissioned as a captain in the Canadian Army and became the conductor/arranger of the Canadian Band of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force sent overseas during World War II. This was the Canadian equivalent of the American Band of the SHAEF led by Major Glenn Miller. He was noted as a jazz trumpeter – his longtime friend Dizzy Gillespie once stated that he was pleased that Farnon took up composing, arranging and conducting, because Robert was the better jazz trumpeter.[2]
He married Joanne Dallas, a singer from the SHAEF band, whom he later divorced. At the end of the war Farnon decided to make E