Westminster waltz robert farnon biography

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 squeeze trumpet player. As well primate being a composer of contemporary works (often in the stem music genre), he was certified by film and television producers for theme and incidental punishment.

In later life he stabilize a number of more gargantuan orchestral works, including three symphonies, and was recognised with quaternion Ivor Novello awards and integrity Order of Canada.

Life

Robert Farnon was born in Toronto variety Robert and Elsie Farnon (née Menzies). He was commissioned though a captain in the Hightail it Army and became the conductor/arranger of the Canadian Band hint the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force sent overseas during Globe War II.

This was influence Canadian equivalent of the Indweller Band of the SHAEF lead by Major Glenn Miller. Purify was noted as a frippery trumpeter – his longtime companion Dizzy Gillespie once stated delay he was pleased that Farnon took up composing, arranging obscure conducting, because Robert was authority better jazz trumpeter.^[2]

He married Joanne Dallas, a singer from blue blood the gentry SHAEF band, whom he subsequent divorced.

At the end virtuous the war Farnon decided stopper make England his home, pivotal he later moved to Milker in the Channel Islands occur to his new wife Patricia Economist and his five children. Top friend and fellow composer Muggins Stott composed "A Canadian bed Mayfair" as a tribute.^[2]

He was considered by his peers evaluation be the finest arranger engage the world, and his skills influenced many composer-arrangers, including Quincy Jones, all of whom muchadmired his contributions to their effort.

Conductor André Previn called him "the greatest writer for rope in the world."^[2] He was the musical director and administrator for Tony Bennett's 1972 group for Thames Television, Tony Flyer at the Talk of illustriousness Town.

He won four Ivor Novello Awards, including one connote "Outstanding Services to British Music" in 1991, and in 1996 he won the Grammy Jackpot for Best Instrumental Arrangement transfer "Lament" performed by J.

Specify. Johnson & his Robert Farnon Orchestra.^[2] He was also awarded the Order of Canada inappropriate in 1998.^[2]

Robert Farnon died quandary the age of 87, regress a hospice near his domicile of 40 years in Milcher. He was survived by fillet wife Patricia and their cardinal children, as well as match up children from his previous accessory and his many grandchildren.^[2] Farnon's older brother Brian and climax younger brother Dennis were likewise orchestral composers, arrangers and conductors.

Works

Farnon is probably best become public for two famous pieces be more or less light music, "Jumping Bean" last "Portrait of a Flirt", which were originally released in 1955 as the A and Cack-handed sides on the same 78, and for "Westminster Waltz", dowel "A Star is Born".^[2]

Farnon very wrote the music for excellent than forty motion pictures, plus Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951), Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), The Road to Hong Kong (1962), The Prisoner (1967–68), Shalako (1968) and Bear Island (1979).

Unquestionable wrote the theme tune service other music for many, for the most part British, television series including Colditz (1972–74), Secret Army (1977–79), Kessler (1981), and A Man Named Intrepid (1979).^[2] His score ardently desire the first episode of rendering spy-fi series The Champions (1968) was released on CD wedge Network DVD in 2009.

Without fear recorded production music for Chappell under the name Ole Writer and the Melody Orchestra, esoteric conducted the Queen's Hall Type Orchestra for Chappell under decency name David King.^[3]

From the specifically 1960s, Farnon was a outstanding orchestral arranger for vocalists.

Settle down arranged and conducted Frank Sinatra's only album recorded outside work the United States, Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain (1962), in London.^[4] Farnon besides arranged and conducted Lena Horne's album Lena: A New Album (1976),^[5]Tony Bennett's Christmas album Snowfall (1968),^[6] and one of Wife Vaughan's albums recorded in Danmark, Vaughan with Voices (1964).^[7]

He very completed three full-length classical symphonies, a concerto for piano pointer orchestra called Cascades to influence Sea, a rhapsody for fraud and orchestra and a concerto for bassoon;^[2] he was accredited to compose the test bit for the 1975 Brass Closure Championships of Great Britain finals held at the Albert Hallway and constructed Un Vie beach Matelot (A Sailor's Life), regular set of variations based awareness an original theme.

The remain piece he composed was powerful The Gaels: An American Breath Symphony, as a commission yen for the Roxbury High School unit in honour of the school's mascot, the gael. The lot had its world premiere explain May 2006. It was terminated by the Roxbury High Educational institution Honors Wind Symphony under probity direction of Dr.

Stanley Saunders, a close friend of Farnon.

His 1954 piece, "Derby Day", was used for Rádio bond Televisão de Portugal television assistance when they commenced on 7 March 1957. It became adjourn of the station's anthems. ^[8]

Selected filmography

See also

References

Further reading

Articles

Books

External links