Joseph
Muscant enjoyed
considerable success
during the thirties. He
had given classical
violin recitals in his
young days but turned his
attention to light music
in 1929 when he was
appointed Musical
Director at the Commodore
Theatre, Hammersmith
directing the famous
Commodore Grand
Orchestra.
From
1930, this orchestra
broadcast for an hour
every Saturday lunchtime
as well as making more
than 50 commercial
recordings for Decca,
Regal Zonophone, Edison
Bell and the Broadcast
label.
In
1934, Harry
Davidson
took over the
conductorship of the
Commodore Grand
Orchestra, until the
outbreak of war in 1939,
although he was later to
become famous with his
own orchestra in the
long-running series 'Those
Were The Days.'
Joseph Muscant moved on,
taking up a similar
position with the Troxy
Broadcasting Orchestra
a position which
he held for some years.
After
the Second World War, he
formed his own light
orchestra, playing summer
seasons at resorts such
as Paignton and
Broadstairs, broadcasting
regularly in programmes
such as 'Morning
Music'
and from 1948 in 'Music
While You Work'
for which the orchestra
performed fifty-one
editions. The orchestra
was classed as a theatre
orchestra, because it had
a brass section in
addition to the usual
strings, woodwind, piano
and percussion.
Consequently, it was
larger than many of the
orchestras on the BBC's
books and rather more
expensive - a factor that
was, no doubt, a
contributary factor to
the BBC's decision to
phase out most such
orchestras in the late
fifties. Joseph Muscant
gave his final broadcast
in 1959 and died, aged
84, in 1983 having for
many years been
co-president (with Arthur
Anton)
of the Vintage Light
Music Society.
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Joseph Muscant
and his Orchestra
as broadcast on 7th.
November 1958 at 3.45pm.
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK at 3.45
p.m. on 7th November 1958
played by Joseph Muscant
and his Orchestra
(Sig)
Calling all Workers
March: The Royal Blue
Waltz with Waldteufel
The March Hare
Serenade No 1
Cascade of Stars
Un Carnet du Bal
Cornflakes
The Wee MacGregor
Mexican Serenade
Trudie
Runaway Romance
Donkey Serenade
Dusky Aristocrat
Anderson's Musical Tales
(Sig)
Calling All Workers |
Eric
Coates
Jeff Marsden
Arr. Arthur Wilkinson
Philip Green
Jonny Heykens
Oscar Moderna
M.Jaubert arr. Hanmer
Sidney Norman
H.G. Amers
Jack Coles
Joe Henderson
Florian Zabach
Rudolph Friml
Norman Whiteley
Leroy Anderson Arr.
Ernest Tomlinson
Eric Coates |
3.00
p.m. Light Programme 25th
August 1953
played by Joseph Muscant
and his Orchestra
El
Relicario
Victor Herbert Melodies
. March of the Toys
. I'm Falling in love
with Someone
. Ah! Sweet Mystery of
Life
. Gypsy Love Song and
Czardas
Cactus Polka
Festival
Herdsmaidens' Dance
Red Velvet
Legend of the Glass
Mountain
Granada
Pale Moon
Pearly King
Theme from 'Limelight'
Anderson's Musical Tales
. Sleigh Ride; Plink
Plank Plunk
. Waltzing Cat;Serenata;
. Syncopated Clock; Belle
of the Ball |
Padilla
arr. Binge
arr. Papworth
Edward Plumb arr. Walter
Richard Addinsell
Hugo Alfven
Terence Leigh
Nino Rota
Lara
Knight Logan
Gerald Faith/Michael Owen
Charles Chaplin
Leroy Anderson
|
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