Michael
Freedman was born on
31st. August 1911. He
took an early interest in
music, playing the violin
at the age of seven. At
sixteen, he was accepting
professional engagements
in the West End of
London.
During
the Second World War he
served in the Royal Air
Force but,upon
demobilisation he formed
a ten-piece orchestra for
broadcasting, which was
promptly rejected by
Kenneth Sydney Baynes,
the man responsible for 'Music
While You Work'
and other light music
programmes.
In
1947, Michael Freedman
joined the Philharmonia
Orchestra as a viola
player, gaining
immeasurable experience
playing under Toscanini,
Beecham, Von Karajan and
other famous conductors.
He also assisted with
Walter Legge's recordings
at the Kingsway Hall.
Although light music had
now become a side-line,
he again auditioned for
broadcasting in 1949,
this time with a 15-piece
orchestra, comprising
strings, woodwind,
percussion and, as a
nucleus, the two pianos
of Edward Rubach and
Robert Docker. The
audition was successful
and Michael Freedman and
his orchestra gave their
first broadcast on 21st.
December 1949. For the
next 17 years the
orchestra broadcast
regularly on the radio in
such programmes as 'Music
While You Work'
(194 editions), 'Music
for the Housewife', 'Morning
Music',
'At the Close of Day',
'Continuous Performance',
'Music Matinee' 'Sunday
Morning Melody', 'Home to
Music', and in 1961,
'Strings by Starlight' -
featuring the Stella
Strings.
During
the fifties, Michael
Freedman made a number of
light orchestral records
on the Oriole label as
well as many classical
recordings with the
London Metropolis
Symphony Orchestra, many
of whose players were
recruited from the
Philharmonia Orchestra.
He also directed
recordings with the
Celebrity Concert
Orchestra, the
Cosmopolitan Orchestra
and the New Concert
Orchestra, with which he
also gave concerts. His
many LPs included
'Holiday in Italy',
'Music from the Ballet'
and 'Holiday in Spain'.
In
1956, Michael Freedman
formed the Michael
Freedman Ladies'
Orchestra which, in
addition to making an
excllent LP on the Oriole
label, gave eight radio
broadcasts in 1957,
culminating in a concert
at the Royal Festival
Hall in December of that
year. 1958 brought eight
television appearances
which included a series
of 'spectaculars'
entitled 'The Big Parade'
in which they shared the
billing with top military
bands.
Despite
all this, Michael
Freedman's main
activities centered
around his original light
orchestra, his programmes
being bright and tuneful,
his motto being ' not too
high for the low-brow and
not too low for the
high-brow'. He also
undertook considerable
work as a session player,
performing for Mantovani
and in the Palladium
orchestra for 'Sunday
Night at The London
Palladium'.
Although
he continued to play for
the Philharmonia
orchestra for some years,
Michael Freedman had, by
the mid-sixties confined
himself to his own light
orchestra and it will
have come as quite a
shock when (in common
with a number of other
orchestras) his orchestra
was dropped from
broadcasting. Towards the
end of his career he took
up the clarinet purely
for his own amusement.
With
little work now available
to him, Michael Freedman
decided to leave the
music business and start
a new career as a London
taxi driver. This
initially meant hundreds
of hours cycling the
streets of London
acquiring what is known
as 'the knowledge'. He
achieved this in record
time and really relished
the freedom that this
offered him. He felt
that, at last, he was out
of the rat-race. Sadly
cancer curtailed this
activity and he died on
the 8th. August 1979.
Listen
to 'Home to Music'
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
with
Henry Krein and his
Quartet
as broadcast on the BBC
Home Service at 6.35pm on
2nd August 1966
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Home Service at 10.31am
on 28th March 1964
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
on 28th. March 1964
Calling
All Workers (sig)
Portuguese Party
Alpine Echo Waltz
Runaway Romance
My thanks to you
Samba Rag
Madrugado
Ha ha ha
Gaylord
Babette
Rhumbalinda
Portrait of a Flirt
Calling All Workers (Sig)
|
Eric
Coates
Gilbert Vinter
Pilatus
Florian Zabach
Noel Gay
Lawrenson
Ronald Binge
Taccani
Shepherd
Horatio Nicholls
Eric Jupp
Robert Farnon
Eric Coates |
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Light Programme at 3.31pm
on 21st June 1966
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
on 21st. June 1966
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Frankfurt Polka
Louisette
Samba Rag
Maigret Theme
Toy Town Trumpeters
Medley:
. It's a
hap,hap,happy day
. June in January
. Buttons and Bows
. Moonlight becomes you
. Tangerine
. Beyond the blue horizon
Aparecida
Blue Tango
Spring Double
Nights of Gladness
Ca c'est Paris
Cuban Holiday
Selection:
. La Ronde
. Pennies from Heaven
. Dream Lover
. Amapola
. Falling in love again
. Great Day
Calling All Workers (Sig)
|
Eric
Coates
Harry
Dexter
Jacques Vallez
Lawrenson
Ron Grainer
William Davies
arr. Antony Fones
Timburg/Sharples
Ralph Rainger
Livingstone/Evans
Jimmy van Heusen
Johnny Mercer
Whiting/Harling
Williams
Leroy Anderson
Albert Marland
Charles Ancliffe
Jose Padilla
Donald Phillips
arr. Roy Green
Oscar Strauss
Arthur Johnston
Victor Schertzinger
Joseph Lacalle
Frederick Hollander
Vincent Youmans
Eric Coates |
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
as broadcast at 10.31am
on 9th June 1962
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
on 9th. June 1962
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Gretchen polka
Alpine Echo Waltz
Nicola
Fascination
Honouring the Haggis
Meet Mr. Callaghan
Toni's Tune
Threepenny Opera Theme
Medley:
. Lullaby of Broadway
. September in the Rain
. I only have eyes for
you
. Jeepers Creepers
Spanish Gypsy Dance
Calling All Workers (Sig)
|
Eric
Coates
Hans
George Schutz
Max Pilatus
Steve Race
Marchetti
Raymond Agoult
Eric Spear
Donald Phillips
Kurt Weill
Harry Warren
Marquina
Eric Coates |
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
as broadcast at 10.31am
on 12th September 1964
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by Michael
Freedman and his
Orchestra
on 12th. September 1964
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Times Square Dance
Bluesette
Sarda
Wrap your Troubles in
Dreams
Cuban Holiday
Waltz from 'Masquerade'
Canary Twist
Stairway to the Sea
Valse du Diable
Ca C'est Paris
Calling All Workers (Sig)
|
Eric
Coates
Rogers
/ Livesey
Thielmans
Fred
Alexander
Barris
Donald Phillips
Khachaturyan
Barber
Cioffi
Bazin
Padilla
Eric Coates |
7.15
a.m. Home Service on
22nd. July 1953
Michael Freedman and his
Orchestra
Cuban
Holiday
Waltz for a Debutante
Slavonic Dance in E Major
Bees-a-Buzzin
La Maja de Goya
Gypsy Fiddler
Fascination
The Military Polka
Pulling Strings
Summertime
Highland Scene |
Donald
Phillips
Eric Denson
Dvorak
Edrich Siebert
Philip Green
Ralph Elman
Marchetti
Lloyd Thomas
Ivor Slaney
George Gershwin
Robert Docker |
|