The British Symphony Orchestra (BSO or BrSO) is the name of a number of symphony orchestras, active in both concert halls and recording studios, which have existed at various times in Britain since c1905 until the present day.
There were gaps of several years when the orchestra's name disappeared from the public view (see § Historical overview). The various orchestras were only active for about fifteen years between 1905 and 1939, and more recently, since 1989.
The conductors of the orchestra's first incarnation from 1905 included William Sewell, Julian Clifford senior and Hamilton Harty. After World War I Raymond Rôze reformed the orchestra as a properly-constituted, full-time body of musicians. Rôze died unexpectedly in 1920 and was succeeded as chief conductor by Adrian Boult, who gave numerous public concerts over several years. Other musicians conducting the orchestras at the time included Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Franco Leoni, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Edward Elgar. Members of the orchestra during this period included Albert Sammons and § Frederick Holding as leaders, and Eugene Cruft on bass.
In the early 1930s the name 'British Symphony Orchestra' appeared on the label of many recordings by the Columbia Graphophone Company as a cover name or pseudonym for the orchestra of the Royal Philharmonic Society. Conductors during this period include Ethel Smyth, Oskar Fried, Bruno Walter, Felix Weingartner, and Henry Wood. A few public concerts were given in London with an orchestra of this name during the years leading up to the Second World War.
More recently, the music for the 1989 film La Révolution française was composed and conducted by Georges Delerue, and played by the British Symphony Orchestra. Since 2016 an orchestra of the same name founded by Philip Mackenzie has made a number of concert appearances in Britain, and also toured in China.
Historical overview The history of the various British Symphony Orchestras seems to fall into five approximate periods.
1905–1910: Formed by the organist, conductor, and composer William Sewell in around 1905, and active in London concert halls for about five years until c1910. There seem to be no extant recordings. 1919–1923: Formed in summer 1919 by Raymond Rôze for professional musicians who served in the Army during WW1. He made their first recording in around 1919. Rôze died aged about 45 in March 1920. The orchestra continued to give concerts in London mainly under Adrian Boult, who also made his first recordings with this ensemble. They seem to have given few public concerts after about 1923. 1930–1932: Recording orchestra. From 1930 to 1932, the name in general only appears on record labels, albeit with a number of well-known conductors such as Felix Weingartner, Bruno Walter and soloists like Joseph Szigeti. The orchestral musicians involved may have had more permanent jobs with other orchestras, and the name 'British Symphony Orchestra' may have been used to avoid contractual obligations. 1934–1939: A few public concerts in 1934–5 and 1939 were given with a British Symphony Orchestra. There seem to be no recordings from this period. Recent formations: 1989: The music for the 1989 film La Révolution française, composed and conducted by Georges Delerue, was played by the British Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble of freelance musicians assembled for just this task. 2004: A British Symphony Orchestra played at an extravagant wedding in India for two sons of Subrata Roy. 2016: Formed by Philip Mackenzie with freelance musicians. It has performed as a backing orchestra for Never the Bride, and with ABBA and Elton John tribute bands. The orchestra made a classical concert tour in China in 2017–18.
For orchestras with a similar name or initials, see also § Disambiguation
First formation: 1905 – c. 1910
In October 1905 William Sewell,He co-edited a hymn book, published in 1913: organist at the Birmingham Oratory, director of the Midland Gleemen and later sub-organist of Westminster Cathedral, placed an advertisement in The Musical Times: "The British Symphony Orchestra (conductor, Mr. W. Sewell) is a new combination of orchestral players which seeks for public favour."
One of the newly-formed British Symphony Orchestra's first concerts took place at the Æolian Hall, London, on 7 December 1905. The Irish violinist Rohan Clensy who had studied with Eugène Ysaÿe, played Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 2. The Standards critic thought that Clensy was "a clever and thoughtful artist, whose playing shows intelligence and taste. His performance [...] was, on the whole, artistic. The phrasing was clear, and the execution facile, but there was sometimes need of more life and passion, and the tone was somewhat cold. The orchestra gave him good support, and their playing of Schubert's overture. Alfonso und Estrella, an attractive work, which is not often heard, was virile and effective." The programme also included Bach's Suite No. 3 in D and Grieg's Norwegian Dances.
On 18 December 1905 Sewell conducted the BSO with Maria Sequel in Mendelssohn's G minor piano concerto. The music critic of The Standard noted that in the orchestra's playing "there were some rough places, however, which doubtless will become smooth with more practice and experience in their performance of the Figaro and Hebrides overtures."
Again at Aeolian Hall, on February 16, 1906, Lucia Fydell and Atherton Smith with the British Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sewell, gave a recital consisting chiefly of excerpts from Saint-Saëns's Samson and Delilah. "Miss Fydell has a powerful voice and dramatic perception, but she would be heard to greater advantage on the stage than in the concert-room."
The agents for the British Symphony Orchestra in March 1906 were Concert-Direction Limited, originally founded in August 1905 with Louis and Laurence Cowen as directors. It changed its name in July 1906 to Vert and Sinkins Concert-Direction Limited in 1906. Fernando Vert was the brother of Narciso Vert, whose musical agency later became known as Ibbs and Tillett.
Hamilton Harty who, like William Sewell, had been a church organist (in County Down) conducted what seems to be his first London orchestral concert on 5 April 1906, with the British Symphony Orchestra at the Queen's Hall. Winifred Christie played César Franck's Symphonic Variations and Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2.
On 7 April :fr:Louis Abbiate played Widor's 'cello concerto and Adrien-François Servais' Concerto Militaire (works of "small musical value today"), with Julian Clifford senior, who "conducted with conspicuous skill".
Two more concerts followed, one at the Queen's Hall on 21 April, and on 24 May 1906 at the Aeolian Hall.
National Sunday League concerts
The orchestra appeared at a number of concerts organised by the National Sunday League, which was opposed to sabbatarianism, and promoted rational recreation on Sundays.A previous chairman was Sir Joshua Walmsley. See also
The light soprano Isabel Jay appeared with the BSO at the Alhambra Theatre of Variety on 7 April 1906. Harty conducted again on 21 October 1906 at the Queen's Hall, with Edith Kirkwood and Gertrude Lonsdale singing.
On 30 November 1907 the British Symphony Orchestra appeared at The Crystal Palace in a concert including Harty's own Ode to a Nightingale sung by Agnes Nicholls (his wife), and 's Concerto (actually March and Polonaise) for six timpani: the soloist was Gabriel Cleather, "who became a very busy man during the performance".
Amalgamated Musicians' Union concerts
According to John Lucas, the British Symphony Orchestra was "formed in 1908 by the Amalgamated Musicians' Union to provide work for its members on Sundays." Albert Sammons, the leader, also played in the restaurant band at the Waldorf Hotel, where Thomas Beecham recruited the 23 year-old for his new Beecham Symphony Orchestra.
The second concert on 4 October was reviewed in The Standard: "The second of a series of concerts organised by Mr. Oswald Stoll and the Amalgamated Musicians' Union—the profits of which are given to the benevolent funds of this society—was given last evening at the London Coliseum. The programme was furnished by the British Symphony Orchestra, consisting of l00 instrumentalists, the vocalists being Miss and Mr. Lloyd Chandos, the conductors Messrs. J. M. Glover and J. Skuse. An exceptionally large audience was present."
On 18 October the vocalists were Kitty Gordon, William Green and Maria Yelland, 'The Cornish Contralto'. The conductors were Joseph Skuse and Leonard Chalk.
Two more Musicians' Union Sunday evening concerts took place on 4 and 18 April 1909 at the Coliseum. The British Symphony Orchestra, led by Albert Sammons, was conducted by Alick Maclean and Joseph Skuse. Held at British Library, Collections.
"The great success of the Sunday evening concerts initiated by the Amalgamated Musicians' Union at the Coliseum two years ago has induced the union to undertake a similar series of concerts at Queen's Hall. Beginning on 4 September 1910, Mr. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor will conduct his Hiawatha's Wedding Feast with the British Symphony Orchestra and Choir. During the season, which extends to June, 1911, many interesting and novel works are to be produced by the orchestra and choir, [...] and some of the best conductors will share the responsibility of directing the different works."
According to Lucas, Beecham conducted two Musicians' Union concerts with the British Symphony Orchestra in 1910. One took place on Sunday 3 April 1910, with the contralto Carmen Hill.The Referee, London, 3 April 1910. Page needed.
On 18 September 1910 at Queens Hall, Franco Leoni's dramatic cantata, The Gate of Life conducted by the composer, was performed by Mme. Ada Davies,US soprano, performed in Leoni's opera Rip Van Winkle in 1907. Giuseppe Lenghi-Cellini, and Wilfrid Douthitt with the British Symphony Orchestra and Choir.
Second formation: 1919–1923 Background
After the end of WW1 a second British Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1919 by the theatre composer and conductor Raymond Rôze. The personnel were all de-mobbed soldiers, many of whom had served abroad in the Army, and who had all been professional musicians before the war, some of them established soloists.
This was not his first experience with military affairs: just a few weeks before the war broke out in 1914, Rôze had organised the London Arts Corps (or sometimes United Arts Force) (later the 1st Battalion, County of London Volunteer Regiment (United Arts Rifles). This was a civilian volunteer Home Defence battalion consisting entirely of musicians, writers and artists who for various reasons did not wish to join the regular or Territorial Army. The roll-call of those involved reads like a Who's Who of the artistic, musical and literary world, headed up by Sir Arthur Pinero as chairman, Lord Desborough, Gerald du Maurier, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and many others. There was a distinguished list of naval and military patrons, such as Major-General Sir Alfred Turner, and possibly including some of the later patrons of the British Symphony Orchestra.
Rôze also supplied the battalion with several hundred modern .303 Martini–Enfield carbines and 10,000 rounds of ammunition purchased on his own responsibility, to replace the practice weapons (described as "neolithic flintlocks") normally issued by the War Department. The corps gradually became an official Army volunteer battalion, and Rôze resigned as Hon. Secretary in January 1915.
During the war, the promising young baritone Charles Mott (who had sung in Rôze's opera Joan of Arc) was called up c1917, joined the Artists' Rifles (a different battalion) and was killed in 1918 at the Third Battle of the Aisne.
1919