Shows

Radio 2's Long Running Shows;

Friday Night is Music Night; 1952 to date

The world's longest-running live music programme on radio. The BBC Concert Orchestra was formed in 1952 from its predecessor the BBC Opera Orchestra. In order to provide a showcase this show was launched the same year on the Light Programme.  Friday Night is Music Night plays a wide and flexible repertoire, ranging from classical works and grand opera to light music and popular songs. Its Principal Conductors over the years have been Gilbert Vinter, Sir Charles Mackerras, Vilem Tausky, Marcus Dods, Ashley Lawrence and, since 1989, Barry Wordsworth. The Orchestra's permanent home is the Hippodrome in Golders Green , North London, which serves as a base form the majority of its music-making.  The show is frequently broadcast from theatres and concert halls throughout the UK in front of a live audience.  Popular renditions have been Porgy and Bess, Finlandia and the Hallelujah Chorus. The first presenter of the show was ex-Variety Bandbox front man Philip Slessor followed by wartime newsreader Frank Phillips, 'voices of the pools' men Jimmy Kingsbury and James Alexander Gordon, Night Ride announcer Eugene Fraser and briefly John Marsh.  Robin Boyle was at the microphone from the 1970's until the 1990's. We have also heard  Brian Kay, John Dunn, Richard Baker, Sheila Tracy and Paul Gambaccini .

Pick of the Pops; 1952 to date

This famous name Sunday chart show began as a pop record segment during late Saturday night music shows. First presenter was Franklin Englemann, closely followed by Alan Dell, David Jacobs, Don Moss. In 1962 a Top Ten was introduced when the show was moved to Sunday afternoons with Alan Freeman. The programme was renamed Top 20 when Alan left the show in 1972, and the new chart show continues on Radio 1 Sundays to this day.

The original Pick of The Pops name was resurrected in 1989 when Alan Freeman came back to recall charts gone by on Radio 2.  Dale Winton has presented this show on Radio 2 since 2000.

see also on Radio Rewind;

Singles Chart History

Alan Freeman

Your 100 Best Tunes; 1959 - 2007 (44 years)

The first programme was broadcast on the Light Programme on Sunday 15 November 1959. The original title was 'The 100 Best Tunes In The World'. Alan Keith, who came up with the idea of the programme, was originally contracted for a 13 week run. The show broadcast live from a Broadcasting House studio. The first series featured Alan's own selections from his research with music publishers. The series was so popular that the Light Programme planners extended its run - and the programme has been on air ever since. The letters poured in and on 12 February 1960 the programme changed its name to Your 100 Best Tunes. Its time slot was eventually extended to an hour. When the Light Programme ceased in 1967 Your Hundred Best Tunes found a home on Sunday evenings on BBC Radio 2. Listeners' polls were organised - the last of these was held in the BBC's 75th anniversary year, 1997. The top ten was: 1. In the Depths of the Temple (The Pearl Fishers) - Bizet 2. Finlandia - Sibelius 3. The Water Music - Handel 4. Rusalka’s Song to the Moon (Rusalka) - Dvorak 5. Ode to Joy - Symphony No 9 - Beethoven 6. Adagio from Cello Concerto in E Minor - Elgar 7. The Nuns' Chorus (Casanova) - J. Strauss II 8. Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor - Rachmaninov 9. Suite - The Planets - Holst 10. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth (Messiah) - Handel The show was a favourite listen for many. The late Earl Spencer - father of Diana, Princess of Wales - declared it one of his radio highlights and in 1988 he presented the show whilst Alan was on holiday. Ursula Vaughan Williams and Lady Evelyn Barbirolli have also presented the show.

Alan passed away in 2003 having presented the show for 44 years. He had already taken the decision to step down and had recorded a farewell programme. Richard Baker presented the show until January 2007 when it was finally axed.

Sing Something Simple; 1959 -2001 (42 years)

This show featured the most popular melodies of the last 70 years, performed by The Cliff Adams Singers (four female, 12 male), accompanied by accordionist Jack Emblow (who played on theme tunes including Begerac, ‘Allo ‘Allo and Last of the Summer Wine). The show was broadcast at the same time every Sunday evening and earned itself the title of longest-running continuous music programme in the world. The group re sang well-known melodies from decades gone by. By 1979 Sing Something Simple had already celebrated its 1000th programme. With it's close in December 2001, there had been over 2,100 shows broadcast on BBC Radio.

See also on Radio Rewind;

Cliff_Adams_page

Melodies For You; 1966-date (41 years)

"An eclectic mix of classical, opera, musical theatre, parlour songs and the best from the masters of popular song" Originally a Sunday Morning slot, this show was presented by David Jacobs for 12 years. Other presenters have included Sheridan Morley (2004-2007) and the show is now fronted by Alan Tichmarsh.

Two-Way Family Favourites; 1945- 1984 (39 years)

Was a record request programme designed to link families at home in the UK with British forces posted overseas in West Germany and further afield. The half - hour Tuesday evening show was expanded in 1960 to a longer 90 minute Sunday show with a radio announcer telephone link from the linked BFPO Country.  It was presented amongst others by Cliff Michelmore, Jean Metcalfe, Michael Aspel, Sarah Kennedy and finally Jean Challis. In the 1950's and early 1960's Family Favourites was one of the few BBC radio programmes devoted exclusively to records, so its audience was in consequence huge, going far beyond the audience at which it was aimed. It offered the 'real thing', the popular records themselves which by the late 1950s were what people wanted to hear, as against versions of the songs being played live in a studio in London. Theme - With A Song In My Heart by Andre Kostelanetz.

Semprini Serenade; 1957-1982 (25 years)