Classic BBC Radio Theme ~ Down your way
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2009
- This is "Horse Guards - Whitehall" composed by Haydn Wood and performed by the Queens Hall Light Orchestra and was used as the theme to Down your way.
Down Your Way was a BBC radio series which ran from 29 December 1946 to 1992, originally on the Home Service and then on BBC Radio Four, usually broadcast on Sundays. It visited towns around the United Kingdom, spoke to residents and played their choice of music. It has sometimes been described as having portrayed an increasingly outmoded and rose-tinted view of Britain, concentrating on market towns with pre-industrial roots and ignoring industrial towns and New Towns, but it vividly evoked the local and regional distinctiveness as it roved around the United Kingdom.
Takes me back to my childhood in the fifties early sixties. A warm feeling for an age that is no more.
What on earth is wrong with a rose-tinted view of Britain. Truly lovely mustic from a far simpler era. Well done for putting these up. Yesterday Radio 4 did a piece on Eric Coates and it was brilliant.
I quite agree!
I also agree!
Ah nostalgic happiness,in dear old blighty…
Sat listening to BBc radio themes in Ireland with damp eyes. ,thank you.
I can remember my dad having this on the radio in the early fifties at 5pm on Sunday afternoon introduced by Franklin Engelman OH-Happy Days
Thank you ever so much for posting this. As I am now suffering from chronic searing nostalgia at the age of 51, this was balm! Brings back such fond memories of childhood security.
Pure joy! It has that sublime knack of making you happy! Thank-you for posting. :-)
And very nostalgic!
This was what was called light music. Sadly I am old enough to remember it. Ronald Binge was one of its great exponents writing some of the most well known tunes at the time. Not many would remember his name today.
British light music was and is a very precious legacy. Fortunately radio stations such as 'Classic FM', for all its faults keeps the name of Binge alive, even if it's with his 'Elizabethan Serenade', and delightful 'The Watermill', and the unforgettable 'Sailing By'. Names such as Ernest Tomlinson and Eric Coates wrote some truly wonderful music which deserves much more attention than they normally receive.
I do. Binge is a hero of mine.
What on earth has happened to Radio? As a child, i loved lying in bed at night, tuning into anything that caught my ear, it fascinated me then and i'm 55 years old now.
Wonderful light music. Unfortunately, we don't get much of it these days.
Driving home yesterday, this tune came into my head, and I remarked to my missus how amazing that a good piece of music will stay with you all of your life -- and a good thing too! I even remembered the programme , and so I searched for it, not thinking for one minute I'd find it -- but there it was - thanks!
This tune entitled "Horse Guards Whitehall" by English composer Haydn wood was used by the BBC Radio Light Programme as signature tune for its weekly programme called "Down Your Way" presented initially by Franklin Engelmann and then by Brian Johnston. Haydn Wood's other successful composition was one he set to the words of "Roses of Picardy" by the famous Lyricist Fred Weatherly.
Ran from 1946 to 1992 but kept that jittery 50's feel all through. Thoroughly British to the core!
Absolutely Marvellous !. I remember my Father wiring our Grundig TK 35 tape recorder directly to
the old valve radio. I recorded all sorts including things like this , and Ken Sykora Guitar Club etc.
I thought it was “ Space Age” !. Are we better now ?, I wonder ! . Brilliant Haydn Wood !.
I also remember this amongst many other classical pieces being played at School assemblies.
A thing, lamentably now past !. Also grateful thanks for posting this and other wonderful works.
Thanks for all of these mate, I love the old Light Music sound. So beautiful and optimistic.
Ronald Binge was one of my favourites. When I had been learning piano for a few years aged about 10, I asked my parents for piano music for Xmas. One of the pieces was Elizabethan Serenade by Ronald Binge. The other two were, Fur Elise by Beethoven and Jesus Joy of Man’s Desiring by JS Bach. It took me far longer to master Ronald Binge than Bach or Beethoven! 👍
This is great takes me back to my chidhood and also helps answering questions about the old times.I think FRANKLIN ENGLEMAN hosted this programme on sunday night about 530.
Thank you BBC ❤
Thank you so much for the trip back in time and the cheesy grin on my face.
I cried when I heard this-hasnt england changed ?
I remember Down Your Way on Radio 4 with Brian Johnson in the 80s. It came to my home town in 1986.
This was a 'Memory Lane' thread I was contributing to, and these are my recollections as a small boy up to the mid 50's, who loved English light music (Eric Coates etc) to comedy music ie. George Formby. Over many years I have aquired an interest in the greatest range of music, There are still exceptions, and Kathleen Ferriers voice is one of them.It's purely a personal choice. As for your fortunate early introduction to classics, Bravo ! I was lucky to get ANY education at all.
Made me cry x
And it has exactly the same effect on me! How wonderful it was being British then!
The good times will come back one day. One day, when there will be this sort of joyous music and modern crap will be dead forever...........................
We can but live hope!
I'm not surprised. England was English back then.
Light music at its very best
I would love to be able to see them playing this and the conductor in front.
Ah, that brings back memories. It's refreshing to hear the whole piece, not just the bits Radio 4 used -- I recognised those bits but not the main theme.
Richard Dimbleby was the original host followed by Franklin Engelman and Brian Johnston.
Johnners!!! The voice of Cricket.
I saw a classic Rover P4 for sale in North Shields last week complete with a classic radio fitted and this came to mind.
It ran until 1988, I used to listen to it all the time
markh5682 - thank you for putting all this stuff up.
Love it! And I'm not even English!
@Glenn1967ful I remember this in 1955 or thereabouts. Thought I'd struck lucky when I bought 15 lps of Chappell Recorded Music at a garage sale here containing all these melodies and more.
tom and jerry music hhh love it
Another show the BBC axed under John Birt.
This was indeed the music for Down Your Way, but the first section was omitted. The sigature music started at 1:13.
I have a very distant memory of a radio series, that used something like "La Donna e mobile" as its theme. Perhaps late 50s early 60s. Does anyone have any idea, what it is?
this is wonderful stuff and i enjoy it so much,thanks...i'm trying to find a piece called 'exhileration' which i believe was the 'b' side of a 78rpm,perhaps from this number or 'coronation scott'...does anyone have any info? cheers.
+Tim Moss LTCL. This is the B side of Coronation Scot
+Geoff Cummings thanks...any ideas about where I can find it? cheers.
I'm proud to say I have an original 78rpm copy of this with (as Geoff C said) Coronation Scot on the other side. It's one of several 78s originally bought by my father..
Do you have the Radio 4 "On Your Farm" music 70s after early morning news? Thanks.
Classical music beats all else.
Billy Connolly mentioned it
@Glenn1967ful Are you sure this is from 'Down Your Way'?
Once again, another childhood memory from the late forties onwards. This was SO-Sunday afternoon listening. As far as I recall--it was Richard Dimbleby that did the roving and chatting originally. As a litle kid,I was unable at time's to follow the dialogue, which seemed to go on far TOO long. and when the 'choice of music' finally came, it was invariably dull classical stuff (God -Kathleen Ferrier-and 'Blow the Wind Southerly' seemed to be on every week) and lasted about 20 seconds.awfully dull
@chkjns Love to know where I can buy this CD in Australia!!
Anyone have this in Stereo?
Franklin Engelman it was an institution and so many others copied the format.
It might be seen as too white and English.