A collection of 65 programmes relating to concerts organised by the BBC, 1943 to 1944. The majority of programmes relate to performances by BBC ensembles. Some programmes include analytical programme notes.

There are a number of programmes from concerts given by the BBC Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. These are from concerts given at the following venues: Corn Exchange, Bedford; Guildhall, Cambridge; Astra Cinema, St. Athan (part of ENSA Music Festival, September 1943); Church of St. Matthew (town unknown); Empire Theatre, Cardiff; Colston Hall, Bristol; Central Hall, Newport; Royal Albert Hall. The following groups also performed at a selection of these concerts: BBC Women’s Chorus, BBC Chorus, BBC Choral Society, Cambridge University Musical Society, London Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.

The collection also contains a number of programmes from the BBC Theatre Orchestra from various provincial venues: De Montford Hall, Leicester; Savoy Cinema Theatre, Kettering; The Palace, Wellingborough; Corn Exchange, Bedford; New Theatre, Northampton; Cambridge Arts Theatre Trust [venue unknown, likely to be Cambridge Arts Theatre]. Some performances also featured the BBC Theatre Chorus.

There are a few programmes from the BBC Midland Light Orchestra. These are from concerts given in the following venues: Town Hall, Kidderminster; County Mining College, Cannock; Routh Hall, Bromsgrove School. In addition, some performances also featured the Birmingham Choral Society.

There are programmes from two BBC concerts of massed brass bands. The first concert took place in Belle Vue, King’s Hall (an "entertainment centre" in Manchester, which included circus and zoological gardens - the centre declined in the 1970s and 1980s). The featured bands were from Black Dyke Mills, Foden’s Motor Works, Bickershaw Colliery and Fairey Aviation Works. The second programme is from a concert in the Royal Albert Hall – featuring the bands, “Black Dyke Mills”, “Foden’s Motor Works”, “City of Coventry”, “Fairey Aviation Works”, “Enfield Central” and “Luton”.

Finally, there is a prospectus from a tour to Wales undertaken by the BBC Singers. This was the choir’s first tour, and took place in late September/early October 1943. The venues featured in the tour are as follows: Tabernacle Baptist Church, Cardiff; Tabernacle Baptist Church, Pontypool; Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre, Cardiff; Sardis Welsh Congregational Church, Pontypridd; Zoar Welsh Congregational Church, Merthyr; Park Church, Llanelly.

Arrangement:
The programmes are loosely divided by ensemble, and then some parts of the collection are arranged by date.

1943 - 1944

-

Not Specific

• British Broadcasting Corporation -
• Cambridge University Musical Society -
• BBC Singers -
• BBC Symphony Orchestra -
• London Philharmonic Orchestra -
• London Symphony Orchestra -
• BBC Choral Society -
• BBC Chorus -
• BBC Midland Light Orchestra -
• BBC Orchestra -
• BBC Theatre Chorus -
• BBC theatre orchestra 1931 - 1949
• BBC Women's Chorus -
• Bickershaw Colliery Band -
• Birmingham Choral Society -
• Black Dyke Mills Band -
• City of Coventry Band -
• Enfield Central Band -
• ENSA Music Festival -
• Fairey Aviation Works Band -
• Foden's Motor Works Band -
• Luton Band -

• De Montford Hall, Leicester
• New Theatre, Northampton
• Colston Hall
• Royal Albert Hall
• Guildhall, Cambridge
• Corn Exchange, Bedford
• Astra Cinema, St. Athan
• Belle Vue: King's Hall
• Bromsgrove School
• Central Hall, Newport
• County Mining College, Cannock
• Empire Theatre, Cardiff
• Park Church, Llanelly
• Reardon Smith lecture theatre
• Sardis Welsh Congregational Church, Pontypridd
• Savoy Cinema Theatre, Kettering
• St. Matthew's Church (town unspecified)
• Tabernacle Baptist Church, Cardiff
• Tabernacle Baptist Church, Pontypool
• Town Hall, Kidderminster
• Zoar Welsh Congregational Church, Merthyr

• 20th century - mid 1931-1970

• Brochures
• Analytical Notes

College Hall 220-238 Goldhawk Road London W12 9PL

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portraits@rcm.ac.uk

020 7591 4340

020 7589 7740 

Mon-Fri by appointment

The Portraits and Performance History Collection and its associated reading room is housed in a recently adapted space within the RCM's College Hall, its hall of residence for students. There is step-free access for visitors.

The Centre for Performance History (CPH) is a research centre and is also responsible for the stewardship of two well-established RCM research collections, the Museum of Instruments and the Portraits and Performance History Collection (PPHC). The latter houses a diverse collection relating to the history of performance including the RCM’s internationally famous collection of images, comprising 340 original portraits and sculptures and 25,000 prints and photographs, forming the most comprehensive archive of likenesses of musicians in the UK. The collection of 600,000 concert programmes from 1720 to the present day is of major importance for research into the history of music, society and culture.