Sounding Brass

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Sounding Brass was a pioneer phone-in programme presented by Gloria Hunniford on BBC Radio 2. [1] Listeners were invited to choose a Christmas carol or hymn while a Salvation Army band, which included the famous Chalk Farm Band, stood by in the studio to play their requests live. [2] [3]

Gloria Hunniford Northern Irish television and radio presenter, singer

Mary Winifred Gloria Hunniford, OBE, is a Northern Irish television and radio presenter and singer on programmes on the BBC and ITV, such as Rip Off Britain with Julia Somerville and Angela Rippon, and her regular appearances as a panellist on Loose Women. She has been a regular reporter on This Morning and The One Show.

BBC Radio 2 British national radio station

BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's two flagship national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is adult contemporary or AOR, although the station also broadcasts other specialist musical genres. Radio 2 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM between 88.1 and 90.2 MHz from studios in Wogan House, adjacent to Broadcasting House in central London. Programmes are relayed on digital radio via DAB, Sky, Cable TV, IPTV, Freeview, Freesat and the Internet.

Christmas carol Song or hymn or carol on the theme of Christmas

A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, and which is traditionally sung on Christmas itself or during the surrounding holiday season. Christmas carols may be regarded as a subset of the broader category of Christmas music.

The brass bands had a wide repertoire and were usually able to play a hymn tune within forty seconds of the request being made. A guest hymnologist was on-hand to explain the origin of the music and the background to the composition of the words. Among the regular Bandmasters who appeared was Ray Steadman-Allen, the famous Salvation Army band composer. The programme was devised and first presented by Owen Spencer-Thomas on BBC Radio London in 1977. [4] The programme ran until the mid-1990s.

Hymn tune musical setting of a Christian hymn; the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung

A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm, and no refrain or chorus.

Ray Steadman-Allen British composer

Lieutenant Colonel (Dr) Ray Steadman-Allen was a British composer of choral and brass band music for the Salvation Army and for band competition.

BBC Radio London Londons BBC Local Radio station and part of the broader BBC London network

BBC Radio London is London's BBC Local Radio station and part of the broader BBC London network. The station broadcasts across Greater London and beyond, on the 94.9 FM frequency, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 937, Sky Channel 0152, Freeview Channel 721 and online.

Its sister programme Sounding Brass Strikes Again, which featured top brass bands from across London, was broadcast on BBC Radio London from 2 August 1978. [5]

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References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 January 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Blurtit website. URL accessed 2 January 2008.
  2. ↑ BBC London Homepage. URL accessed 10 June 2007.
  3. ↑ BBC Radio Times Genome Accessed July 21, 2015
  4. ↑ Radio Times 17-23 December 1977
  5. ↑ BBC Radio Times Genome Accessed July 21, 2015

See also

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