Robert Farnon CM ( born Robert Farnon ) is a Canadian and British musician, composer and conductor, trumpeter. One of the most famous authors of light classical music, winner of the Grammy Awards and Ivor Novello .
| Robert Farnon Robert Farnon | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Joseph Farnon |
| Date of Birth | July 24, 1917 |
| Place of Birth | Toronto |
| Date of death | April 23, 2005 (87 years old) |
| Place of death | Guernsey |
| A country |  Great Britain |
| Professions | musician, composer , conductor |
| Years of activity | 1937-2005 |
| Instruments | |
| Genres | light orchestral music |
| Collectives | Happy gang Robert Farnon Orchestra |
| Labels | Decca |
| Awards | Grammy Ivor novello  |
Biography
Robert Farnon was born in 1917 in Toronto. He was the third of four children in the family; his brothers Brian (senior) and Dennis (younger), like him, gained fame in the music world. By the age of 20, Bob Farnon appeared on the radio as a trumpeter , and from 1937 to 1943 he was one of the members of the popular Happy Gang ensemble, performing on CBC radio. He played the first trumpet in the CBC orchestra, and in 1940 became his conductor after the previous leader Percy Faith left for the USA. By 1942, he was already the author of two symphonies performed by leading orchestras in North America.
In 1944, Farnon arrived in Europe as a conductor of the Canadian Allied Expeditionary Force Orchestra, a position similar to that held by Glenn Miller in the American Orchestra. Having retired after the war, he remained in England with its developed music industry and cinema, more in line with his ambitions. In the UK, he switched to composing the so-called light classical music and in the 50s he became one of the world's leading authors in this genre. He also gained fame as an arranger . For some time, he leads his own orchestra - the Robert Farnon Orchestra, performing on BBC radio and television broadcasts , and then becomes the permanent conductor of Decca , recording numerous disks with the orchestra accompanying leading British performers. With the same company, he releases the most famous of his own albums - Jumping Bean (1948).
In addition to concert music, Farnon composes film music. He is the author of music for more than 40 films, including the blockbusters Spring on Park Lane , May in Mayfair , and Captain Horatio Hornblower . He works closely with the BBC, releasing a number of hits over the next 20 years, and in 1962 recorded with Frank Sinatra the only album in the career of a singer outside the United States Great Songs From Great Britain . The following year, he records the album Vaughan With Voices in Copenhagen with Sarah Vaughn , and in 1968, his collaboration with Tony Bennett began . Together they recorded several albums, including a concert disc from Albert Hall , where Farnon conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra . Other artists he worked with included George Shearing , Lena Horne , Jose Carreras and Eddie Fisher .
In 2004, Farnon wrote his third symphony. The premiere was scheduled for May 14, 2005, but Farnon passed away three weeks earlier, on April 23, 2005, on Guernsey , where he lived for 46 years.
Awards and titles
Three times, Robert Farnon became the winner of the main British music award - Ivor Novello Award (in 1956 for Westminster Waltz, in 1960 for Sea Shore, in 1973 for Colditz March). In addition, in 1991 he received a separate award for his contribution to British music. He was nominated for a Grammy three times, eventually receiving this award in 1995 for his best instrumental arrangement (Lament on TJ, by JJ Johnson ). In 1998, he became a holder of the Order of Canada .
Links
- Robert Farnon biography (The Robert Farnon Society)
- Robert Joseph Farnon (The Canadian Encyclopedia)