BBC Television Orchestra
| Company type | Broadcast orchestra |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Founder | Hyam Greenbaum |
| Defunct | 1939 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Hyam Greenbaum (conductor, violinist, composer), Boris Pecker (director), Sidonie Goossens (principal harp soloist) |
| Products | Orchestral music for BBC Television broadcasts |
The BBC Television Orchestra operated between 1936 and 1939 as a broadcast ensemble established by conductor, violinist, and composer Hyam Greenbaum and was under the direction of Boris Pecker. In its founding year, the orchestra featured Greenbaum's spouse, Sidonie Goossens, as the principal harp soloist.
This ensemble ceased operations in September 1939 following the outbreak of the Second World War, which necessitated halting the BBC Television transmissions to prevent serving as a VHF navigation point for German bombers. Afterward, Greenbaum reorganized many of its musicians into the BBC Revue Orchestra, concentrating on light entertainment music for BBC radio broadcasts originating from Bangor, North Wales.
In 1964, the BBC Revue Orchestra combined with the BBC Variety Orchestra, resulting in the creation of the BBC Radio Orchestra.
Performances
The orchestra was featured during the very first regular television broadcast in Britain on 26 August 1936, attracting approximately 123,000 viewers. It also appeared on the debut of BBC Television’s high-definition transmissions on 2 November 1936, accompanying Adele Dixon in a live rendition of "Television."
Throughout its brief existence, the orchestra presented a wide-ranging repertoire that included dramatic works and notably a televised performance of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, divided into two one-hour segments on 24 January 1938.