Sunday Bandstand 7 July 2019

Sunday Bandstand 7 July 2019

Maurice Johnstone was born at 8 Albert Road, Didsbury, Manchester, on 28th July 1900, son of Edward Johnstone, an Insurance Manager, and Mary Whitmore Johnstone (nee Welch).

He attended St George’s School, Harpenden, Herts, a co-educational independent school, as a boarder, from 1913 to 1918, and then, in his last year, as a day pupil. He became a school prefect that year. He studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music, later renamed The Royal Northern College of Music, from October 1919 till April 1922. There, he met his first wife Helen (nee Jackson), a violinist, whom he married in 1923.

In the summer of 1921, he did some music criticism for the Manchester City News, a local, weekly newspaper which focused on general news and commercial topics but also had some arts reviews.

From May 1922 till March 1923 Johnstone studied composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music in London. He spent 1923-32 working in various shops, including Forsyth’s, the famous Manchester music shop, where he was employed in the record department and as a freelance journalist. Michael Kennedy, writing in ‘The Halle Tradition’, mentions that in 1925 ‘advertisements appeared in the programmes for the 1925-6 Halle Season for ‘a musical bookshop in Deansgate, run by Mr Maurice Johnstone’.

He became secretary to Sir Thomas Beecham in 1932 and remained with him for three years.

From 1935 he worked in the BBC's Music Department, at first in London, then, between 1938 and 1953, as Head of the Corporation's North Region Music in Manchester. In 1953, when he was seconded to London to be Head of Music Programmes (Sound) in the newly formed Music Division, he returned to live in Harpenden. 

He retired from the BBC in 1959 and continued to live in Harpenden till his death in April 1976. He was survived by his third wife, Marguerite and his three children, Valerie, Primrose and David.

On this week's show we are playing two tracks of his music - the march Pennine Way and Sea Dogs a concert overture.

 

Enjoy the show...

Playlist 7 July 2019 

Recording Details 

Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Opening for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010
March: The President - William German Dalewool Auckland Brass (New Zealand) MD: Nigel Weeks - 2001  'The Nationals 2001 - Australian National Band Championships' - Muso's Media MM2--006 - 2001 
Masquerade for Brass Band - James Curnow Nationale Jugend Brass Band Der Schweiz (Switzerland) MD:  James Watson - 1995  'Anniversary' CD - Obrasso Recording CD850 - 1995
Resurrection music from Symphony No.2 - Gustav Mahler arr: Chris Wormald  Smithills School Senior Band MD: Chris Wormald - 2004  'Ten Years at the Top (1994 - 2004) - CD - Smithills Senior & Bolton Sixth Form College CD10 - 2004 
Nola - Felix Arndt arr: Rich Ridenour and Patrick Sheridan Tuba Soloist Patrick Sheridan (USA) accompanied by Pianist Rich Ridenour - 1998  'Lollipops' - CD - Summit Records DCD221- 1998
I Know Thou Art Mine - Leonard Ballantine Kensington & Norwood Brass (Australia) MD: Bruce Raymond - 2005  'Nationals  - Australian Brass Band Championships - Adelaide 2005' - CD - MM2-016 - 2005
Swing that Door - Bill Broughton Trombone Soloist Bill Broughton with the New York Staff Band (USA) BM: Ron Waiksnoris - 2005  'New York Snapshots' - CD - Summit Records CD1014 - 2005
Main theme from Mission Impossible the Movie - Lalo Schifrin arr: Alan Fernie Oberaargauer Band (Austria) MD: Manfred Obrecht - 2005  'Epic Film Themes' - CD - Obrasso Recording  CD910 - 2005
Flamenca - Jonathan Bates Cornet Soloist Jimmy Hayes with the Cooperative Funeralcare Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2013  'A Second from Midnight Jim  Hayes is Jonny Midnight' - CD - World of sound Recording WOS 051CD - 2013
Prisms - Peter Graham  Jolster Musikklag (Norway) MD: Arvind Anthon - 2017  ' Norwegian Brass Band Championships 2nd Section - 2017' - CD -  
Bombasto - Orion.R.Farrer arr: Alan Catherall Ever Ready Band MD: Stephen Malcolm - 2003  'Completely Catherall' - CD - Doyen AMSCD066 - 2003
March: Pennine Way - Maurice Johnstone... Signature march of Bickershaw Colliery Band  Hepworth Band MD: Mark Peacock - 2014  'Yorkshire Heritage' - CD - Mancrochem Recording  - 2014
Concert Overture - Sea Dogs - Maurice Johnstone  Wingates Temperance Band MD: John Harrison - 1975  'Flourishing Brass' - Vinyl - Polydor Recording 2400246 - 1975
The Shepherd's Song - Cantaloupe arr: Goff Richards  Cornet soloist  Michele Stewart with the Belles of Brass (Australia) MD: Brian McGuinness - 2001  'The Nationals 2001 - Australian National Band Championships' - Muso's Media MM2--006 - 2001 
Three Haworth Impressions - 1) Top Withens 2) Three Bells 3) The Worth Valley Railway - Gordon Langford Rigid Containers Group Band MD: John Berryman - 1994  'English Landscapes' - CD - Harlequin Recordings HAR 1125CD - 1994
Over the Sticks - Stanley Smith-Masters (AKA Edrich Siebert)  CWS (Manchester) Band MD: Alex Mortimer - 1957  'Music for Brass' - Vinyl 45 rpm - Paxton PEP145 - 1957
Ancliffe in the Ballroom - Charles Ancliffe arr: Frank Wright  GUS (Footwear) Band MD Stanley Boddington - 1972 The GUS (Footwear) Band - The World Champions Play Marches And Waltzes' - Vinyl - Columbia ‎– TWO 364 - 1972
Banjo and Fiddle - William Kroll arr: Thomas Ruedi Euphonium Soloist Thomas Ruedi with the Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern (Switzerland) MD: Ludwig Wicki - 2013  'Elegie' CD -  Obrasso Recording CD875 - 2013
March: Castell Coch - T.J.Powell Emley Brass Band MD: Garry Hallas - 2010  'From The Top' - CD - KMU Recording AVEIT 01 - 2010
In Quiet Confidence - Kenneth Smith Canadian Staff Band of the Salvation Army (Canada) BM: John Lam - 2011  'In Quiet Confidence' - CD - Independent Label - 2011
Brazilian Dance - Guarnier arr: Howard Snell Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag Band (Norway) MD: Howard Snell - 1993  'The Vikings' - CD - Doyen Recording DOY CD023 - 1993
Bravest of the Brave - Bramwell Coles  Hendon Citadel Band BM: Stephen Cobb - 1990  'Marching with the Salvation Army' - CD - Bandleader ‎– BNA 5041 - 1990
Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Closing for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010

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