1. Concorde March
2. Holiday Flight
Concorde March: Robert Farnon and the LSO
In April 2019 we celebrated 50 years since the inaugural journey of the first UK-built Concorde, which flew from Filton, near Bristol, to RAF Fairford on 9th April, 1969.
CRD Records has a special musical connection to this event: the Concorde March. This jubilant orchestral piece was commissioned by British Airways to mark the launch of Concorde, the first passenger supersonic airliner, a great feat of engineering and an emblem of the power of Anglo-French co-operation. Concorde March was written by the hugely popular and Grammy Award winning composer, Robert Farnon, and recorded by CRD in West Ham Central Mission (now Plaistow Memorial Community Church) with the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by the composer, with recording engineer, Bob Auger. Originally released as a 7 inch vinyl single, the B side featured a new version of Robert Farnon’s Holiday Flight.
To mark this auspicious 50th Anniversary milestone and celebrate the intersection of engineering and musical brilliance, we are re-releasing these two historic pieces.
| Artist | London Symphony Orchestra Robert Farnon – conductor |
|---|---|
| Reviews | "Robert Farnon's rousing Concorde March, commissioned by BA to mark the aircraft's launch, first appeared on a seven-inch vinyl 'single'. The 'B side', Holiday Flight, is engaging BBC Light Programme-style material." – BBC Music Magazine his is a one-off. In 1969 British Air commissioned a march to celebrate the successful launch of the Anglo-French Concorde supersonic airliner. They turned to Robert Farnon, eminent composer of light music and many other types of music, as well as conductor, arranger, broadcaster etc for the March. It was recorded by Farnon and the London Symphony Orchestra in the early days of the CRD label and released as what was then known as a “single”. CRD have re-released the single as a CD both as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Concorde and as a reminder of their own history. The Concorde March is vintage Farnon and more reminiscent of his film music than of the better-known light music. The flip side of the original disc and the second track on this one is a revised version of his well-known piece Holiday Flight. Sound quality has advanced a lot since the 70’s but the acoustic is good for the time and orchestral details come through clearly, especially the vibraphone in Holiday Flight. "A six-minute CD may not seem like a good buy to some listeners, even at a bargain price, but there are many, many Farnon fans who will want this disc and others who are interested in the Concorde and aviation history in general. Highly recommended for these audiences and as a reminder of an era of great technological achievements." – William Kreindler |
