Robert Joseph Farnon CM (24 July 191723 April 2005) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and television producers for theme and incidental music. In later life he composed a number of more serious orchestral works, including three symphonies, and was recognised with four

Ivor Novello award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...

s and the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

Life

Born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, he was commissioned as a captain in the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

and became the conductor/arranger of the Canadian Band of the

Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; ) was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in SHAEF ...

sent overseas during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, which was the Canadian equivalent of the American Band of the SHAEF led by Major

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the US Army Air Forc ...

. He was noted as a jazz trumpeter–his longtime friend

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

once stated that he was pleased that Farnon took up composing, arranging and conducting, because Robert was the better jazz trumpeter.David Ades
Robert Farnon biography
, Robert Farnon Society, accessed 20 November 2010 He married Joanne Dallas, a singer from the SHAEF band, whom he later divorced. At the end of the war Farnon decided to make

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

his home, and he later moved to

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

in the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

with his new wife Patricia Smith and his five children. His friend and fellow composer Wally Stott composed "A Canadian in Mayfair" as a tribute. He was considered by his peers to be the finest arranger in the world, and his talents influenced many composer-arrangers, including

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

, all of whom acknowledged his contributions to their work. Conductor

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

called him "the greatest writer for strings in the world." He was the musical director and conductor for

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

's 1972 series for

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

, ''

Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town ''Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town'' was a British television series hosted by American pop standards and jazz singer Tony Bennett that aired during 1972. It was staged in London from the Talk of the Town nightclub in conjunction with Thame ...

''. He won four Ivor Novello Awards, including one for "Outstanding Services to British Music" in 1991, and in 1996 he won the

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement (and its subsequent name changes) has been awarded since 1963. The award is presented to the arranger(s) of the music. Only songs or tracks are eligible, no longer works (e.g. albums). The perfor ...

for "Lament" performed by

J. J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biograph ...

& his

Robert Farnon Orchestra The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

. He was also awarded the

early in 1998. Robert Farnon died at the age of 87, at a hospice near his home of 40 years in Guernsey. He was survived by his wife Patricia and their five children, as well as two children from his previous marriage and his many grandchildren. Farnon's older brother Brian and his younger brother

Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is somet ...

were also orchestral composers, arrangers and conductors.

Works

Farnon is probably best known for two famous pieces of light music, "Jumping Bean" and "Portrait of a Flirt", which were originally released in 1955 as the A and B sides on the same 78, and for "Westminster Waltz", and "A Star is Born". Farnon also wrote the music for more than forty motion pictures, including '' Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.'' (1951), '' Gentlemen Marry Brunettes'' (1955), '' The Road to Hong Kong'' (1962), The Prisoner (1967-68), ''

Shalako Shalako is a series of dances and ceremonies conducted by the Native American Zuni people for the Zuni people at the winter solstice, typically following the harvest. The Shalako ceremony and feast has been closed to non-native peoples since 1990 ...

'' (1968) and '' Bear Island'' (1979). He wrote the theme tune and other music for many, mostly British,

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

including ''

Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of th ...

'' (1972–74), '' Secret Army'' (1977–79), ''

Kessler Kessler or Keßler (in German) may refer to: * Kessler (automobile), an American automobile made 1921–1922 * Kessler (name), people named Kessler * ''Kessler'' (TV series), a British television series from 1981 * Kessler, Ohio, an unincorporat ...

'' (1981), and ''

A Man Called Intrepid A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1979). His score for the first episode of the spy-fi series '' The Champions'' (1968) was released on CD by Network DVD in 2009. From the early 1960s, Farnon was a prominent orchestral arranger for vocalists. He arranged and conducted

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

's only album recorded outside of the United States, ''

Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain ''Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain'' is an album by Frank Sinatra, arranged by Robert Farnon, recorded in London in June 1962 at CTS Studios by Eric Tomlinson, a renowned recording and film industry dubbing engineer, who would go on ...

'' (1962), in London. Farnon also arranged and conducted

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

's album '' Lena: A New Album'' (1976),

's Christmas album ''

Snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

'' (1968), and one of

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and " The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Award ...

's albums recorded in Denmark, ''

Vaughan with Voices ''Vaughan with Voices'' is a 1964 studio album by Sarah Vaughan, arranged by Robert Farnon. Recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark, produced by Quincy Jones, and accompanied by the Svend-Saaby Danish Choir, this was Vaughan's only album arranged by Rober ...

'' (1964). He also completed three full-length classical symphonies, a concerto for piano and orchestra called ''Cascades to the Sea'', a rhapsody for violin and orchestra and a concerto for bassoon; he was commissioned to compose the test piece for the 1975 Brass Band Championships of Great Britain finals held at the Albert Hall and constructed ''Un Vie de Matelot'' (A Sailor's Life), a set of variations based on an original theme. The last piece he composed was entitled ''The Gaels: An American Wind Symphony'', as a commission for the Roxbury High School band in honour of the school's mascot, the

gael The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...

. The piece had its world premiere in May 2006. It was performed by the Roxbury High School Honors Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Stanley Saunders, a close friend of Farnon. His 1954 piece, "Derby Day", was used for

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) is the public service broadcasting organisation of Portugal. It operates four national television channels and three national radio stations, as well as several satellite and cable offerings. The current co ...

television services when they commenced on 7 March 1957. It became one of the station's anthems.

Selected filmography

References

"A Hit With Morning Listeners"
''The Vancouver Sun''. 24 November 1937.
"There Are Smiles"
''The Youngstown-Alberta Plaindealer''. 28 April 1938.
"Getting Into a Happy Frame of Mind"
''The Vancouver Sun''. 16 May 1938.
"The 'Happy Gang' broadcasts Monday at 11"
''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix''. 30 August 1941.
"Canada's most famous fun-makers coming to Windsor"
''The Windsor Star''. 23 May 1942.
"Another New Network Show on CFCN; "the Voice of Victor" feat.'Bob' Farnon's Orchestra"
''Calgary Herald''. 29 October 1942.
"Happy Gang's Fan Mail Largest in Canada"
''The Coaticook Observer''. 5 January 1940.
"The Happy Gang"
'' The Ottawa Citizen''. 5 May 1942. (Drag image down to access adjoining photo.) *

Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...

"No More Stories of Bob's 'Gram'"
''The Ottawa Citizen''. 8 May 1942. *Cowan, Cal
"Program Reviews: 'The Voice of Victor'"
''Billboard''. 5 December 1942.
"Tunefulness Of Musical Score One Big Hit In the Army Show"
''The Ottawa Citizen''. 8 May 1943. *

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was est ...

"Robert Farnon Denies Peace Group's Position"
''

The Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

''. 22 June 1951. *Canadian Press
"Aiming at Early Retirement, Farnon Plans Composer Role"
''The Ottawa Citizen''. 31 October 1955. * Lees, Gene
"Afterthoughts"
''

Downbeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Ch ...

''. 16 February 1961. (Reproduced following 9-paragraph remembrance of Lees posted 26 May 2014 by the Robert Farnon Society.)
"Radio-TV: Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie On Ed Sullivan Show"
'' Jet''. 4 May 1961.
"CBC Is Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary"
(Captioned photo). ''The Ottawa Citizen''. 14 November 1961. (Drag image up to read caption.) * Gleason, Ralph
"Rhythm Section: Satch Will Take a Year Off to Rest His Chops - and Listen; Liner Notes"
''

The Milwaukee Journal The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently ...

''. 3 March 1962. *Tomkins, Les

''National Jazz Archive''. 1967. *Tomkins, Les

''National Jazz Archive''. 1967. *Forester
"Sparkling 'Porgy'"
''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

''. 26 October 1967. *Radcliffe, Joe
"Talent in Action: Tony Bennett"
''Billboard''. 23 October 1971. *Siskind, Jacob
"NACO Delivers Rich Sound Under Farnon Baton"
''The Ottawa Citizen''. 15 January 1983. *Shaw, Peter
"Canada's Arranger for the Stars"
''The Ottawa Citizen''. 31 March 1984. *McDonald, Tim
"Robert Farnon: Prolific light music composer famed for film and television themes"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

''. 25 April 2005. *Oliver, Myrna
"Robert Farnon, 87; Composer and Arranger for Movies, Pop and Jazz"
''The Los Angeles Times''. 27 April 2005. *Riley, John

''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

''. 14 May 2005. *Cerra, Steven A
"Jazz Profiles - Robert Farnon: An Arranger’s Arranger"

Blogspot Blogger is an American online content management system founded in 1999 which enables multi-user blogs with time-stamped entries. Pyra Labs developed it before being acquired by Google in 2003. Google hosts the blogs, which can be accessed th ...

. 31 December 2011. *Sultanof, Jeff
"Robert Farnon, Part 1"
ArtsJournal. 5 February 2013. *Sultanof, Jeff

ArtsJournal. 6 February 2013.

Books

* *Perito, Nick (2004)
"Hello, Danny!"
''I Just Happened to Be There: Making Music With the Stars''. Philadelphia: Xlibris Corp. pp. 138–139. . *Barrett, Joshua; Bourgeois III, Louis G. (2005)
"Why Indianapolis - Why Not Indianapolis?!"
''The Musical World of J.J. Johnson''. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. pp. 213–216. .

External links

Robert Farnon Society
*
"Robert Farnon"
''The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnon, Robert 1917 births 2005 deaths Members of the Order of Canada Canadian male composers Canadian conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Canadian film score composers British male film score composers Canadian music arrangers British composers British male conductors (music) Easy listening musicians Grammy Award winners Light music composers Musicians from Toronto Jazz arrangers Canadian emigrants to the United Kingdom Canadian military musicians 20th-century Canadian composers British film score composers British music arrangers 20th-century British conductors (music) 20th-century Canadian male musicians Canadian male jazz musicians Canadian Army officers Canadian Army personnel of World War II Military personnel from Toronto

Life

Works

Selected filmography

See also

References

Further reading

Articles

Books

External links