The BRITISH CONCERT ORCHESTRA
The British Concert Orchestra was founded in 1945 by Vic Oliver and since 1988 has been under the leadership of Principal Conductor Frank Renton. Frank is well-known for his Friday night Radio 2 show, Listen to the Band and his wit and accomplished ‘on air’ style lends itself very well to the dual role of Compere/Conductor for the Summer Magic Proms Concerts. Frank firmly believes that outdoor Proms need to be fun and entertaining with a good sized portion of traditional music fare, including the rousing finales with spectacular fireworks that audiences love so much. However, he also feels it is important to always include pieces that will challenge his musicians and keep them fresh and committed to the wonderful experience that is live music performed by a truly accomplished and professional orchestra. Indeed, Frank’s hardest taskmaster is not the Summer Magic Proms audience but his wife, Helen, who plays with the BCO and insists on the highest musical standards. In tenor Richard Coxon and soprano Deborah Myers, Frank has found two highly popular singers who understand what the Summer Magic concerts are all about and always deliver with great gusto and panache. Members of their families are always in the audience and the pair always put on a special show for Summer Magic.